State Senator District 21

What action(s) will you take to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and reduce the impact of the cost of prescription drugs on taxpayers and insurance premiums?

I am glad for the work already done in Hartford and Washington to cap insulin prices, cap out of pocket expenses for prescriptions on medicare, increase competition and lower costs in general for generic drugs, and allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices. Authorizing Canadian pharmaceutical importation would be another step in the right direction.

In these inflationary times, what will you do to help ensure that Connecticut’s middle-income retirees on fixed incomes are able to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets?

I was glad that this year’s budget accelerated the exemption of retirees under certain income thresholds from state income tax on pensions, social security, and annuities. Similar exemptions roll out over the next few years for 401ks which should cover most retirees in Connecticut. I think expanding these exemption thresholds and exploring ways to help Seniors with property taxes make sense as a way to ensure that our retirees can make ends meet and afford to stick around Connecticut.

How do you plan to address the growing long-term care workforce crisis in the state?

We need to ensure our State programs and their non-profit partners are resourced to compensate these workers with appropriate wages and benefits. We need to continue to bolster affordable access to quality education and job training that give workers looking to step up the skills they need to get the job done in this and the other crucial shortage fields (nursing, teaching and law enforcement).

Gas prices are higher than ever, which is difficult for older adults on fixed incomes. Yet, alternatives to cars in Connecticut are limited. What will you do to help older adults access other forms of transportation?

What are the two most urgent problems facing Connecticut within the context of climate change and the environment, and what will you propose to solve them?

How can Connecticut's education systems create better outcomes for students in low-income communities?

Quality public education is the core of our democracy. Schools are engines for our future. We have to create incentives and paths that attract and retain quality educators. We should utilize technology and evidence-based approaches to strive for safer schools and classrooms that connect students with the skills they will need to succeed. Ensuring those students who are interested have access especially to quality technical, vocational and STEM programs is important to me. I’m glad we’re prioritizing investments in early childhood education and mental health, but we also need to engage with parents to give them tools to support their children. We should continue to prioritize the availability of free quality meals for students. Lastly, the state should increase its support of special education funding which dipped in 2008 and hasn’t recovered, leaving a disproportionate burden on local budgets. The state could use this increase in funding to also take a larger role in negotiating fairer prices, especially for the most expensive services, which single towns may not have the market share to achieve.

Pedestrian deaths spiked a few years ago and remain high, and it's fairly clear that driver behavior, such as distracted driving, is only getting worse despite significant efforts by law enforcement to stop it. How can Connecticut's streets be made safe for pedestrians and bicyclists?

How should the state and its school districts deal with COVID-19 going forward?

What should be done on the state level to further address Connecticut's lack of affordable housing? Do you support, for example, mandating or incentivizing towns and cities to alter their zoning codes to be friendlier to affordable housing?

What can be done to prevent excessive consolidation of the healthcare industry and the loss of services – or, in some cases, the loss of small hospitals themselves – in the state's rural areas?

Do you think the state's two major electric utilities (Eversource and United Illuminating) are sufficiently regulated? If not, what measures would you take to ensure that consumers are protected to the greatest extent possible against prolonged loss of services and unfair rate increases?

Connecticut continues to have some of the highest costs for energy in the country. The Take Back Our Grid Act was a step in the right direction, but I would want to continue to ensure we closely scrutinize any proposed rate increases while continuing to make sure the proper investments are made to update the resiliency and efficiency of our grid. To protect our citizens and help our businesses, we need to ensure we have a grid that is reliable, affordable and green.

What is your position on whether Connecticut should open its election primaries to unaffiliated voters?

There are about 1 million unaffiliated voters in Connecticut who currently have no say until the general election. They too should have a voice in our primaries. Our elections in Connecticut should be secure and accessible in general. I am also in support of the referendum on this year’s ballot to allow the legislature to enact early voting. Connecticut is one of only a few states without early in person voting. It’s time we caught up with the rest of the country.