State Representative District 6
Russell Williams
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Party: Republican
CEP Status: nonparticipating
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Edwin Vargas
1 CTNewsJunkie Reader Endorsements
Party: Democrat
CEP Status: participating
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Age: 71
Marital Status: Married
Current Residence: Hartford
Current Job: Legislator
Previous Job: Teacher
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Education: Masters in Public Administration
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 will support any and all legislation that reduces prescription costs for consumers.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 will support legislation that eliminates state income tax on retiree's pensions and Programs to reduce the property tax burden on retirees.How do you plan to address the growing long-term care workforce crisis in the state?
We need to increase the compensation and benefits of these employees to ensure that these jobs attract a sufficient number of applicants.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?
I will continue to support fare free bussing and programs like dial-a-ride.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?
Trash disposal and incineration among others.How can Connecticut's education systems create better outcomes for students in low-income communities?
The number one indicator for student success in public school systems is based on equitable housing patterns. We need to ensure fair housing.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?
I will continue to support traffic calming initiatives as well as safe driving and pedestrian safety education.How should the state and its school districts deal with COVID-19 going forward?
We must continue our campaign to make vaccines accessible to all and continue encouraging safe practices.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?
I do.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?
We must increase our support to the smaller hospitals and discourage healthcare monopolies. I also believe that we should increase our public options.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?
We have already taken some steps in that direction. I also support giving our Public Utilities Commission more authorities over these utilities.What is your position on whether Connecticut should open its election primaries to unaffiliated voters?
I would support such a change.