Marilyn Moore

My 2018 End of the Year Report

Dear friends and neighbors, it’s been a busy year working as your state senator. As we say goodbye to another year, I wanted to send you an end of year recap from my office. First, I will share some of my favorite moments with you, then a 2018 legislative recap.

Recognizing Outstanding Citizens

One of the best things about my role as your State Senator is being able to recognize people in our community who go above and beyond to be outstanding citizens.

Celebrating Excellence in Teaching

This fall, I was proud to present Mrs. Sheena Graham, Harding High School’s super star performing arts teacher, with an official congratulatory state citation and proclamation in honor of being named Connecticut’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, the state’s highest recognition for teachers. I also visited Six to Six Magnet School in Bridgeport to recognize Sabine Januski, a seventh-grade language arts teacher, for being named Cooperative Educational Services’ Teacher of the Year.

Trumbull Integrity Awards

In June I honored community members in Trumbull with my annual Trumbull Integrity Award for their adherence to the values of community, discovery, excellence, integrity, respect and responsibility. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Madison Silva, Heather LeMoult, and John Vazzano, and to Robert Diaz, for naming the theme for Trumbull’s 2018 Memorial Day Parade.

Year of the Woman

Women and girls across the world continued to make history this year. Here in Connecticut, I was proud to pass legislation to help close the gender pay gap, protect women’s healthcare and shed light on anti-choice pregnancy centers. I also supported a bill to overhaul the state’s sexual assault laws. In February, I joined the state’s four black female legislators to celebrate “Margaret Morton Day” at the State Capitol. I ended the year as the co-chair of Governor-elect Lamont’s Women’s Policy Transition Committee, where I worked with a group of women leaders from across the state to present recommendations to advance women and girls in Connecticut.

Visits to the State Capitol

Every year, hundreds of people from the 22nd Senatorial District visit the State Capitol in Hartford. Whether you were a student on a school trip, a community leader coming to testify on a bill, or if you were just visiting take in the sights at our beautiful Capital City, I want to thank you for representing our district well. I look forward to seeing who visits in 2019!

Legislative Recap

There were many issues that were that were important to me in 2018. In addition to chairing the Human Services Committee and Children’s Committee, I was named Senate Co-chair of the Bonding Subcommittee. Here are some important accomplishments for the 2018 legislative session:

Bipartisan Budget
After months of negotiations, Democrats and Republicans worked together to produce another bipartisan budget that invests in our economy, restores funding for core services, protects seniors, rejects cuts to towns and local education, funds transportation projects, and rejects fare increases and service cuts for buses and trains. The bipartisan budget accomplishes all of this while not increasing taxes and putting over $1 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Securing Funding for Our Communities
As the Senate Co-chair of the Bonding Subcommittee I was able to work with city and town leaders to identify projects in our communities that the state could provide bond funding for including senior housing, local nonprofits, school construction, museums, affordable housing, and dozens of infrastructure projects.

Advancing Pay Equity
Democrats led final legislative passage of An Act Concerning Pay Equity. Under this bill, employers would be prohibited from asking prospective employees about their previous wages, as evidence shows women disproportionately carry lower salaries from one job to the next. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2019.

Banning Bump Stocks
I was proud to support critical public safety legislation banning bump stocks which can turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons. Bump stocks are devices that transform the firing mechanism of a semi-automatic weapon into a weapon that fires like a fully automatic weapon like the one used in the Las Vegas shooting.

Investing in Job Creation
I championed legislation to invest $50 million in workforce development programs, community colleges and high schools to help with the demand for workers in advanced manufacturing. Connecticut’s large manufacturers, especially those in the defense industry, are expanding and planning to hire thousands of people over the coming decade. Creating an effective job training pipeline will guarantee thousands of Connecticut workers good jobs and secure futures for generations.

As always, I am humbled and honored to work for you and represent you in Hartford. I wish good health and happiness for you and your family in 2019!