Heather on the Issues

Jobs/Economy

As someone who started a successful biotech manufacturing business in Connecticut that grew to support nearly 100 jobs, Heather knows firsthand how difficult it is to build a business and create jobs in our state.

That’s why as our state senator, Heather has fought to deliver tax relief for small businesses, to stop misguided mandates and regulations that stifle job and wage growth and to support critical job-training programs.

Heather successfully passed legislation to:

• Roll back taxes on the sale of boats
• Roll back taxes on marine diesel fuel.
• Roll back taxes on Ambulatory Surgical Centers
• Eliminate the Estate or “Death” Tax

Heather worked to slash red tape by establishing a 90-day window for DEEP to respond to permitting requests — allow businesses the certainty they need to move forward rather than drown in bureaucracy.

Heather introduced legislation expand job-training programs to fit specific existing needs in eastern Connecticut for underemployed and unemployed workers, as well as people just entering the workforce.

Heather successfully fought misguided, ideological proposals to implement new payroll and wage mandates that would have been disastrous for small businesses in eastern Connecticut.

Heather sponsored legislation to invest in workforce training to prepare workers for available jobs with local manufacturers.

Education

Heather believes strong schools form the backbone for opportunity and prosperity in our state.

Heather came through for our schools when our community needed a fighter. When Gov. Malloy threatened Groton with massive cuts to local education, Heather took him head-on and won — protecting state funding for our schools and students.

Heather worked closely with Groton School officials to restore $18 million of education funding cut by Malloy. Not only did Heather get the funding restored, she was able to secure an additional $1 million pilot grant for Groton schools.

Heather also worked with DAS and the Groton superintendent to correct the grant for the Groton 2020 project, resulting in $25 million in savings for Groton taxpayers.

Heather supported the concept on online makeup days for snow days.

Heather supported funding to save our community college network.

And Heather strongly opposed the disaggregation of student data by ethnic subgroups in public school information systems.

Infrastructure

Heather believes infrastructure is not only a maintenance issue, it is an economic development and quality of life issue. To restore prosperity to Connecticut and attract employers to eastern Connecticut we must have world class infrastructure. We must also ensure our infrastructure is not failing residents and leaving them stuck in traffic or without affordable and accessible transportation options.

Heather secured funding for road maintenance in the district and has worked closely with local leaders to support Boom bridge, Stillman Avenue bridge and other infrastructure projects throughout the district.

Heather has been a strong advocate for Shoreline East and has fought to extend service to Westerly.

Heather secured funding for a new sidewalk system in Stonington.

Heather strongly opposes tolls and believes the last thing struggling Connecticut taxpayers need are more fees.

Opioid Crisis

As co-chair of the Public Health Committee in the Senate, Heather has led the fight to eradicate the scourge of opioid addiction in Connecticut.

Heather has supported and sponsored bipartisan legislation that:

- Mandated electronic script writing of opioids for better traceability and accountability

- Limited the number of days opioids could be prescribed

- Required a disclosure from Doctor to Patient concerning the addictive nature of opioids

- Required a 24-hour real time bed availability on the PH porthole for those seeking treatment

- Established a working group to develop a PSA concerning the dangers of opioid use

- Made Narcan available on-demand at pharmacies

- Passed Sober home legislation that will help those recovering choose a true sober home

- Fully funded the Office of the Medical Examiner

- Requires all EMS providers to report if Narcan is used on patients who are not brought to the Emergency Room

- Established MAT programs to combat addiction and opioid use in prisons

Accountability

As our state senator, Heather has challenged business-as-usual in Hartford and brought greater accountability to public institutions by exposing wrongdoing and demanding reform.

In her first year in office, Heather uncovered a pattern of unethical behavior at CMEEC and led the charge to bring greater accountability to the municipal utility cooperative.

Heather passed legislation that protected ratepayers and ended the practice of CMEEC inflating the wholesale price of energy to maintain a slush fund used for extravagant purchases like a Kentucky Derby trip and parties for CMEEC employees.

Heather also passed legislation bringing greater accountability to the municipal utility co-op by requiring a five-year forensic audit, making CMEEC publish their budget, banning the co-op from paying for out-of-state trips and appointing a consumer advocate.

In addition, the legislation expanded the Board of CMEEC to include ratepayers from each municipal electric company.

Heather also helped expose a pattern of abuse at Whiting Forensic, a state run mental health facility, and led the fight to hold the Malloy administration accountable for the failures in process and oversight that made the pervasive abuse possible and then to implement reforms, so it can never happen again.

After allegations of patient abuse arose – Heather took the lead forcing a public hearing concerning this abuse. Heather dug in deep and refused to be pushed aside — even as both the governor and Democratic leaders in Hartford remained silent on the issue.

Heather visited with patients at the facility, union members working there, learned of the environment, conditions and culture of cruelty that exists. She did not relent and this year she helped pass legislation requiring all employees to report any instances of abuse and establishing an outside independent task force to investigate all aspects of Whiting forensic and the CVH system. This task force will report its findings directly to the Public Health committee. The legislation also forced Whiting Forensic to become a stand-alone hospital that will now be licensed through the Dept. of Public Health. The change in classification saved Connecticut $52 million in Medicaid dollars.

Protecting Local Assets and Delivering Results

Heather delivers results for eastern Connecticut and is a tireless and effective advocate for the local assets in the 18th district.

As a senator, Heather:

- Secured funding for needed improvements to the Stonington breakwater and town dock

- Acquired a new fire truck for Voluntown to fight fires in Pachaug State Forest

- Funded the Thames River Water Taxi to bring new foot traffic to Groton businesses

- Saved the Alexy Von Schlippe Gallery at UCONN Avery Point

- Protected the Project Oceanology program at UCONN Avery Point – ensuring the program was protected from potential cuts to UCONN

- Worked as a member of the Tourism caucus to protect assets like the Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport

Heather has also been a relentless advocate for the commercial fishing and shell fishing industries in southeastern Connecticut. Heather:

- Made regulatory compliance for shell fishing businesses easier by securing a state lab closer to the region.

- Highlighted the regulatory plight of commercial fishermen and consistently advocated for policies to allow them to make a living and maintain their way of life.

And Heather was responsible for fixing the diversity grant for Groton 2020 resulting in a 25 million savings to Groton taxpayers.

Griswold State Police Range

Heather heard from the community and fought this issue from day one. Heather sponsored legislation that would have required any gun range be approved by town referendum before it could be built. The legislation passed the Senate but wasn’t brought to a vote in the House.

This year two bills were introduced requiring a review of the process for which the site had been selected and to defund all the bonding associated with the gun range.

As a result of Heather’s relentless advocacy, a public hearing was finally granted and over 100 town of Griswold residents came to Hartford to have their say in the process.

Heather has never stopped fighting.

Heather put an amendment on a large environment bill that would have immediately transferred the proposed gun range property to the DEEP to be added to the State Forest. The amendment was defeated on a party-line vote. Every Democrat fell in line and Gov. Malloy’s lieutenant governor cast the deciding vote and to ignore the voice of Griswold residents.

Heather still managed to have all the bonding moved from 4.2 million to zero this year and added an ethics amendment to 21 bills in the Senate this session to discuss the purchase of the property.

Heather is now working with Congressman Joe Courtney’s office, in a bipartisan manner, to protect the interest of local residents.

Healthcare

As co-chair of the Senate Public Health Committee, Heather has been a tireless and effective advocate for the quality, availability and affordability of health care.

Heather has worked across the aisle to pursue common sense reforms to the health care system to benefit both patients and providers. Heather has fought for and passed legislation:

• To treat pregnancy as a qualifying event, allowing women to buy health insurance during periods when enrollment is closed if they become pregnant.
• Establish the right of pregnant women to have a living will — which was not previously allowed.
• To save lives by improving the training and expanding the expertise of life support teams.
• To treat podiatry like other specialties, saving patients and providers time.
• To ensure prosthetic devices are covered by insurance companies.
• To protect patients from over-billing by properly defining the characteristics of urgent care facilities, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms.

Heather has been a staunch supporter of the IDD and Autism communities, passing legislation to help maximize independence and options and working behind the scenes to protect continuity of care in the event of any non-profit budget disagreements with the state.

Heather passed legislation to expand patient access to telemedicine solutions — particularly for addiction and mental health.