Rochelle to meet with constituents Friday at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle to meet with constituents Friday at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle to meet with constituents Monday at Copper City Bar & Grill in Ansonia

 

Rochelle to meet with constituents Friday at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle to meet with constituents Friday at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle, Scanlon to discuss drug discount card at Derby Senior Center

 

Rochelle, Tong to host elder justice forum at Ansonia Senior Center

 

Rochelle to meet with constituents at Copper City Bar & Grill in Ansonia

 

Rochelle to hold coffee event Friday at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle to host office hours at Valley Diner in Derby

 

Rochelle seeks input from constituents in 104th District

State Rep. Kara Rochelle

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby, is seeking input from the people of her district as she launches her annual legislative survey for the 2022 legislative session.

Residents across the 104th can take the 2022 constituent survey by visiting www.housedems.ct.gov/rochelle or by returning the paper survey that is being mailed to them in segments to comply with mail volume restrictions.

"I hope residents will complete the survey and will continue to stay in touch with me and share what matters most to them," said Rochelle.

The survey will ask residents for their ideas and thoughts on a myriad of issues that may come up this session, including the high cost of health care, reducing the cost of living in Connecticut, managing government efficiency, and strengthening the state's relationship with the business community to drive work force development and economic growth.

"I work for my constituents, and our community comes first. Thoughtfully engaging with residents about the issues that matter most to them allows me to bring their stories and ideas to Hartford so I can successfully advocate on the issues that impact their lives," said Rochelle.

Residents who would like more information about the survey can contact Rochelle directly by emailing her at Kara.Rochelle@cga.ct.gov.

In addition, Rochelle also hosts monthly community events for residents to speak with her over coffee in a relaxed setting to ask questions, provide feedback, and share ideas. 

If residents need immediate assistance, they can call her office at 860-240-8585.

This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Rochelle shares list of bills in support of CT veterans

HB 6449, An Act Expanding Economic Opportunity in Occupations Licensed by the Department of Public Health, reduces the requirements for health care professionals licensed in other states to obtain licensure and practice in Connecticut, making it easier for the family of service members to transfer into our state.

HB 5592, An Act Redefining “Veteran” and Establishing a Qualifying Review Board, ensures all Connecticut veterans have access to state-provided services and benefits.

HB 5737, An Act Establishing A Veterans and Military Tourism Trail, creates the Veterans and Military Tourism Trail to link memorials, battlegrounds and other historic sites related to CT's veterans and military history.

HB 6483, An Act Concerning the Enrollment of Children of Members of the Armed Forces in Public Schools and the Establishment of a Purple Star School Program, adopts the "Purple Star School Program" to ensure military-friendly schools for children who must relocate schools due to a change in a parent's duty station. 

This takes a vital step to address some of the challenges children face when they switch schools and better supports military families.

This is from a press release from state Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby. She represents the 104th District.

Rochelle lauds legislation to support senior citizens

state Rep. Kara Rochelle State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby,  is highlighting critical legislation passed during the 2021 legislative session to help support seniors across the Valley and Connecticut.

Rochelle backed bills to cut taxes for seniors and increase funding for vital programs and services like Meals on Wheels and aging in place initiative. She advocated for legislation to strengthen the nursing home residents' Bill of Rights which also was made law this session. “Our older neighbors, friends, and loved ones deserve to age with dignity, independence, and support. The legislation we passed this session seeks to address gaps in care and improve seniors' overall quality of life. I'm proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to building on these measures in future sessions,” said Rep. Rochelle.

Here’s a closer look at the bills:

HB 6458, An Act Lowering the Age of Eligibility for Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens and Establishing a Task Force to Protect Senior Citizens from Fraud, gives towns the ability to lower the age to provide property tax relief for seniors to 65, and as described, creates a task force to prevent seniors from fraud.

HB 6457, An Act Concerning Access to Recordings and Images from Technology Used by Nursing Home Residents for Virtual Visitation and Virtual Monitoring, expands the rights of nursing home residents and ensures their right to use technology to facilitate virtual visits with family and friends.

SB 975, An Act Strengthening the Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Residents and Authorizing the Use of Resident Technology for Virtual Visitation and Virtual Monitoring, expands the nursing home patients' bill of rights to include a resident's right to treat their living quarters as their home, including purchasing and using virtual visitation and virtual monitoring technology.

SB 1046, An Act Concerning Long Term Care Insurance, puts in place strong consumer protections for long- term care insurance to prevent significant, unexpected rate increases and ensure affordable products are available.

The state budget continues to phase out the state income tax on pensions and annuities - exempting an additional 28 percent over the next 2 years, which will exempt in total 70 percent of this income from state taxes for most seniors.

The state budget also increases funding for nursing homes, aging in place initiative, Meals on Wheels and other services.

This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Rochelle announces $2M bond request on agenda for Ansonia Copper & Brass site

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia, Derby and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Ansonia, Derby, today learned their $2 million state bonding request for renovation of the 175,000-square-foot Extrusion Mill building at the Ansonia Copper & Brass site has been placed on the state's bonding committee agenda by Gov. Ned Lamont. 

The project calls for renovation of the extrusion mill to facilitate the economic revitalization of this now empty, but once major manufacturing site.

 

"We are making meaningful progress in the economic redevelopment of our community," said Rochelle. "These would be the first major state funds secured to renovate and revitalize the Ansonia Copper & Brass site, which has been a priority of mine for many years. With this needed funding, we hope to lure developers to the site, grow our grand list, increase property values, bring jobs to the region and give the city the opportunity to lower property taxes. This $2 million in new bond funding will truly help to stabilize our region economically and I am appreciative to have such strong partners in Sen. Cabrera and the Governor to make this happen."

 

"This additional $2 million for Ansonia Brass is a game changer! On top of the nearly $1.5 million already secured for Ansonia we are well on our way to moving Ansonia forward. It was great to work alongside my friend and colleague Rep. Kara Rochelle and Governor Lamont to make this happen. This is only the beginning of more great things to come for Ansonia," said Cabrera.

 

The funds requested by Rochelle and Cabrera through the legislative bond request process will assist with the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the Ansonia Copper & Brass Extrusion Mill facility, including remediation of the roof, siding and HVAC systems, selective demolition of portions of the mill and adjacent buildings, and improvements to site access and utilities.

 

This expected multi-million dollar win for the community comes on the heels of Rochelle and Cabrera, in partnership with the city, securing $1 million in state funds from the Department of Economic Community Development for the brownfield cleanup at the adjacent Farrell SHW building in Ansonia and the more than $1.2 million in the state budget for increased and improved services for the Waterbury Rail Line. 

Together, these major investments signal a shift by the state to refocus strategic resources on economic redevelopment in the Valley.

This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Rochelle to host Legislative Office Hours at Copper City Bar & Grill in Ansonia

State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby, represents the 104th District.

Rochelle: Deadline extended to apply for help paying last winter's heating bill

Connecticut residents who need some support paying last winter's home heating bill have until June 15 to apply for financial aid through Connecticut's Energy Assistant Program. Residents who need help paying their winter energy bill are encouraged to apply, regardless of whether their home is heated through electricity, natural gas, or a deliverable fuel. 

If the household's primary heat source is electricity or natural gas, the payment will be sent directly to the utility company. 

Home heating benefits are available for households with incomes up to 60% of the state median income (currently, $37,645 for a single person and $72,394 for a household of four). Payments are issued directly to fuel vendors and utility companies on behalf of eligible households.

Applicants should contact the Community Action Agency serving their region or partnering intake sites around the state. 

TEAM, Inc., is the Community Action Agency serving Ansonia and Derby. To apply, call TEAM at 203-736-5420.  

If you do not live in or around Ansonia/Derby, call 2-1-1 or visit www.ct.gov/staywarm to find the application site nearest you. In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, households will also be advised how to complete applications remotely through a mail-in process or over the phone. 

Read the full announcement here.

This is a press release from state Rep. Kara Rochelle's office. She represents the 104th District.