The Connecticut-Puerto Rico Trade Commission held its first meeting Tuesday, nearly one year to the day after Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law the legislation creating it.
The first order of business for commissioners was deciding what they will focus on. Quickly, members agreed to the creation of economy, tourism, housing, education and healthcare subcommittees.
Then, state Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, jumped in with a motion to add another subject.
“I think that we're missing a great opportunity to bring our expertise, and vice versa, on energy assistance and energy efficiencies,” Reyes said.
But Commissioner Lissette Colón, the vice president of Fairfield County’s Puerto Rican Parade, countered that energy would already be covered by the economy subcommittee.
“That's part of the economic growth,” Colón said.
“Puerto Rico right now dealing with Luma, dealing with the fact that there’s these power outages, I want them to know that we care,” Reyes replied. “We understand, and I want them to know that we're offering services to help.”
Both Connecticut and Puerto Rico face some of the highest energy costs in the nation. The island also faces frequent outages on its unstable grid.
Ultimately, Reyes’ motion to add the energy issue passed.
Who is the commission?
State Rep. Christopher Rosario, D-Bridgeport, is the commission’s co-chair. He explained that the so-far 16 members of the eventual 23 came from “two appointments by the [House] speaker, two by the majority leader, two by the minority leader, two by the Senate president, two by the Senate majority leader, two by the Senate minority leader, and also appointments from the [state] executive branch.”
The commission is made up of lawmakers, business leaders, educators and community advocates.
“So each and every one of the commissioners that you see here represents the fabric of the entire state of Connecticut,” Rosario said, “urban, rural, suburban — each from all different walks of life.”
There are still several appointments to be made to the commission, but these first established members will begin meeting in their subcommittees.
State Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, encouraged members to talk more with their counterparts in Puerto Rico before making any big decisions.
“We need to engage in conversation with the island itself, with its leaders, to understand what the need is over there as well,” Candelaria said, “so that we can start figuring out what resources we have available here that we can start sharing with the island.”
The entire commission convenes again in September.
Puerto Rico has yet to establish its own similar commission on the island.
