Candidate for Connecticut State Senate - District 13 in 2020 Connecticut General Election.
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.
Get StartedBeing a pro-choice State Senator, Senator Abrams fully support a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. She fought and defended attempts to defund reproductive health services that will limit access to services that women are legally entitled to and worked to provide women with more protection in the workplace. Mary is also very honored to be endorsed by NARAL and Planned Parenthood because of their support for a woman’s right to choose. Learn more
As your State Senator, I will fight any attempts at deregulation that negatively impact our environment. Connecticut is a beautiful state and we must protect our land and natural resources so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy them. Learn more
Public Act 19-5, also known as Ethan’s Law. Current law required a gun owner with children aged 16 and under in the home to store a loaded gun in a locked container. Ethan’s Law raised the age to 18 and requires unloaded guns to be stored in a locked container as well, providing less opportunities for future accidents. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to develop a K-12 gun safety guide, which will provide younger people with a better understanding and awareness and help work towards a decline in gun related incidents. Learn more
We must continue to work together and advocate for commonsense gun safety reform that protects our children and our community. While Washington stood in the way of protecting us as a nation, we acted here in Connecticut. In 2019, I was proud to support and co-sponsor three strong pieces of gun safety legislation and I’m honored to have the endorsement from Connecticut Against Gun Violence and named a Candidate of Distinction by Moms Demand Action. Learn more
Public Act 19-7 prohibits the storing of a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless it’s in the trunk, a locked glove box or a locked safe. The thefts of guns from cars is a growing issue nationwide and a number of large cities have seen an increase each year of over 40 percent. This bill will protect children inside of cars and lead to less gun thefts and ensure fewer guns end up in the wrong hands. We need leaders who will fight to end gun violence and Senator Abrams is committed to continuing that fight. Learn more
Public Act 19-6 closed a loophole that allowed individuals to anonymously purchase guns without serial numbers. This new law will protect residents and prohibits the manufacturing of a firearm without a serial number, the manufacturing of a plastic gun that can pass through security if the grips, stocks and magazine are taken off, and the sale or transfer of an unfinished frame or lower receiver without the unique identifying mark issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). Learn more
Approximately 3,500 women each year in Connecticut are diagnosed with breast cancer, and Senator Abrams worked to expand access to breast cancer screenings by lowering out-of-pocket costs when women receive ultrasounds. Dense breast tissue can mask anomalies such as tumors; this legislation expands on standing law that recommended additional ultrasound screenings. Reducing the upfront costs will allow more women to get the treatment they need and will undoubtedly save lives. Learn more
Another important health care improvement passed during a special session this year was to expand telehealth services among the public. Senator Abrams led the charge to increase the public’s access to health care services. By expanding access to telehealth services, she ensured that people needing medical attention can seek it safely without even needing to leave their homes. Learn more
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, we continue to find ways to improve public health. In the face of continually rising insulin prices, Senator Abrams supported a cap on out-of-pocket monthly cost of insulin at $25 per month, with noninsulin drugs like glucagon at the same price level and equipment and supplies capped at $100 per month. This will save Connecticut diabetics thousands of dollars per year. Learn more
As many as 95 percent of people who become addicted to nicotine do so before they turn 21, exposing them to a potential health risk for their entire lives. The spike in use of e-cigarettes in recent years has only made this problem worse. That’s why Senator Abrams led the Senate’s passing of “Tobacco 21,” legislation increasing the age of access for tobacco products from 18 to 21. We know that many smokers first access tobacco in high school, often from peers over the age of 18; by cutting off that potential connection, fewer youths will have exposure to smoking. Learn more
According to the United Nations, the United States is just one of two countries in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave to its citizens. This comes as the state’s number of households with two working parents increased from 33 percent in 1970 to nearly 50 percent in 2015. This requires mothers and fathers to work soon after their children are born, robbing them of important development time with their newborns; it also requires families with members who become ill to choose between work and care, a choice no one should have to make. With Paid Family Medical Leave, that changes. For up to 12 weeks, Connecticut employees will be able to take paid leave to care for newborns, family members with serious health conditions, their own serious health conditions, an emergency due to a family member on active duty, or to serve as an organ or bone marrow donor. Learn more
Fighting for an economy where everyone prospers is a top priority. Senator Abrams was committed to increasing the minimum wage when she ran in 2018 and she was proud to support it on the Senate floor in 2019m giving 336,000 residents of Connecticut a raise. Hundreds of thousands of workers are struggling each and every day to provide for themselves and their families. This wage increase means groceries in the fridge, food on the table, gas in a car and a roof over a head. The minimum wage goes up incrementally, increasing to $11 on October 1, 2019 $12 on September 1, 2020 $13 on August 1, 2021 $14 on July 1, 2022 $15 on June 1, 2023. Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.