WETHERSFIELD - A second former Mayor has announced her candidacy for the State House Rep. Russ Morin’s 28th Assembly District seat.

       Town Council Minority Leader Amy Bello, who served as Wethersfield’s chief elected official the past two years, will be seeking the Democratic nomination this May.

       â€�"I’ve served locally, and I thought this presented an opportunity to serve people in a different way,” Bello said over the phone Monday. â€�"I think I have the skills and background.”

       Bello is currently in her fifth year on the Council. She previously served as Wethersfield Town Clerk, before going on to a career in higher education – she currently works in Wesleyan University’s Center for African American Studies.

       And the opportunity, Bello noted, is a rare one at that – Morin, a former Wethersfield Mayor and Councilor himself, has held the seat for 14 years. Retired 9th District Senator Paul Doyle presided over the 28th for 12 years before that.

       Morin announced his intentions to vacate the seat last week.

       â€�"We were all saddened to hear that Russ wasn’t running – he’s been a friend and mentor to me,” Bello said. â€�"I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and continue his good work.”

       First she’ll have to win the party’s nomination, and there’ll be at least two Democratic candidates seeking it with former Mayor Paul Montinieri entering the race. Any candidate that gets at least 15 percent of the convention votes is eligible to force a primary.

       And the work, Bello said, includes the protection of municipal aid grants – such as Education Cost Sharing (ECS) revenue that can make or break the local school budget as belts tighten.

       â€�"Our Board of Education relies on that funding,” Bello said.

       Bello says she’s also looking to create more equitable access to early childhood education programs by, at the very least, maintaining current state funding – the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Education provides grants to help defray pre-K costs for low and moderate income households.

       â€�"Students with the ability to start school at age 3 as opposed to age 5 have an advantage,” Bello said.

       And districts that help provide it gain a financial edge in the long run – studies have shown that early intervention can produce special education cost savings in later years.

       â€�"On the other side, I also think it’s important to keep investing in State higher education,” Bello said.

       On her campaign website, Bello expresses support for the debt-free community college initiative introduced in the last state budget – a program for students that demonstrate a specified level of financial need. UCONN recently followed suit, offering no-cost enrollment to students with $50,000 or less in household income.

       â€�"These are the things we need to think about as we figure out how best to not only develop a skilled workforce, but keep it here,” Bello said. â€�"If we can help our students with paying for the cost of higher education, that’s very beneficial to our state’s economy.”

       Kneejerk objection usually comes down to cost – an estimated $2 million per year, according to a June 2019 Hartford Courant report, though Governor Lamont is looking to establish an online lottery system to generate the needed revenue.

       The state’s ability to retain the talent it’s grooming will determine the level of return on its investment – hence the introduction of employer-driven loan repayment incentive proposals coming out of the legislature’s Education Committee this session.

       And as Bello turns to the environment, she sees the opportunity to leverage emerging green energy sectors to create jobs – a vision she shares with Democratic House Rep. Kerry Wood.

       â€�"I drive through Massachusetts and all I see are solar fields,” Bello said. â€�"I’d like to see some of that here in Connecticut.”

       Bello’s platform also hones in on the cost of healthcare – a hot button topic in the current lawmakers such as Senator Matt Lesser look to control prescription costs and cap insulin prices.

       â€�"I’m thrilled with the work they’re doing now,” Bello said. â€�"Nobody should have to go without a life-saving medicine or choose between their grocery bill and their insulin.”

       Bello’s healthcare platform also aims to improve both mental health and opioid addiction treatment programs in the state.