Month: March 2025

Sens. Looney, Duff Call Connecticut Republicans to Join in Demand for Hegseth’s Resignation for Risking the Lives of Americans

Posted on by Devin James

Sens. Looney, Duff Call Connecticut Republicans to Join in Demand for Hegseth’s Resignation for Risking the Lives of Americans

Today, Senate President Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff called on Connecticut Republicans and their legislative leadership to join them in demanding that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth resign amid reports that senior Trump administration officials used an unsecured messaging app to share classified war plans endangering the lives of American service members.

“The reckless actions of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and several other top members of the Trump administration put the lives of American service members in jeopardy. Sharing classified information on unprotected channels is an unprecedented and illegal security breach that could have led to disaster for our armed forces and put our fighter pilots in grave danger. In the wake of these sobering developments, with the full published texts available for any American to read, the Trump administration refuses to take accountability and apologize to our service members and their families. Instead, they continue to deny, deflect, and attack the media.

“We call for Connecticut Republicans and their legislative leadership to join us in calling for Secretary Hegseth to resign from his office. Republicans can no longer deny and deflect these national security issues; the lives of American service members depend on it. Silence is complicity and irresponsibility.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

Senate Democrat Priority Bills on AI and Price Gouging Pass in Committee Meeting, Heading to Senate Floor

Posted on by Devin James

Senate Democrat Priority Bills on AI and Price Gouging Pass in Committee Meeting, Heading to Senate Floor

Today, during the General Law Committee meeting, two Senate Democrat priority bills were voted on and passed, and now head to the Senate floor.

State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford), Chair of the General Law Committee, lead passage of Senate Bill 2, ‘An Act Concerning Artificial Intelligence’ and Senate Bill 3, ‘An Act Concerning Consumer Protection and Safety,’ during the meeting this morning. Both bills will be heard next on the Senate floor.

“Senate Bill 2 is an important opportunity to capitalize on innovation, enhance AI in the workforce, and protect consumers,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “It establishes a range of new programs from the national discussion on AI but does so by integrating them into existing state operations. It will establish Connecticut as a leader for how government should protect individuals, promote AI with businesses, and empower workers.”

“Senate Bill 3 is important legislation for Connecticut consumers and all residents,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “With the benefits of technological innovation comes consumer concerns involving privacy, transparency, and affordability. Connecticut has a duty to its citizens to both foster innovation and regulate the market to ensure the safety of its consumers.”

“Today marks a significant step forward for both innovation and consumer protection in our state,” said Sen. Maroney.  “As chair of the General Law Committee, I am incredibly proud that we have passed out of committee two critical pieces of legislation: one to regulate artificial intelligence, ensuring its responsible development and use, and another to combat price gouging and protect consumers. These bills reflect our commitment to keeping pace with technology while safeguarding the interests of our constituents. I look forward to working with my colleagues to see these bills through to final passage.”

“I am proud to stand beside Senate Chair Maroney in his nationally recognized efforts to pass significant consumer protections for residents of our State. Senate Bill 2 is a strong statement on behalf of Connecticut residents that both embraces the role that AI development will have in improving the lives of so many people in our State while also protecting them from potential misuses,” said Representative Roland Lemar (D – House Chair of General Law). “And in Senate Bill 3 we are passing important consumer rights to protect our residents against price gouging, unfair trade practices, corporations limiting our right to repair certain consumer goods and more.”

“The passage of SB 2 is a major step forward in making sure artificial intelligence works for the people of Connecticut—not the other way around,” said Representative Hubert Delany. “AI is already being used to make decisions that affect people’s lives. With SB 2, we’re putting guardrails in place to make sure those decisions are fair, transparent, and accountable.”

Senate Bill 2 will work to create regulations for Artificial Intelligence in Connecticut. This bill will focus on:

-Transparency and accountability;

-Training Connecticut’s workforce to use artificial intelligence;

-Criminalization of non-consensual intimate images.

On May 17, 2024, Colorado passed the first comprehensive Artificial Intelligence bill in the United States. Colorado’s bill will impose obligations on developers and deployers of high-risk AI systems in an effort to protect consumers from discriminatory consequential decisions by such systems. It primarily targets AI systems that make significant decisions impacting individuals access to services like education, employment and healthcare.

Transparency and Accountability
This legislation will reveal discrimination where AI is being used to make important decisions about people’s lives, like housing, lending, employment, and government services. 80-88% of companies are using AI to make employment decisions. 50-70% (depending on survey) or large landlords are using AI for screening tenants.

Criminalizing Deepfake Porn 

Under this legislation, the bill will update outdated law to prohibit the use of AI to make deepfake porn of people, including the use of AI to create revenge porn.

Workforce Development and Training
The intersection of workforce development and artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges. While AI can improve productivity and lead to innovations, its impact on the workforce has raised concerns about potential negative consequences.

Challenges can include automation, skill gaps and economic inequality. While AI can create new jobs, these roles often require specialized skills, meaning employees may need to reskill, which can be difficult without access to education or training programs. To mitigate these challenges, workforce retraining should be made accessible. This legislation will work to provide training opportunities to Connecticut residents while reaching people where they are.

Senate Bill 3 will enact new consumer protections aimed at affordability and a public health proposal designed to shield Connecticut from impending federal policy changes that could threaten the health of state residents.
Connecticut families have struggled with the affordability of goods and services for the last several years as a result of inflation and supply chain disruptions related to the pandemic. However, some corporations have used these conditions as a pretense to extract additional profits from hardworking families through a form of price gouging that occurs before the product is ever placed on a store shelf.

Although Connecticut currently has laws to prevent price gouging, these policies have two critical limitations: they can only be enforced against retailers, and they only apply during major disasters or when an emergency has been declared. In other words, price gouging is essentially permitted in all but the most dire circumstances.

Through Senate Bill 3, Senate Democrats plan to target the kinds of price gouging that drive up costs behind the scenes as manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and suppliers artificially inflate prices to pad their bottom lines.

The legislation will also expand the scope of Connecticut’s price gouging prohibition beyond emergency situations by allowing the attorney general to issue notices of abnormal economic disruption. These notices would apply to significant interferences in the production, distribution, supply, sale or availability of necessary consumer goods like diapers, baby formula, or prescription medications.

The proposal gives the attorney general the authority to enforce the new price gouging prohibition under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michelle Rappaport | Michelle.Rappaport@cga.ct.gov| 508-479-4969

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE SENDS LEGISLATION WITH NEW STRATEGY TO FIGHT OPIOID OVERDOSES TO SENATE FLOOR

Posted on by Devin James

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE SENDS LEGISLATION WITH NEW STRATEGY TO FIGHT OPIOID OVERDOSES TO SENATE FLOOR

Today, the Public Health Committee passed legislation that would create a pilot program for overdose prevention centers, locations supporting individuals with substance use disorder to reduce overdose deaths and connect those in need with resources to help them. Families of those struggling with substance use disorder and whose loved ones died from overdoses looked on as the committee passed the bill.

Senate Bill 1285, “An Act Establishing An Overdose Prevention Center Pilot Program,” which was introduced this year by State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, calls for the state to develop a program establishing four such centers in different municipalities in 2026 should it pass.

Each center would employ licensed health care providers who have experience treating substance use disorder. Those employees would monitor individuals using substances in the centers, including providing medical treatment in the event an individual experiences an overdose.

“We’ve been fighting the opioid crisis for more than a decade now, and while medical professionals are encouraged that overdose deaths are declining in Connecticut in recent years, the point remains that far too many people continue to struggle and suffer with substance use disorder,” said Sen. Anwar. “Our family members, friends and colleagues continue to remain at risk and our current strategies aren’t meeting their needs. Overdose prevention centers reduce stigma. They connect people with resources that can improve their lives. They’re a viable alternative to our current strategies and provide a human connection to people when they most need them. I look forward to introducing this bill on the Senate floor later this year and hope to see it become law.”

Staff at centers would also offer drug test materials to individuals to ensure the safety of their substances being used and would also provide referrals to individuals regarding substance use disorder treatment or other mental health treatment. The bill would also see the creation of an advisory committee to make recommendations regarding public health, safety and operational matters in the centers.

Public testimony on the bill was nearly universally positive, with medical professionals, educators, advocates, recovery support specialists and those who lost loved ones to overdoses all supporting the bill.
Abigail Wood Maldonaldo, behavioral health director for the Western CT Coalition, testified that overdose prevention center models in the United States have shown their effectiveness, including a study that every dollar spent on them saved $5 in health care and emergency response costs. A New York City location, OnPoint, has served more than 5,800 people since 2021 with nearly 1,700 overdose interventions, none of which led to death.

Peter Canning, a paramedic, testified that overdose prevention centers provide individuals with a place for social connection as well as safe usage and provides them with direct connections to recovery resources, improving the odds an individual ceases use of drugs.

The National Institute on Drug Use said these centers, while rare in the United States, have successfully operated in a number of international countries for more than two decades. Studies found these centers have not seen a death from overdose on their premises and are in fact connected to reductions in public drug use, lower demand on health care resources and reduced use of emergency response services among those with substance use disorder. Centers are also tied to increased access to treatment for substance use disorder.

The Drug Policy Alliance reported that these centers reduce discarded syringes, risk of physical or sexual violence and risky behaviors connected to infectious diseases among substance users.

A 2022 Data for Progress survey found these centers received 64% support, with both Democrats and Republicans approving of the treatment concept.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

SEN. FLEXER PROPOSES MORE FUNDING FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS IN FARMS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND HOUSING

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. FLEXER PROPOSES MORE FUNDING FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS IN FARMS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND HOUSING

HARTFORD – The public submitted written testimony at a public hearing today unanimously in favor of state Sen. Mae Flexer’s bill to increase funding for Connecticut’s 20-year-old Community Investment Account (CIA), which since its inception in 2005 has invested more than $150 million in 1,500 projects across Connecticut, such as preserving farmland, giving grants to farmers, investing in historic preservation, promoting Connecticut’s wine and seafood industries, and expanding affordable housing.

The CIA was first created in 2005 by former state Senate President Donald E. Williams. Jr., of Brooklyn, Connecticut.

Senate Bill 1522, “AN ACT RENAMING THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT THE DONALD E. WILLIAMS, JR. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT AND INCREASING FUNDING FOR SAID ACCOUNT,” calls for re-naming the Account after former Sen. Williams and increasing some of the public fees paid to a town clerk by $1-$6 in order to continue a reliable funding stream for the account. The fees have not been adjusted since 2011, when other legislation that Sen. Flexer also authored expanded the fund to include dairy farms, among other changes.

“Senator Williams’ foresight two decades ago has led to investments and success that I don’t think even he could have imagined when he proposed this program in 2005, ” said Sen. Flexer, who is Senate Chair of the GAE Committee. “The impact of the community investment account has been far and wide, touching every corner of this state and helping plenty of farmers in the Quiet Corner and other valuable projects, and we need to ensure these programs maintain a steady stream of funding. The overwhelming, unanimous support today from the public for this bill is both heartwarming and a testament to this program’s value and to the positive, lasting impact of Senator Williams’ work.”

Nearly three dozen Connecticut residents wrote letters of support for Sen. Flexer’s bill, including small business owners, farmers, and preservationists.

“The portion of these funds that is directed to the agricultural sustainability account to provide direct support for our dairy farms has proven vital to keep many of our dairy farms in operation. Additionally, many farmers in our state have through the years taken advantage of the various grant programs through our Department of Agriculture. I am one of them, and the grant funds helped close the gap between our own resources and the cost of a project to improve and expand my farm,” said Paul Larson,  Co-Owner of Sprucedale Gardens Nursery and Greenhouse in Woodstock and president of the Connecticut Farm Bureau. “The Farmland Preservation Program is also a recipient of funds through the CIA. This program reached a significant milestone last year, exceeding 50,000 acres of preserved farmland, but there is more work to be done to preserve our open spaces and agricultural lands in our state.”

“We urge your support of Senate Bill 1522 which would increase the recording fee received by the CIA and thereby increase funding available for critical affordable housing and homelessness services,” said Sean Ghio, Policy Director at the Partnership for Strong Communities. “CIA dollars have funded the creation of affordable housing directly by providing ‘gap’ financing not otherwise available and by supporting important capital improvements such as repairing the roof on a homeless shelter or replacing a boiler in a group home. CIA funds also provide resources for services to support people in accessing and remaining stable in affordable housing, such as services for veterans. CIA funding is critical to the state’s ability to meet the housing needs of its middle- and low-income residents.”

“As a farmer for five decades, I’ve seen firsthand the increasing challenges facing Connecticut’s agriculture. The recording fee that funds the CIA, a small part of real estate transactions, hasn’t increased since 2011. This $6 increase is necessary to address inflation and ensure the continued success of vital programs that directly support farmers and our communities,” said Keith Bishop, President of Bishop’s Orchards, a sixth-generation, 313-acre family  farm in Guilford. “I urge the committee to ensure equitable distribution of these funds and to prevent their diversion to other programs. This legislation is forward-thinking. It recognizes the importance of community-level investments across four essential sectors: Farmland Preservation and Agriculture, Open Space Conservation, Affordable Housing, and Historic Preservation. These sectors are crucial for Connecticut’s well-being.”

Senators Looney and Duff Condemn Dismantling of U.S. Department of Education

Posted on by Devin James

Senators Looney and Duff Condemn Dismantling of U.S. Department of Education

HARTFORD – Connecticut Senate President Martin Looney joined Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff in issuing the following statement Thursday in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

“We’re outraged and appalled to see confirmation that the education of American children has become the latest sacrifice in service of the Trump administration’s pursuit of tax breaks for the world’s richest men. This reckless order puts nearly $400 million for Connecticut schools in jeopardy, including funding for school meals and special education,” Senators Looney and Duff said. “For weeks, we’ve witnessed a deliberate effort to hollow out the core of this nation’s institutions to facilitate more favorable conditions for the fabulously wealthy elite. As the Trump administration writes off the future of Connecticut kids as collateral damage, Connecticut Republicans stand idly by.”

Connecticut relies on the federal Department of Education for a variety of functions including:

-More than $394.5 million in funding, accounting for more than 10% of the state’s total revenue for education in 2024.

-Support of free and reduced-price meals for students.

-Funding for schools in lower income communities.

-Extensive guidance for school districts on issues ranging from special education to discrimination.

-Important programs intended to increase the number of teachers from underrepresented communities.

-Mechanisms for processing civil rights or disability-based discrimination.

-Management of vital student aid programs including Pell Grants.

-Support for public service loan forgiveness programs, which helps retain teachers in public schools.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

Senators Looney and Duff Condemn Dismantling of U.S. Department of Education

Posted on by Devin James

Senators Looney and Duff Condemn Dismantling of U.S. Department of Education

HARTFORD – Connecticut Senate President Martin Looney joined Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff in issuing the following statement Thursday in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

“We’re outraged and appalled to see confirmation that the education of American children has become the latest sacrifice in service of the Trump administration’s pursuit of tax breaks for the world’s richest men. This reckless order puts nearly $400 million for Connecticut schools in jeopardy, including funding for school meals and special education,” Senators Looney and Duff said. “For weeks, we’ve witnessed a deliberate effort to hollow out the core of this nation’s institutions to facilitate more favorable conditions for the fabulously wealthy elite. As the Trump administration writes off the future of Connecticut kids as collateral damage, Connecticut Republicans stand idly by.”

Connecticut relies on the federal Department of Education for a variety of functions including:

-More than $394.5 million in funding, accounting for more than 10% of the state’s total revenue for education in 2024.

-Support of free and reduced-price meals for students.

-Funding for schools in lower income communities.

-Extensive guidance for school districts on issues ranging from special education to discrimination.

-Important programs intended to increase the number of teachers from underrepresented communities.

-Mechanisms for processing civil rights or disability-based discrimination.

-Management of vital student aid programs including Pell Grants.

-Support for public service loan forgiveness programs, which helps retain teachers in public schools.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

PUBLIC HEALTH CHAIRS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS EMPHASIZE FEDERAL DECISIONS MAKE CONNECTICUT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION VITAL

Posted on by Devin James

PUBLIC HEALTH CHAIRS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS EMPHASIZE FEDERAL DECISIONS MAKE CONNECTICUT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION VITAL

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) and State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Fairfield) led the Connecticut Health Professionals for Climate Action in calling for Connecticut to take stronger action in passing legislation to protect the environment amid increasing extreme weather incidents not only threatening the state but compromising public health as well.

Representatives from CHPCA, including Chair Sanjiv Godse, MD; Anne Hulick RN, JD, a career nurse; Sarah Evans PhD MPH, assistant professor of environmental medicine at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Jennifer Wang, the executive director of the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, and Stefan Marczuk, a UConn medical student, drew attention to the increasing connections between extreme weather and public health.

Wildfire smoke that has impacted the state in 2023 and 2024 worsened health outcomes for people with heart and lung maladies, Godse said, while longer periods of hot weather overstress the body and foster further spread of mosquito-borne diseases and air pollution, which is worsened in hot weather, places strain on lungs and worsens chronic conditions like asthma.

The need for state action is even more important given the Trump administration’s actions to dismantle and end climate protection programs nationwide.

“Every year, we are raising the alarm regarding climate change and health, and I know many of my colleagues are hearing it,” said Sen. Anwar. “This year, this issue is an even more critical one because the federal government is making policy decisions with the belief that they do not believe climate change is real. The intersection of public and climate health is unfolding in front of our eyes every year and it is getting worse in every part of the world. Every year, the mortality rate of climate disasters in underdeveloped countries grows by 30%. This represents millions of people. It can be prevented, but if we do not act, we contribute to these challenges.”

“Climate change poses an existential threat to Connecticut agriculture, wildfires increase the need for hospital admissions and we are seeing infectious diseases and hospitalizations grow,” Sen. Anwar said. “We have a responsibility to build resiliency and have a prevention policy in place. This is the moment – let us act with urgency and ensure the future we leave is one for generations to come.”

“Everything is connected. The bottom line is, we understand how important it is to talk to our colleagues in different communities,” said Rep. McCarthy Vahey. “We are talking about things that harm and impact people, we understand the urgency of this moment and we know the need to act in this moment.”

“Climate change is slow, relentless, and indifferent to political election cycles. It’s here to stay,” Godse said. “Just in 2024, we had the hottest summer in recorded history, record-setting heat waves, devastating floods and severe drought conditions. Rising temperatures are a problem no matter where we look. The consequences go beyond property loss or infrastructure damage. It’s a serious health issue and poses serious problems. Flooding can cause trauma, bodily injury and drownings. Heat increases the spread of infectious diseases. Climate is a health issue and we need to focus on it in two ways: prevention and harm reduction. This year, the legislature has introduced critical bills to address these things – solar power, enhanced climate resilience – and with federal climate aid uncertain, state climate action is more important than ever.”

In her time as a nurse, Hulick said medical professionals didn’t directly connect the impacts of climate and health and couldn’t consider proactive options to help these issues. “We know what’s causing these issues, we know what’s causing this existential crisis, and we have the tools to preserve and improve public health and our environment,” she said. “Nurses are on the forefront demanding policy makers take action, and this is the year to get it done.”

“Children’s physiologies and behaviors leave them vulnerable to climate impacts,” said Evans. “Children breathe more rapidly, so they take in more pollutants. They’re less able to regulate body temperature and recognize when they’re thirsty. They’re the highest-exposed age group to tick-borne illnesses and excessive heat playing outside. For these reasons, an estimated 88% of illnesses from climate change are seen in children under the age of 5. Children living in underserved and underprivileged communities are at even higher risk. Children also experience strong levels of anxiety over climate change. Connecticut residents already feel the impacts of climate change, but there’s still time to act. We need strong policies improving community resilience and to allow residents and businesses to reduce their carbon footprints. I urge our elected officials to take action now to preserve the health of our most vulnerable residents.”

The full press conference is available in on-demand livestreaming here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Posted on by Devin James

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Senate Democrats outlined today new provisions of their priority legislation, Senate Bill 1, intended to fund a historic expansion of access to early childhood education as the first step toward universal preschool in Connecticut.

The bill, which is set to receive a public hearing today in the legislature’s Education Committee, would create a Universal Preschool Trust, to be funded by money leftover in the General Fund at the end of each fiscal year.

The proposal would redirect some of the surplus funds, which are currently dedicated to supplemental pension payments, to the new trust, intended to cover preschool expenses incurred by eligible Connecticut families.

“For many parents, the expense of child care and preschool makes returning to the workforce difficult and, in some cases, cost-prohibitive,” Senate President Martin Looney said. “Our education system’s somewhat arbitrary practice of starting services at kindergarten age forces working parents to find and pay for care during their child’s most formative years. With Senate Bill 1, we’re taking a historic step toward serving the needs of all children and building a system that supports families from the start.”

“Any parent will tell you that the cost of child care often outpaces other expenses like food and housing,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said. “As we look for ways to make life more affordable for Connecticut families, it’s hard to imagine a better investment than making early education accessible to every child. This legislation lays the groundwork for a state that better serves its youngest students while easing the financial burdens on their families.”

“Access to quality pre-kindergarten programming should not be limited to students from more affluent communities,” Senator Doug McCrory, Senate Chair of the Education Committee, said. “Every kid deserves to begin their education on equal footing, and parents from underserved districts should not have to break the bank to arrange care for their children. Senate Bill 1 goes a long way toward leveling the playing field and providing much-needed financial relief to families across Connecticut.”

The need for greater investment in Connecticut’s pre-kindergarten education system has been well-documented. A 2023 report by an expert Blue Ribbon Panel commissioned by Gov. Ned Lamont described the state’s child care market model as “broken” and “insufficient.” The panel’s recommendations called for boosting investments in child care by more than $2.3 billion over five years.

Studies have found that investments in child care provide significant returns for taxpayers. A 2013 paper by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman found that the short-term costs of early childhood education are more than offset by long-term savings in areas such as special education, social services, and the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a 2023 report from ReadyNation estimated that Connecticut lost around $1.5 billion in economic activity each year as a result of inadequate care for infants and toddlers.

The trust will begin receiving surplus funds after the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2027. These funds will be invested by the state treasurer and will start assisting families when the trust’s rate of return exceeds the amount needed to fund all children covered under the program’s first phase as of this July.

Under the bill, the trust would gradually expand covered expenses as its rate of return reaches the required funding levels. Children enrolled in public preschool programs will be covered under the first phase of the trust’s rollout.

As investment milestones are achieved, the trust aims to cover additional services including children enrolled in private preschool programs and eventually services for infants and toddlers. These expansions are intended to establish universal access to preschool for children across Connecticut.

Senate Bill 1 includes several other provisions designed to improve and streamline the administration of public education in Connecticut.

For instance, the legislation includes reforms to enhance state oversight of boards of education and improve transparency in how education dollars are allocated and spent. The proposal expands the financial information reported annually by local boards of education and requires those boards to publish additional information related to class sizes and school staffing levels.

Senate Bill 1 contains new oversight provisions related to student expulsions. Prior to expelling a student, the legislation requires school administrators to contact a liaison under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to determine if the child is homeless. The policy also includes safeguards to ensure that no student is expelled without a plan to mitigate the impact of homelessness.

The bill also retires certain existing programs, including the Commissioner’s Network and the Alliance District Program. This effort aims to reduce bureaucratic red tape without negatively impacting Alliance Districts by moving many of the impacted services to the Priority District initiative, which serves a similar purpose.

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Posted on by Devin James

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Senate Democrats outlined today new provisions of their priority legislation, Senate Bill 1, intended to fund a historic expansion of access to early childhood education as the first step toward universal preschool in Connecticut.

The bill, which is set to receive a public hearing today in the legislature’s Education Committee, would create a Universal Preschool Trust, to be funded by money leftover in the General Fund at the end of each fiscal year.

The proposal would redirect some of the surplus funds, which are currently dedicated to supplemental pension payments, to the new trust, intended to cover preschool expenses incurred by eligible Connecticut families.

“For many parents, the expense of child care and preschool makes returning to the workforce difficult and, in some cases, cost-prohibitive,” Senate President Martin Looney said. “Our education system’s somewhat arbitrary practice of starting services at kindergarten age forces working parents to find and pay for care during their child’s most formative years. With Senate Bill 1, we’re taking a historic step toward serving the needs of all children and building a system that supports families from the start.”

“Any parent will tell you that the cost of child care often outpaces other expenses like food and housing,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said. “As we look for ways to make life more affordable for Connecticut families, it’s hard to imagine a better investment than making early education accessible to every child. This legislation lays the groundwork for a state that better serves its youngest students while easing the financial burdens on their families.”

“Access to quality pre-kindergarten programming should not be limited to students from more affluent communities,” Senator Doug McCrory, Senate Chair of the Education Committee, said. “Every kid deserves to begin their education on equal footing, and parents from underserved districts should not have to break the bank to arrange care for their children. Senate Bill 1 goes a long way toward leveling the playing field and providing much-needed financial relief to families across Connecticut.”

The need for greater investment in Connecticut’s pre-kindergarten education system has been well-documented. A 2023 report by an expert Blue Ribbon Panel commissioned by Gov. Ned Lamont described the state’s child care market model as “broken” and “insufficient.” The panel’s recommendations called for boosting investments in child care by more than $2.3 billion over five years.

Studies have found that investments in child care provide significant returns for taxpayers. A 2013 paper by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman found that the short-term costs of early childhood education are more than offset by long-term savings in areas such as special education, social services, and the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a 2023 report from ReadyNation estimated that Connecticut lost around $1.5 billion in economic activity each year as a result of inadequate care for infants and toddlers.

The trust will begin receiving surplus funds after the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2027. These funds will be invested by the state treasurer and will start assisting families when the trust’s rate of return exceeds the amount needed to fund all children covered under the program’s first phase as of this July.

Under the bill, the trust would gradually expand covered expenses as its rate of return reaches the required funding levels. Children enrolled in public preschool programs will be covered under the first phase of the trust’s rollout.

As investment milestones are achieved, the trust aims to cover additional services including children enrolled in private preschool programs and eventually services for infants and toddlers. These expansions are intended to establish universal access to preschool for children across Connecticut.

Senate Bill 1 includes several other provisions designed to improve and streamline the administration of public education in Connecticut.

For instance, the legislation includes reforms to enhance state oversight of boards of education and improve transparency in how education dollars are allocated and spent. The proposal expands the financial information reported annually by local boards of education and requires those boards to publish additional information related to class sizes and school staffing levels.

Senate Bill 1 contains new oversight provisions related to student expulsions. Prior to expelling a student, the legislation requires school administrators to contact a liaison under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to determine if the child is homeless. The policy also includes safeguards to ensure that no student is expelled without a plan to mitigate the impact of homelessness.

The bill also retires certain existing programs, including the Commissioner’s Network and the Alliance District Program. This effort aims to reduce bureaucratic red tape without negatively impacting Alliance Districts by moving many of the impacted services to the Priority District initiative, which serves a similar purpose.

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Posted on by Devin James

Senate Bill 1: Democrats Propose Historic Investment in Early Childhood Education

Senate Democrats outlined today new provisions of their priority legislation, Senate Bill 1, intended to fund a historic expansion of access to early childhood education as the first step toward universal preschool in Connecticut.

The bill, which is set to receive a public hearing today in the legislature’s Education Committee, would create a Universal Preschool Trust, to be funded by money leftover in the General Fund at the end of each fiscal year.

The proposal would redirect some of the surplus funds, which are currently dedicated to supplemental pension payments, to the new trust, intended to cover preschool expenses incurred by eligible Connecticut families.

“For many parents, the expense of child care and preschool makes returning to the workforce difficult and, in some cases, cost-prohibitive,” Senate President Martin Looney said. “Our education system’s somewhat arbitrary practice of starting services at kindergarten age forces working parents to find and pay for care during their child’s most formative years. With Senate Bill 1, we’re taking a historic step toward serving the needs of all children and building a system that supports families from the start.”

“Any parent will tell you that the cost of child care often outpaces other expenses like food and housing,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said. “As we look for ways to make life more affordable for Connecticut families, it’s hard to imagine a better investment than making early education accessible to every child. This legislation lays the groundwork for a state that better serves its youngest students while easing the financial burdens on their families.”

“Access to quality pre-kindergarten programming should not be limited to students from more affluent communities,” Senator Doug McCrory, Senate Chair of the Education Committee, said. “Every kid deserves to begin their education on equal footing, and parents from underserved districts should not have to break the bank to arrange care for their children. Senate Bill 1 goes a long way toward leveling the playing field and providing much-needed financial relief to families across Connecticut.”

The need for greater investment in Connecticut’s pre-kindergarten education system has been well-documented. A 2023 report by an expert Blue Ribbon Panel commissioned by Gov. Ned Lamont described the state’s child care market model as “broken” and “insufficient.” The panel’s recommendations called for boosting investments in child care by more than $2.3 billion over five years.

Studies have found that investments in child care provide significant returns for taxpayers. A 2013 paper by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman found that the short-term costs of early childhood education are more than offset by long-term savings in areas such as special education, social services, and the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a 2023 report from ReadyNation estimated that Connecticut lost around $1.5 billion in economic activity each year as a result of inadequate care for infants and toddlers.

The trust will begin receiving surplus funds after the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2027. These funds will be invested by the state treasurer and will start assisting families when the trust’s rate of return exceeds the amount needed to fund all children covered under the program’s first phase as of this July.

Under the bill, the trust would gradually expand covered expenses as its rate of return reaches the required funding levels. Children enrolled in public preschool programs will be covered under the first phase of the trust’s rollout.

As investment milestones are achieved, the trust aims to cover additional services including children enrolled in private preschool programs and eventually services for infants and toddlers. These expansions are intended to establish universal access to preschool for children across Connecticut.

Senate Bill 1 includes several other provisions designed to improve and streamline the administration of public education in Connecticut.

For instance, the legislation includes reforms to enhance state oversight of boards of education and improve transparency in how education dollars are allocated and spent. The proposal expands the financial information reported annually by local boards of education and requires those boards to publish additional information related to class sizes and school staffing levels.

Senate Bill 1 contains new oversight provisions related to student expulsions. Prior to expelling a student, the legislation requires school administrators to contact a liaison under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to determine if the child is homeless. The policy also includes safeguards to ensure that no student is expelled without a plan to mitigate the impact of homelessness.

The bill also retires certain existing programs, including the Commissioner’s Network and the Alliance District Program. This effort aims to reduce bureaucratic red tape without negatively impacting Alliance Districts by moving many of the impacted services to the Priority District initiative, which serves a similar purpose.

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov