SENATOR MAHER ISSUES STATEMENT AS INTERIM DCF COMMISSIONER NAMED

Today, State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) issued the following statement after Governor Lamont announced Susan Hamilton, the current general counsel for the Department of Children and Families, will serve as interim commissioner following the retirement of Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly:

“I welcome Susan Hamilton as the interim DCF commissioner. Her extensive background in DCF, in law, in social work and in child welfare are important components in the work ahead for Connecticut’s children and families. As we look to the future of DCF, my hope is that children’s welfare will also include a commitment to behavioral health support for all our children to best serve them now and in the future. I look forward to working with Commissioner Hamilton in the months ahead.”

Senator Looney Urges PURA to Hold AVANGRID Accountable for Betrayal of UI Retirees

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) urged the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) to hold AVANGRID accountable for its broken promises to United Illuminating (UI) and UIL Holdings retirees. In a letter sent to PURA Chair Marissa Paslick Gillett, Senator Looney urged the Authority to require AVANGRID to honor commitments made during its 2015 acquisition of UI.

“When United Illuminating was acquired by AVANGRID the agreement included guarantees that retirement benefits (including pensions and healthcare) would not be adversely affected by this transaction,” Looney wrote. “However, as the attached documents illustrate, on June 30, 2025, non-union UI/UIL retirees received a notice from AVANGRID stating that, effective January 1, 2026, AVANGRID plans to eliminate the current Medicare Part B premium reimbursement and transition the current Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) to a Contingent HRA which reduces the annual base subsidy by almost half for each retiree and their eligible dependents.”

Senator Looney emphasized the severity of this reversal, calling it “a betrayal of these employees and of the terms of the 2015 acquisition agreement.”

Looney also noted the company’s current request to raise rates, writing: “It appears disingenuous for the company to claim it needs to increase rates to cover retiree costs at the same time it is breaking its promises and cutting retiree benefits.”

The retirees themselves have raised these concerns. In letters dated July 29, 2025, and August 19, 2025, the group of more than 200 retirees called on AVANGRID to cancel its planned actions and on PURA to enforce the company’s commitments to employees.

Senator Looney concluded his letter with a direct call to action for PURA: “I urge you to include in the rate case decision a requirement that AVANGRID live up to its longstanding commitment to its retirees.”