Month: June 2026

Looney, Duff on Supreme Court Deciding to Hear Challenge to CT Gun Safety Law

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Looney & Duff on Supreme Court Deciding to Hear Challenge to Connecticut’s Gun Safety Law

“Connecticut’s assault weapon ban exists because twenty children and six educators were murdered in under five minutes by a man carrying a rifle built for war. We passed this law to keep that weapon off our streets. The Second Circuit upheld it last year because doing so protects public safety without taking away anyone’s right to self-defense.

This case exists because the gun lobby has spent years and millions of dollars trying to put rifles like that one back on shelves, regardless of how many more children, educators, or families pay the price. If the Supreme Court acts in conformity with their solemn oath, they will uphold this statute. We are confident that any fair and responsible appraisal of this law will find that Connecticut acted within its constitutional authority.

— Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear a challenge to Connecticut’s assault weapon ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Looney, Duff on Supreme Court Deciding to Hear Challenge to CT Gun Safety Law

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Looney & Duff on Supreme Court Deciding to Hear Challenge to Connecticut’s Gun Safety Law

“Connecticut’s assault weapon ban exists because twenty children and six educators were murdered in under five minutes by a man carrying a rifle built for war. We passed this law to keep that weapon off our streets. The Second Circuit upheld it last year because doing so protects public safety without taking away anyone’s right to self-defense.

This case exists because the gun lobby has spent years and millions of dollars trying to put rifles like that one back on shelves, regardless of how many more children, educators, or families pay the price. If the Supreme Court acts in conformity with their solemn oath, they will uphold this statute. We are confident that any fair and responsible appraisal of this law will find that Connecticut acted within its constitutional authority.

— Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear a challenge to Connecticut’s assault weapon ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Senator Cohen Welcomes More Than $1.1 Million to Protect Open Space in North Branford and Durham

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Senator Cohen Welcomes More Than $1.1 Million to Protect Open Space in North Branford and Durham

Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) today welcomed two state grants totaling more than $1.1 million to permanently protect more than 100 acres of open space in North Branford and Durham, preserving critical natural corridors, drinking water supplies, and public recreational access across the district.

In North Branford, a $611,000 grant will support the purchase of the former Amatrudo Farm property on Middletown Avenue by the Trust for Public Land and the North Branford Land Conservation Trust. The 25-acre parcel sits near the Farm River headwaters, adjacent to Ceccarelli Farm, which is already protected through the state’s Farmland Preservation Program. The Farm River feeds into Lake Saltonstall, a public water source for the South-Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. Once protected, the property will open public access for kayaking, hiking, birding, and fishing.

In Durham, a $520,000 grant will support the permanent protection of two forested parcels totaling 80 acres along the Mattabesett section of the New England Scenic Trail, at the base of Pistapaug Mountain in the Parmalee Brook Valley. The Trust for Public Land and the Middlesex Land Trust will work with the National Park Service and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association to re-route the trail off the road, improving safety and the hiker experience. The parcels protect nearly three-quarters of a mile of the trail and strengthen a wildlife corridor stretching from Long Island Sound to New Hampshire.

“The 12th District is home to some of Connecticut’s most treasured natural landscapes, and this funding helps ensure they stay that way,” Senator Cohen said. “Protecting the Farm River watershed means protecting the drinking water supply for communities across south-central Connecticut, the habitat that sustains native species, and the open land that has made North Branford such a special place to live for generations. The work along the New England Scenic Trail in Durham will permanently safeguard 80 acres of forest and wetland in the heart of our district, and improve the hiking experience for the thousands of people who use that trail each year. I am proud of what we are preserving here and grateful to the governor’s administration for making it a reality.”

“Open space provides benefits to residents across Connecticut and makes our state a great place to live,” Governor Lamont said. “These community assets provide free recreational opportunities and connect our residents to all the health benefits that come from spending time outdoors.”

Both grants were awarded through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program, administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The awards are part of a broader $9.4 million announcement today covering 14 properties across 15 communities statewide.

Senator Lesser Ensures CT will Protect Disability Rights, Law Takes Effect July 1

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Senator Lesser Ensures CT will Protect Disability Rights, Law Takes Effect July 1

Connecticut Codifies the ADA Integration Mandate Into State Law Days Before Trump Administration Attempts to Dismantle It

As Connecticut prepares for the July 1 implementation of Public Act 26-150, the federal Department of Justice has issued a memo arguing that states have no legal obligation to provide community-based care to people with disabilities, threatening a foundational protection that has been in place for nearly three decades.

State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), lead author of this legislation that will protect the rights of people with disabilities to live in their communities, said the federal rollback makes Connecticut’s action even more important.

“Connecticut didn’t wait for Washington to do the right thing, and it’s a good thing we didn’t,” said Senator Lesser. “While the Trump administration is trying to walk away from a core civil rights protection that has kept people with disabilities in their homes and communities, Connecticut is cementing that right into state law. No memo out of Washington can take that away from our residents.”

Sheldon Toubman, Litigation Attorney with Disability Rights CT, the statewide advocacy organization serving individuals with a broad range of disabilities said, “The bill was already very important, at the time of passage, because of lack of enforcement of the ADA’s integration mandate at the federal level. The recent action of the federal agency in completely obliterating this essential federal mandate has rendered CT’s ground-breaking law crucial, so the legislature was prescient in passing this bill now.”

“At a time when the federal government seems intent on rolling back the rights of people with disabilities, including people who live with mental health conditions, it is particularly gratifying that Connecticut’s elected officials unanimously passed a bill that incorporates the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act into state law,” said Kathleen M. Flaherty, Executive Director at Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. “Connecticut residents with psychiatric and other disabilities will continue to be able to assert their right to receive services in the most integrated, least restrictive setting, in their communities, rather than being locked up in facilities.”

“As a new opinion from the Department of Justice turns back the clock for people with disabilities by disavowing one of the most crucial civil rights protections — the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act– the state of Connecticut is standing by its citizens,” said Sarah Eagan, Executive Director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy. “The Center for Children’s Advocacy is grateful for Senator Lesser’s leadership in advancing prescient recent legislation that codified critical civil rights guarantees into state law, helping ensure that no child, no adult, is denied their human right to live and thrive in the community.”

Public Act 26-150 incorporates the ADA’s Integration Mandate directly into Connecticut state law, ensuring that people with disabilities in Connecticut retain the right to receive services in the most integrated, community-based setting appropriate to their needs, regardless of federal government’s lack of enforcement of the integration mandate or its removal of the integration mandate.

SEN. MAHER, REP. CONSTANTINE WELCOME $50,000 GRANT SUPPORTING WILTON YOUTH COUNCIL

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SEN. MAHER, REP. CONSTANTINE WELCOME $50,000 GRANT SUPPORTING WILTON YOUTH COUNCIL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 25, 2026


State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) and State Representative Savet Constantine (D-Wilton) recently welcomed the release of a $50,000 grant supporting the Wilton Youth Council (WYC) to support local youth and fight loneliness.

With youth experiencing high levels of loneliness and disconnection, impacting mental and physical health as well as social and emotional wellbeing, the grant is designed to help Wilton Youth Council develop programming and opportunities to better connect community members. The WYC would develop education and skill-building events meant to support youth, parents and the community as a whole.

WYC is dedicated to promoting the well-being of Wilton’s students by empowering youth, parents and the community. Programming enhances the lives of local residents, helping students grow, parents connect and community organizations collaborate effectively.

Proposed projects include sponsoring speakers, holding parent workshops and holding events helping connect members of the public. The funds will be used from the fall of 2026 to the summer of 2027 for programming.

The grant and initiative come as WYC, Wilton Pride and the Wilton Library recently installed a new community created mural at the Wilton Library telling residents “You Are Not Alone.”

“Amid our state’s continued focus on youth mental health, it is imperative that we develop new opportunities to connect members of the public and bring them together – isolation can have serious, negative impacts and making sure youth know their presence is welcome is a huge step in supporting them,” said Sen. Maher. “I look forward to seeing the new projects, events and initiatives that this grant funding will support to build a strong sense of togetherness in our community.”

“During my 15 years as a PTA volunteer, I saw firsthand how important it is to support students, parents, and families as children navigate school, adolescence, and the ever-changing pressures of modern life,” said Rep. Constantine. “Our young people need more than academic preparation to thrive; they need connection, belonging, resilience, and the confidence to know that they matter. As technology continues to shape their world, we see the loneliness and disconnection that can come with too much time behind a screen. This grant will help Wilton Youth Council create meaningful opportunities for students, families, and the community to reconnect and help our children grow into happy, healthy, and successful adults.”

“This grant strengthens our ability to address the needs of our youth, supporting key initiatives and new programming around a core building block of youth well-being – mattering and belonging,” said Kim Hall, chair of Wilton Youth Council.

Caption: A sign at the Wilton Library reads “You Are Not Alone,” a message of community support.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ENDOWMENT ADVISORY BOARD APPROVES HEALTH INSURANCE SUBISIDY PROGRAM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ENDOWMENT ADVISORY BOARD APPROVES HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY PROGRAM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 25, 2026

The Early Childhood Education Endowment’s Advisory Board voted on Tuesday to approve the new early childhood educator health insurance subsidy program beginning in 2027 and available through Access Health CT open enrollment starting October 23, 2026.

Established into law in 2025, the state’s historic Early Childhood Education Endowment has already created up to 1,000 new child care spaces, supported an 8% increase in Early Start CT provider payment rates, expanded Smart Start preschool classrooms, and invested in operational grants for providers across the state. As specified in Public Act 25-93, $10 million of the FY27 Endowment spend is dedicated to a health insurance subsidy program for early childhood educators. Early childhood educators often struggle with access to affordable health insurance and this subsidy program can help retain and recruit essential workers for our early childhood system to work for families, employers and our economy.

The subsidy will allow educators to access qualified health plans through Access Health CT and receive a subsidy toward their cost for health insurance through either an individual plan through Access Health CT, an employer’s small employer group plan through Access Health CT or in conjunction with an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) offered by their employer. Eligible early childcare educators must not be eligible for Medicaid or the Covered Connecticut program.

The subsidy program is income-based and provide a flat subsidy for covered options regardless of which option through which an individual receives their health insurance. Early childhood educators earning between 175% and 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) will receive a subsidy of $1,200 per year; those earning between 250% and 400% FPL will receive a $1,100 subsidy per year; and those earning over 400% will receive a $1,000 subsidy per year.

Approximately 7,200 to 8,800 early child care workers will be eligible for the program. Access Health CT will also receive funding from the Endowment to conduct outreach about the program to ensure child care workers are aware and enroll in the health insurance subsidy program.

“The childcare providers who care for our children every day are on the front line for every child’s cold. The providers only succeed if they can take care of their health,” said Sen. Maher, Tri-Chair of the Endowment. “This program will ensure thousands of Connecticut child care workers will be able to better access and afford health care amid the many pressures facing them.”

“Too many of our early childhood educators who we rely on every day to care for and educate our children cannot access affordable health insurance. The new health insurance subsidy is an innovative way to support these essential workers across our state,” said Rep. Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford/Newington), Tri-Chair of Endowment. “This program will help to retain educators, provide stability to providers and families as well as businesses who depend on a strong early childhood education system in our state.”

“The Endowment Advisory Board’s vote to approve a health insurance subsidy for the early childhood education workforce is a core component of the state’s commitment to a strong and viable early childhood system,” said Elena Trueworthy, Commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood, Tri-Chair of the Endowment. “Early childhood educators give so much of themselves to support families and strengthen communities. This subsidy will help them access the care they need to stay healthy, secure, and able to continue working in a profession that they love – caring for Connecticut’s young children.”

“We are grateful for the steps Governor Lamont, our State Legislature and the Office of Early Childhood are taking to make health insurance more accessible for Early Childhood Education workers,” said Access Health CT Chief Executive Officer James Michel. “Our children are the future of Connecticut, and it’s important that the people taking care of them can access care themselves.”

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $578,500 INVESTMENT IN WILTON AND WESTON OPEN SPACE

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SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $578,500 INVESTMENT IN WILTON AND WESTON OPEN SPACE

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June 24, 2026

State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) recently welcomed the announced investment of $578,500 through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program to support the purchase of 15.84 acres of open space in Wilton and Weston.

The investment will support the Aspetuck Land Trust’s acquisition of the Plummer Addition, which represents 15.84 acres on Honey Hill Road and Wampum Hill Road in Wilton and Weston.

“Our local open spaces offer beautiful backdrops for exploring the wilderness, learning more about the world around us and appreciating local wildlife,” said Sen. Maher. “I’m thrilled this investment will support our local communities and I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and state leaders for this important investment.”

The land contains wetlands and uplands that support the Land Trust’s 750-acre Weston Wilton Forest Reserve, completing a hiking loop, enhancing a regional trail corridor and providing a new public resources for recreation, education and wellness. The land will also preserve local birds and fish and prevent fragmentation of wild habitats and protect clean water resources.

Sen. Duff & Sen. Marx Condemn Trump for Refusing to Sign Federal Housing Bill

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Sen. Duff & Sen. Marx Condemn Trump for Refusing to Sign Federal Housing Bill

“Donald Trump just told every family struggling to buy a home or pay rent that their problems can wait. More affordable housing is sitting on his desk, and he walked away from it to play games with our elections. It’s shameful. Connecticut passed our own housing bill last year because that’s what leaders do when families are hurting. Once again, Trump is putting his own self-interest above the American people. We wish he cared as much about lowering costs as he does about himself. We’ll keep building and keep delivering here in Connecticut, no matter how many times Republicans in Washington get in the way.”

– Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Chair of the Housing Committee, react to President Trump’s cancellation of the signing of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act.

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

Sen. Duff & Sen. Marx Condemn Trump for Refusing to Sign Federal Housing Bill

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Sen. Duff & Sen. Marx Condemn Trump for Refusing to Sign Federal Housing Bill

“Donald Trump just told every family struggling to buy a home or pay rent that their problems can wait. More affordable housing is sitting on his desk, and he walked away from it to play games with our elections. It’s shameful. Connecticut passed our own housing bill last year because that’s what leaders do when families are hurting. Once again, Trump is putting his own self-interest above the American people. We wish he cared as much about lowering costs as he does about himself. We’ll keep building and keep delivering here in Connecticut, no matter how many times Republicans in Washington get in the way.”

– Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Chair of the Housing Committee, react to President Trump’s cancellation of the signing of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act.

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

SENATOR ANWAR WELCOMES $776,625 IN SUPPORT FOR EAST HARTFORD LAND PRESERVATION, IMPROVEMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT

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Senator Anwar

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

June 24, 2026

SENATOR ANWAR WELCOMES $776,625 IN SUPPORT FOR EAST HARTFORD LAND PRESERVATION, IMPROVEMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) welcomed a total investment of $776,625 supporting land preservation, improvements and redevelopments in East Hartford, with projects supporting local public spaces and currently unused property.

East Hartford received two grants from the state’s Urban Green and Community Garden Grants, including $105,350 for new designs and construction at East Hartford’s Bicentennial Square Park, which has fallen into disrepair, and $571,275 for Great River Park, with the intent of refurbishing a bridge overlook, improving the condition of stairs and ramps there and developing new signs, as well as an exhibit on the Bulkeley Bridge’s history, the world’s largest stone arch bridge and one of the oldest still carrying interstate traffic.

In addition, through the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, East Hartford will receive $100,000 for environmental assessments and remedial planning for 20.5 acres of land at 832 Silver Lane, formerly the site of a dry-cleaning business in Silver Lane Plaza.

“These investments represent commitment to our community, making sure our beautiful parks can keep providing relaxing recreational resources to residents and bringing long-dormant properties back into new use,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and state leaders for their continued support.”