Month: June 2026

Lesser Named Co-Chair of Connecticut Long Term Care Planning Committee

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Senator Lesser Named Co-Chair of Connecticut Long Term Care Planning Committee

HARTFORD — Today, Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) was named co-chair of the Connecticut Long Term Care Planning Committee, joining Representative Jane Garibay and Melissa Morton of the Office of Policy and Management in leading the committee’s work. The committee is charged with making long-term forecasts on workforce and funding for Connecticut’s nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home care sector, and with exploring the creation of a state universal long-term care benefit.

The appointment comes as Connecticut’s long-term care sector faces direct threats from the federal Republican budget signed by President Trump last year. The law enacted the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history, totaling approximately $1 trillion over the next decade. For Connecticut’s long-term care sector, the consequences are significant: skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies face potential funding shortfalls from reduced Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home minimum staffing standards have been suspended through 2034, and new restrictions on Medicaid eligibility will make it harder for seniors to access the care they need as they age.

“I am proud to serve as co-chair of this committee at a moment when the work could not be more urgent,” said Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown). “Connecticut’s nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home care workers are the backbone of support for our seniors and people with disabilities, and Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress just cut the floor out from under them. The federal government has abandoned its commitment to long-term care, and it falls to states to respond. Connecticut has always led when Washington has failed, and this committee is going to build a long-term care system that our residents can count on for decades to come.”

The committee will examine workforce challenges, funding sustainability, and the feasibility of a state-level universal long-term care benefit that could insulate Connecticut residents from future federal rollbacks.

Senator Gaston Highlights 100% Voting Record in 2026 Session

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Senator Gaston Highlights 100% Voting Record in 2026 Session

Today, State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) highlighted his 100% voting record in the 2026 legislative session, having voted on all 410 matters that reached the Senate floor.

“Every vote I cast is a promise kept to the residents in my district,” said Sen. Gaston. “During the 2026 legislative session, I was proud to maintain a perfect voting record. There are families in this district who are counting on me to show up and to speak up on their behalf. I don’t take this seat for granted. My faith reminds me every day that I was put here for a purpose.”

Senator Gaston was one of 12 legislators to weigh in on all 410 votes cast in Hartford this year, with nine Democrats and three Republicans earning that distinction.

Senator Gadkar-Wilcox Congratulates Monroe Resident on Appointment to BERGIN Commission

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Senator Gadkar-Wilcox Congratulates Monroe Resident on Appointment to BERGIN Commission

 

Today, state Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox (D-Bridgeport), is congratulating Monroe resident and special education supervisor Chrissy Martinez on her immediate appointment to the Building Educational Responsibility with Greater Improvement Networks (BERGIN) Commission by Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk).
 
“Chrissy Martinez is exactly the kind of expert voice this commission needs,” said Senator Gadkar-Wilcox. “As a special education supervisor, she understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing our students, especially those who need the most support. Monroe is lucky to have her, and now Connecticut’s students will benefit from her knowledge and dedication.”
 
“I am proud to appoint Chrissy Martinez to the BERGIN Commission,” said Senator Duff. “Her hands-on experience as a special education supervisor brings exactly the kind of perspective we need to drive meaningful improvements for Connecticut’s students. I look forward to the contributions she will make.”

Looney, Duff: MacCormack’s Nomination Exposes a Deeper Problem in the Republican Party

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Looney & Duff: MacCormack’s Nomination Exposes a Deeper Problem in the Republican Party

“There is a long and dishonorable tradition of invoking religious conviction as a pretext for persecution. Jadon MacCormack is not the first to take a faith of love, forgiveness, and charity and bastardize it into vicious bigotry, cruelty, and contempt toward others and call it principle. His hate is a reflection of himself, not the Christian faith.”

“MacCormack is one example of a broader and deeply troubling pattern. The Republican Party in Connecticut and across this country continues to attract people who advocate views that have no place in a pluralistic democratic society. A group of elected Republican Party delegates got together and chose MacCormack to be the Republican nominee for the 50th District. MacCormack wrote a biography of preacher Steven Anderson who advocates the death penalty for gay people, has been banned from more than thirty countries, and whose church has been designated a hate group. Did none of these local Republicans know about MacCormack’s viewpoints that were so public and extreme? How does a man who chose to celebrate Steven Anderson get a Republican nomination for the Connecticut General Assembly without a single person in that party demanding answers?”

“We appreciate House Republican Leader Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Harding for reacting appropriately to MacCormack’s spewing of corrosive bile. That is the standard we should expect of all elected officials, regardless of party.”

“Connecticut Democrats believe billionaires should pay their fair share, that working people deserve a stronger hand against corporations, and that affordable housing should be accessible to everyone. We are not calling for cruelty toward anyone. There is no equivalent on the left of what MacCormack is expressing, and those who pretend otherwise are engaged in a moral failure of their own.”

-Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on the recent revelations about Connecticut House Republican candidate Jadon MacCormack.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Looney, Duff: MacCormack’s Nomination Exposes a Deeper Problem in the Republican Party

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Looney & Duff: MacCormack’s Nomination Exposes a Deeper Problem in the Republican Party

“There is a long and dishonorable tradition of invoking religious conviction as a pretext for persecution. Jadon MacCormack is not the first to take a faith of love, forgiveness, and charity and bastardize it into vicious bigotry, cruelty, and contempt toward others and call it principle. His hate is a reflection of himself, not the Christian faith.”

“MacCormack is one example of a broader and deeply troubling pattern. The Republican Party in Connecticut and across this country continues to attract people who advocate views that have no place in a pluralistic democratic society. A group of elected Republican Party delegates got together and chose MacCormack to be the Republican nominee for the 50th District. MacCormack wrote a biography of preacher Steven Anderson who advocates the death penalty for gay people, has been banned from more than thirty countries, and whose church has been designated a hate group. Did none of these local Republicans know about MacCormack’s viewpoints that were so public and extreme? How does a man who chose to celebrate Steven Anderson get a Republican nomination for the Connecticut General Assembly without a single person in that party demanding answers?”

“We appreciate House Republican Leader Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Harding for reacting appropriately to MacCormack’s spewing of corrosive bile. That is the standard we should expect of all elected officials, regardless of party.”

“Connecticut Democrats believe billionaires should pay their fair share, that working people deserve a stronger hand against corporations, and that affordable housing should be accessible to everyone. We are not calling for cruelty toward anyone. There is no equivalent on the left of what MacCormack is expressing, and those who pretend otherwise are engaged in a moral failure of their own.”

-Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on the recent revelations about Connecticut House Republican candidate Jadon MacCormack.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN ISSUES STATEMENT ON DYKES’ DEPARTURE FROM DEEP

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SENATOR NEEDLEMAN ISSUES STATEMENT ON DYKES’ DEPARTURE FROM DEEP


“Katie Dykes will have an impact on Connecticut for decades to come. In forging a new path for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, her steadfast commitment to environmental issues and energy policy in our state paid strong dividends. She did a great job building a strong and qualified team at DEEP that’s ready to keep working hard for our state. Katie’s expertise in energy policy is rivaled by very few people in the United States, and having the opportunity to work with her and many other great and dedicated people on energy policy in recent years has educated and enlightened me in ways I never expected. I appreciate the hard work and endless focus she held in her role, and I am very sad to see her go.”

State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, responding to this afternoon’s announcement that DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes is stepping down from her role.

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

Sen. Lesser Reacts to Health Insurance Rate Increase Requests

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Lesser Reacts to Health Insurance Rate Increase Requests

“Once again the insurance industry is coming before us with unsustainable rate requests. It underscores the need for Connecticut to consider a true public option as we work to make health insurance affordable for all.”
State Senator Matt Lesser on the Connecticut Insurance Department releasing health insurance rate request filings for 2027.

SENATOR CABRERA HIGHLIGHTS 100% VOTING RECORD IN 2026 SESSION

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SENATOR CABRERA HIGHLIGHTS 100% VOTING RECORD IN 2026 SESSION

Today, State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) highlighted his 100% voting record in the 2026 legislative session, having voted on all 410 matters that reached the Senate floor.

“With so many important issues debated at the State Capitol each legislative session, I’m proud that I was able to make sure my constituents had a voice in matters that impact them,” said Sen. Cabrera. “I’m dedicated to supporting our communities and working to help solve problems in Connecticut.”

Senator Cabrera was one of only 12 legislators to weigh in on all 410 votes cast in Hartford this year, with nine Democrats and three Republicans earning that distinction.

 

Looney Applauds Signing of Law Protecting Tenants from Improper Utility Charges

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Senator Looney Applauds Signing of Law Protecting Tenants from Improper Utility Charges

HARTFORD — Today, Governor Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 335, An Act Concerning Utility Charges for Residential Dwelling Units, into law. The legislation, championed by Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), prohibits landlords from charging tenants separately for utilities unless those utilities are measured by a meter dedicated exclusively to that tenant’s dwelling unit. The new law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to rental agreements entered into or renewed on or after that date.

Under current law, some landlords have charged tenants for utilities by dividing the building’s overall utility bill evenly among all units, regardless of individual consumption. Senate Bill 335 amends Connecticut law to make such provisions in a rental agreement unenforceable. Going forward, a landlord may bill a tenant separately for utilities only when a separate meter measures that tenant’s usage, ensuring that tenants are not subsidizing others’ consumption.

“This legislation addresses a consequential issue of fairness in Connecticut’s rental market,” said Senator Looney. “Tenants who conserve energy and practice responsible use of utilities should not be penalized by being charged the same amount as those who do not. By codifying the requirement that utility charges correspond only to a tenant’s actual consumption, we are strengthening Connecticut’s landlord-tenant protections in a meaningful and practical way. I am grateful to Governor Lamont for signing this bill and to my colleagues in the General Assembly for supporting it.”

The new law amends the landlord-tenant statute to add two provisions to the list of terms that are prohibited from being included in a rental agreement: a surcharge for heat or utilities when those services are already included in the rental agreement, and a charge for utilities when no separately dedicated meter measures consumption exclusively to that tenant’s dwelling unit. Any rental agreement provision that violates either prohibition is unenforceable.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Lesser Applauds Signing of Long-Term Care Insurance Relief Bill

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Sen. Lesser Applauds Signing of Long-Term Care Insurance Relief Law

Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) released the following statement after Governor Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 478 into law, landmark legislation providing relief to Connecticut’s long-term care insurance policyholders:
 
“Families have been devastated by years of double-digit increases in long term care premiums. Enough is enough. Thanks to this legislation Connecticut is leading the country is giving new tools to regulators in combatting increases and sharing additional information to policyholders”