SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $153,429 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $153,429 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2026

State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) recently welcomed the state’s announcement that the 26^th Senate District will receive $153,429 in local supporting arts grants.

The Supporting Arts Grant Program, administered by the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, provides funding to arts organizations and municipal arts departments to support the costs they incur in developing and delivering programs.

These grants are funded through the Connecticut Office of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

“Local arts provide so much to our communities including cultural education and enrichment, wonderful entertainment and inspiration,” said Sen. Maher. “I’m very excited to see these grants continue to support those benefits to our region.”

Local grants awarded include:

$6,220 to Darien’s Stamford Chorale
$6,962 to New Canaan’s Silvermine Guild of Artists
$5,816 to New Canaan’s Treetops Chamber Music Society
$4,429 to New Canaan’s Carriage Barn Arts Center
$4,352 to New Canaan’s Town Players of New Canaan
$3,216 to New Canaan’s New England Dance Theater
$6,220 to Redding’s Music on the Hill
$10,000 to Ridgefield’s A.C.T.
$10,000 to Ridgefield’s Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts
$5,385 to Ridgefield’s Camerata d’Amici
$4,694 to Ridgefield’s Conservatory of Dance
$4,368 to Ridgefield’s Thrown Stone Theatre Company
$2,953 to Ridgefield’s Ridgefield Chorale
$7,577 to the Stamford Art Association
$7,483 to Stamford’s Orchestra Lumos
$6,757 to Stamford’s Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut
$5,534 to Stamford’s New Paradigm Theatre Company
$5,375 to Stamford’s INTEMPO
$4,934 to Stamford’s Project Music
$3,924 to Stamford’s Avon Theatre Film Center
$3,812 to Stamford’s Ballet School of Stamford
$6,283 to Westport’s Writers’ Workshop
$5,915 to Westport’s Friends of the Levitt Pavilion
$5,666 to Westport’s Community Theatre
$5,609 to Westport’s Fairfield County Chorale
$4,321 to Westport’s School of Music
$5,624 to the Wilton Playshop

SENATOR OSTEN WELCOMES $275,000 IN EDUCATION GRANTS TO HELP REDUCE ABSENTEEISM IN NORWICH

Posted on October 5, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR OSTEN WELCOMES $275,000 IN EDUCATION GRANTS TO HELP REDUCE ABSENTEEISM IN NORWICH

NORWICH — State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed $275,000 in state grants to improve student attendance in Norwich.

“Over the past four years, the percentage of students in the Norwich public schools who are chronically absent has dropped dramatically, from nearly 30% in 2022 to under 20% last year. We’re getting very near the state average, and it’s programs like LEAP that are making a difference in student and family interaction and success,” Sen Osten said.

The grants are being made through Connecticut’s Learner Engagement and Attendance Program, or LEAP. Since the Lamont administration established LEAP in 2021, chronic absenteeism has declined for four consecutive years, from 23.7% in 2021-2022 to 16.4% in 2025-2026, meaning nearly 35,000 more students are attending school regularly compared with 2021-2022.

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Looney: Early Childhood Endowment Is Key to Children Who Start Behind and Never Catch Up

Posted on October 4, 2026 by SDO Automation

Looney: Early Childhood Endowment Is Key to Children Who Start Behind and Never Catch Up

“The announcement of $411.7 million in surplus funds moving into the Early Childhood Education Endowment, bringing the fund to more than $700 million, is one of the most consequential investments our state has made in its own future. Over many years in the General Assembly, I have watched the same pattern repeat in our schools: children who arrive at kindergarten without the foundation they need begin behind, and far too many never catch up. No matter how much we invest in the K-12 system, we cannot fully recover those early years after the fact. Without a sustained and dedicated commitment to early childhood education, we will never solve that problem. The Governor deserves credit for his commitment and partnership in building this fund, and I am grateful to Comptroller Sean Scanlon and Treasurer Erick Russell for their work in making it possible. The General Assembly must now protect and strengthen this endowment so that every child in Connecticut begins school ready to learn.”

-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) responding to Governor Ned Lamont’s announcement, alongside Comptroller Sean Scanlon and Treasurer Erick Russell, that $411.7 million of the state’s fiscal year 2026 surplus will go into the Early Childhood Education Endowment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

Posted on October 3, 2026 by SDO Automation

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

“People across Connecticut are sick and tired of paying more every month while giant corporations like Eversource make money hand over fist. Families are being asked to absorb an 11 percent increase in their electric bills, while Eversource’s CEO tells Wall Street about ‘over $1 billion in cash coming in the door’ and urges investors to ‘get in heavy’ to rake in big profits.

“Worse, he admitted that Eversource ‘shut the faucet off in Connecticut’ until it got paid, saying, ‘We weren’t going to put another dime down there.’ That’s a utility monopoly treating the people it serves as leverage. Mr. Nolan has dropped the mask. Now we know where we stand.

“He also assured investors that after Election Day, ‘the volume’s going to go right down.’ Not from Senate Democrats. Connecticut ratepayers deserve to know exactly which projects Eversource held back, and we call on the company to make that list public.”

-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) responding to Eversource CEO Joe Nolan’s September 30 remarks to investors at the Wolfe Research utilities conference. To learn more and read a transcript of Nolan’s comments, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

Posted on October 3, 2026 by SDO Automation

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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Looney, Duff: Every Job America Added Last Month Wouldn’t Fill Rentschler Field

Posted on October 2, 2026 by SDO Automation

Looney, Duff: Every Job America Added Last Month Wouldn’t Fill Rentschler Field

“The entire United States added fewer jobs last month than there are seats at Rentschler Field. Every new job in all 50 states, combined, wouldn’t fill a UConn football game in East Hartford. That is what the Trump regime’s chaos means for working people looking for a paycheck.

“Meanwhile, Connecticut’s job growth this year is outpacing the nation’s, and our payrolls hit an all-time high this summer. Shipbuilders in Groton, nurses in our hospitals, and tradespeople on construction sites are driving that growth. Senate Democrats have spent years investing in the workforce training and manufacturing pipeline that makes these jobs possible.

“Connecticut Republicans would rather talk down our economy than say one word about the Washington Republicans whose reckless Iran war and tariffs are stalling job growth nationwide. We call on them to stand up for Connecticut workers and denounce their MAGA colleagues for the damage they are doing to working families.”

-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on September’s national jobs report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the nation added just 29,000 jobs last month. The national figure fell well short of the roughly 84,000 jobs economists expected, and the national unemployment rate rose.

Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field holds 40,000 people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Looney, Duff: Every Job America Added Last Month Wouldn’t Fill Rentschler Field

Posted on October 2, 2026 by SDO Automation

Looney, Duff: Every Job America Added Last Month Wouldn’t Fill Rentschler Field

Meanwhile, Connecticut’s job growth this year is outpacing the nation’s, and our payrolls hit an all-time high this summer. Shipbuilders in Groton, nurses in our hospitals, and tradespeople on construction sites are driving that growth. Senate Democrats have spent years investing in the workforce training and manufacturing pipeline that makes these jobs possible.

Connecticut Republicans would rather talk down our economy than say one word about the Washington Republicans whose reckless Iran war and tariffs are stalling job growth nationwide. We call on them to stand up for Connecticut workers and denounce their MAGA colleagues for the damage they are doing to working families.”

Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field holds 40,000 people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

SENATOR ANWAR WELCOMES $448,000 IN FUNDING SUPPORTING LOCAL TRAILS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION IN EAST HARTFORD, EAST WINDSOR, SOUTH WINDSOR

Posted on October 2, 2026 by SDO Automation

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

October 2, 2026

SENATOR ANWAR WELCOMES $448,000 IN FUNDING SUPPORTING LOCAL TRAILS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION IN EAST HARTFORD, EAST WINDSOR, SOUTH WINDSOR

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) welcomed the recent announcement that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will release $448,000 in grants supporting local projects designed to plan, build, expand and improve local trails in East Hartford, East Windsor and South Windsor, with the intent of bolstering recreational opportunities, connecting communities and supporting public health.

Local grants include:

$200,000 to the city of East Hartford for planning and design of closing gaps on the Silver Lane segment of the East Coast Greenway
$200,000 to the town of South Windsor for planning and design of Phase 3 of the South Windsor Crosstown Trail
$48,000 to the town of East Windsor for trail corridor planning of the Broad Brook multi-use trail

The grants are part of a $10.5 million, 50-project release of funding through the Connecticut Recreational Trails Grant Program. That program is also supporting Connecticut’s outdoor recreation economy, which provides $6 billion each year to the state’s economy, supporting more than 50,000 jobs and generating more than $2.5 billion each year in wages and salaries.

“Getting out onto local trails supports local recreation and exercise, public health and enjoyment of our state’s wonderful natural resources,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and state leaders for their local support and encourage anyone interested to check out the wonderful trails in our own backyards.”

“Connecticut’s extensive trail network is one of our state’s greatest outdoor assets,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said. “These investments will improve access to the outdoors, strengthen local economies, attract visitors, encourage healthy lifestyles, and help connect people to the communities where they live and work.’

Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox Welcomes $475k for Bridgeport Schools

Posted on October 2, 2026October 2, 2026 by SDO Automation

Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox Welcomes $475k for Bridgeport Schools

Today, State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox welcomed a $475,000 state grant for Bridgeport Public Schools to support student attendance.

29 school districts will receive funding as part of a $7 million line item in the state budget dedicated to the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP), a research-based approach to improving student attendance and engagement.

“This is great news all around – I am so pleased that we are making these critical investments into our students, and that Connecticut is focused on research-backed strategies that work,” said Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox. “Through engaging with students, families and school staff we are closing gaps and making sure students have the tools they need to succeed. I am pleased that Bridgeport schools will receive funds to continue this good work.”

According to the Lamont administration who established LEAP in 2021, chronic absenteeism has declined for four consecutive years. In the 2021-2022 school year, statewide chronic absenteeism rates hit 23.7%. For the latest school year it was down to 16.4% which means 35,000 more students are regularly attending class.

A previous version of this press release included an incorrect grant amount

SENATOR RAHMAN WELCOMES $315,948 IN FUNDING SUPPORTING GLASTONBURY, MANCHESTER TRAILS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

Posted on October 2, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR RAHMAN WELCOMES $315,948 IN FUNDING SUPPORTING GLASTONBURY, MANCHESTER TRAILS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

October 2, 2026

State Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) welcomed the recent announcement that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will release $315,948 in grants supporting local projects designed to plan, build, expand and improve local trails, with the intent of bolstering recreational opportunities, connecting communities and supporting public health.

Local grants include:

$294,880 to the Town of Glastonbury for construction and amenities for the Arbor Acres ADA Trail Project
$21,069 to UR Community Cares for equipment and amenities for the Manchester Mobility Project

“Our local trails are a well-known local public resource delivering plenty of opportunities to enjoy our communities’ beauty, get some fresh air and some nice exercise,” said Sen. Rahman. “I’m grateful to Governor Lamont for this support for our region and encourage local residents to enjoy our great trails.”