Author: sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

TODAY: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

TODAY: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

WHAT: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, joined by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, will hold a press conference to announce the caucus’s 2026 legislative agenda designed to counter rising costs driven by federal Republican policies. The agenda includes sweeping tax relief, expanded healthcare coverage, protections against private equity exploitation, and new consumer privacy and online safety measures.

WHO: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, February 19, at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Room 1D, Legislative Office Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Stay Connected with Senate Democrats

TODAY: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

TODAY: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

WHAT: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, joined by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, will hold a press conference to announce the caucus’s 2026 legislative agenda designed to counter rising costs driven by federal Republican policies. The agenda includes sweeping tax relief, expanded healthcare coverage, protections against private equity exploitation, and new consumer privacy and online safety measures.

WHO: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, February 19, at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Room 1D, Legislative Office Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Stay Connected with Senate Democrats

TOMORROW: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

TOMORROW: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

WHAT: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, joined by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, will hold a press conference to announce the caucus’s 2026 legislative agenda designed to counter rising costs driven by federal Republican policies. The agenda includes sweeping tax relief, expanded healthcare coverage, protections against private equity exploitation, and new consumer privacy and online safety measures.

WHO: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, February 19, at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Room 1D, Legislative Office Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

TOMORROW: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

TOMORROW: Senate Democrats to Unveil Legislative Agenda Focused on Affordability

WHAT: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, joined by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, will hold a press conference to announce the caucus’s 2026 legislative agenda designed to counter rising costs driven by federal Republican policies. The agenda includes sweeping tax relief, expanded healthcare coverage, protections against private equity exploitation, and new consumer privacy and online safety measures.

WHO: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, February 19, at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Room 1D, Legislative Office Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WEDNESDAY: PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, SENATOR ANWAR TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON PRIVATE EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE, FIGHTING OVERDOSES

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Anwar

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

February 17, 2026

WEDNESDAY: PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, SENATOR ANWAR TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON PRIVATE EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE, FIGHTING OVERDOSES

Where: LOB Room 1D, Zoom, Youtube Live
When: Wednesday, Feb. 17, noon

On Wednesday, February 18 at noon, in 1D of the Legislative Office Building and simulcast online on Zoom and Youtube Live, the Public Health Committee will hold its first public hearing of the 2026 legislative session. Among the 14 bills on the agenda are two session priorities for State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, regarding key priority bills:

  • Senate Bill 196 seeks to provide a response to recent private equity woes seen in Connecticut by addressing certain practices undertaken in the past by companies operating in Connecticut. Under the legislation, beginning October 1, no hospital will be allowed to enter a sale-leaseback transaction, where they sell the property/land of the hospital and then lease it back from the new owner, unless they are in direct financial distress, their governing body authorizes the decision explicitly for financial reasons and the hospital informs the Public Health Commissioner and Attorney General. Hospitals would need to confirm annually that private equity does not have a controlling interest in a hospital and that it maintains full governance over its assets and activities.
  • As Connecticut finally sees success in slowing the growth of overdose deaths within its borders, Senate Bill 195 takes legislation that nearly became law in 2025 before an eleventh-hour removal and pushes for new resources and approaches to support people struggling with opioid use disorder. It would create a pilot program for up to four overdose prevention centers in Connecticut, which would be staffed by licensed health care providers to provide aid, access to test strips and connections to treatment for individuals entering the centers. Individuals would have access to visit the overdose prevention centers in the process of using substances; they are stocked with opioid antagonist drugs and other resources to improve safety and encourage treatment for those struggling.

Senator Gaston Mourns Passing of Civil Rights Mentor Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Banner

Senator Gaston Mourns Passing of Civil Rights Mentor Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

Today, state Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) issued the following statement on the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr.:

“Today we have lost a towering figure of the civil rights movement. He was a man who dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, equality, and human dignity. Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. was not just a leader; he was a moral force who challenged America to live up to its highest ideals.

“As a Black man, I am devastated by this loss. He served as Godfather, a moral tiger, and was an exemplary leader to all of us. He infused in us that we are somebody and poured deeply into our spirits to make a difference in the world.

“He taught us our worth is not determined by circumstances that we are born into, but by the character that we build. His legacy will live on. My prayers are with his family and loved ones.”

Stay Connected with Senator Gaston

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

For Immediate Release
Contact: Garnet McLaughlin – Garnet.McLaughlin@cga.ct.gov – 860-304-2319
 

HARTFORD — Today, Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and State Senator Christine Cohen, Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, responded to news that the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed a finding that determined greenhouse gases pose a public health risk, thus reducing the agency’s ability to regulate harmful emissions.

Despite overwhelming agreement in the scientific community that the climate is warming, and greenhouse gases are significant contributors, this move by the EPA represents a rejection of both settled science and the foundation for many climate rules under the Clean Air Act.

“The effects of burning fossil fuels on climate change are settled science. The Trump regime is once again politicizing the government to push an anti-science agenda and line the pockets of ultra-rich donors,” said Senators Looney and Duff.

They continued, “In Connecticut, we believe in science, and we want clean air, land, and water for our children and grandchildren. While Donald Trump wages his absurd war on windmills and scientific facts, we’ll keep fighting to deliver what our constituents actually care about. This regime’s reckless dismantling of environmental protections is a betrayal of America’s once-proud leadership on climate change.”

“The people of Connecticut expect state and local leaders to speak out when the federal government tramples on our values. We ask once again for Connecticut Republicans to join us in standing up. Unfortunately, we expect more silence and deflections while the Trump regime continues its chaos and destruction,” Senators Looney and Duff concluded.

“Make no mistake, Donald Trump intends to continue to use his elected position to allow the fossil fuel industry to get even richer, while directly putting at risk American’s health, worsening the climate crisis and leaving us completely ill prepared to manage the effects of climate change,” said Senator Cohen. “It will take time for these effects to be felt, but we do not have time to waste. We need to be making decisive and profound steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, slow climate change and prepare our communities for severe weather events, sea level rise and a warming climate. I am committed to continuing to do so here in Connecticut, but this is the greatest threat of our generation and the United States must be part of the global solution.”

 

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

HARTFORD — Today, Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and State Senator Christine Cohen, Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, responded to news that the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed a finding that determined greenhouse gases pose a public health risk, thus reducing the agency’s ability to regulate harmful emissions.

Despite overwhelming agreement in the scientific community that the climate is warming, and greenhouse gases are significant contributors, this move by the EPA represents a rejection of both settled science and the foundation for many climate rules under the Clean Air Act.

“The effects of burning fossil fuels on climate change are settled science. The Trump regime is once again politicizing the government to push an anti-science agenda and line the pockets of ultra-rich donors,” said Senators Looney and Duff.

They continued, “In Connecticut, we believe in science, and we want clean air, land, and water for our children and grandchildren. While Donald Trump wages his absurd war on windmills and scientific facts, we’ll keep fighting to deliver what our constituents actually care about. This regime’s reckless dismantling of environmental protections is a betrayal of America’s once-proud leadership on climate change.”

“The people of Connecticut expect state and local leaders to speak out when the federal government tramples on our values. We ask once again for Connecticut Republicans to join us in standing up. Unfortunately, we expect more silence and deflections while the Trump regime continues its chaos and destruction,” Senators Looney and Duff concluded.

“Make no mistake, Donald Trump intends to continue to use his elected position to allow the fossil fuel industry to get even richer, while directly putting at risk American’s health, worsening the climate crisis and leaving us completely ill prepared to manage the effects of climate change,” said Senator Cohen. “It will take time for these effects to be felt, but we do not have time to waste. We need to be making decisive and profound steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, slow climate change and prepare our communities for severe weather events, sea level rise and a warming climate. I am committed to continuing to do so here in Connecticut, but this is the greatest threat of our generation and the United States must be part of the global solution.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

Sens. Looney, Duff, Cohen React to EPA Repealing Greenhouse Gas Findings

HARTFORD — Today, Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and State Senator Christine Cohen, Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, responded to news that the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed a finding that determined greenhouse gases pose a public health risk, thus reducing the agency’s ability to regulate harmful emissions.

Despite overwhelming agreement in the scientific community that the climate is warming, and greenhouse gases are significant contributors, this move by the EPA represents a rejection of both settled science and the foundation for many climate rules under the Clean Air Act.

“The effects of burning fossil fuels on climate change are settled science. The Trump regime is once again politicizing the government to push an anti-science agenda and line the pockets of ultra-rich donors,” said Senators Looney and Duff.

They continued, “In Connecticut, we believe in science, and we want clean air, land, and water for our children and grandchildren. While Donald Trump wages his absurd war on windmills and scientific facts, we’ll keep fighting to deliver what our constituents actually care about. This regime’s reckless dismantling of environmental protections is a betrayal of America’s once-proud leadership on climate change.”

“The people of Connecticut expect state and local leaders to speak out when the federal government tramples on our values. We ask once again for Connecticut Republicans to join us in standing up. Unfortunately, we expect more silence and deflections while the Trump regime continues its chaos and destruction,” Senators Looney and Duff concluded.

“Make no mistake, Donald Trump intends to continue to use his elected position to allow the fossil fuel industry to get even richer, while directly putting at risk American’s health, worsening the climate crisis and leaving us completely ill prepared to manage the effects of climate change,” said Senator Cohen. “It will take time for these effects to be felt, but we do not have time to waste. We need to be making decisive and profound steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, slow climate change and prepare our communities for severe weather events, sea level rise and a warming climate. I am committed to continuing to do so here in Connecticut, but this is the greatest threat of our generation and the United States must be part of the global solution.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Senator Honig Helps Secure State Funding to Restore Student Mental Health Services in Litchfield County

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Newsletter Header

Senator Honig Helps Secure State Funding to Restore Student Mental Health Services in Litchfield County

Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, released the following statement Monday after the state awarded an $830,000 grant to restore mental health services for thousands of students across 32 schools in Litchfield County:

“When the federal government broke its commitment to students in towns like Barkhamsted, Norfolk, and New Hartford, I knew Connecticut had to step up and restore this critical support,” Senator Honig said. “I’m proud we were able to act quickly to get these counselors back in our schools, providing frontline support for kids dealing with unprecedented challenges. Because Connecticut has been fiscally responsible, we had the resources available to preserve these services and I’m grateful to Governor Lamont for prioritizing Litchfield County kids.”

The state funding comes from a reserve fund created by the legislature during a special session last year to offset federal funding cuts. The federal grant, originally approved by Congress in 2022 as a five-year, $8.7 million commitment, was canceled last year by the U.S. Department of Education, well before its planned end date in December 2027.

EdAdvance, a nonprofit education service agency based in Litchfield, used the federal grant to hire 17 social workers who provided mental health services including classroom sessions on decision-making and social media awareness, as well as immediate intervention for students in crisis.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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