Author: sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Duff Issues Statement on Rising Prices from Trump’s Middle East War

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Duff Issues Statement on Rising Prices from Trump’s Middle East War

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, today issued a statement responding to a Hartford Courant report that Connecticut families should brace for higher gas prices and rising grocery costs as President Donald Trump’s escalating war in the Middle East threatens to drive up consumer prices across the state.

“It’s inexcusable to see Connecticut families facing higher gas prices and grocery costs because President Trump dragged America into a war nobody wanted,” Senator Duff said. “He promised to bring down prices and keep us out of foreign conflicts. Instead, he imposed illegal tariffs and launched military action in Iran without congressional authorization or public support. Now our families are paying the price at the pump and the grocery store for his broken promises. While Washington Republicans focus on everything except what is necessary, Connecticut Democrats will keep advancing tax cuts on groceries, clothing and other essential items. We can’t fix Washington’s failures but we’ll do everything in our power to help Connecticut families weather the storm of Republican governance.”

Municipal Leaders Back Senate Democrats’ Transformative Education Investment

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Municipal Leaders Back Senate Democrats’ Transformative Education Investment Ahead of Public Hearing

WHAT: Senate Democratic leaders and municipal officials from across Connecticut will hold a press conference to highlight Senate Bill 7, landmark legislation that would provide a historic increase in state funding for public education in every city and town across Connecticut.

The press conference will be held immediately before the Education Committee’s public hearing on the bill.

Senate Bill 7 proposes raising the Education Cost Sharing formula’s foundation grant from the current $11,525 per pupil to $13,500 in fiscal year 2027, $14,500 in fiscal year 2028, and $15,500 in fiscal year 2029. After three years of scheduled increases, the bill would index the foundation grant to economic indicators, ensuring school funding keeps pace with current conditions.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Room 2D, Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT

WHO:

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven)
  • Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk)
  • Education Committee Co-Chair Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford)
  • New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker
  • Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons
  • Norwalk Mayor Barbara Smyth
  • West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer
  • Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu
  • East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora
  • Branford First Selectman Joshua Brooks
  • Guilford First Selectman Matthew Hoey
  • North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda

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

Municipal Leaders Back Senate Democrats’ Transformative Education Investment

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Municipal Leaders Back Senate Democrats’ Transformative Education Investment Ahead of Public Hearing

WHAT: Senate Democratic leaders and municipal officials from across Connecticut will hold a press conference to highlight Senate Bill 7, landmark legislation that would provide a historic increase in state funding for public education in every city and town across Connecticut.

The press conference will be held immediately before the Education Committee’s public hearing on the bill.

Senate Bill 7 proposes raising the Education Cost Sharing formula’s foundation grant from the current $11,525 per pupil to $13,500 in fiscal year 2027, $14,500 in fiscal year 2028, and $15,500 in fiscal year 2029. After three years of scheduled increases, the bill would index the foundation grant to economic indicators, ensuring school funding keeps pace with current conditions.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Room 2D, Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT

WHO:

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven)
  • Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk)
  • Education Committee Co-Chair Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford)
  • New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker
  • Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons
  • Norwalk Mayor Barbara Smyth
  • West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer
  • Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu
  • East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora
  • Branford First Selectman Joshua Brooks
  • Guilford First Selectman Matthew Hoey
  • North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda

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

MEDIA ADVISORY – 1PM – COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN PUBLIC HEARING ON AFFORDABILITY MEASURES

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY – 1PM – COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN PUBLIC HEARING ON AFFORDABILITY MEASURES INCLUDING CHILD TAX CREDIT, FREE SCHOOL MEALS

When: Tuesday, March 3, 1pm

Where: Legislative Office Building Room 2E, simulcast on Zoom

On Tuesday, March 3 at 1 p.m., the Committee On Children will hold a public hearing regarding Senate Bill 6, flagship legislation seeking to help working families better afford high costs in our communities and protecting children’s safety.

Senate Bill 6, An Act Concerning Supports For Children And Families, includes provisions such as:

  • A child tax credit delivering up to $600 per child, for up to three children; single earners or parents filing separately earning up to $100,000, heads of household earning up to $160,000 and joint filers earning up to $200,000 will be eligible for the full credit
  • School breakfasts and lunches would be provided to all students for free
  • New protections against individuals convicted of certain abuse crimes living in the same residence as a minor child and monitoring their residency after release from prison
  • The Department of Children and Families would make a record notation in the file of any child withdrawn from public schools during the course of an open DCF case.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ADVANCES ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO FIGHT ADDICTION

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Anwar

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

March 2, 2026

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ADVANCES ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO FIGHT ADDICTION

Today, the Public Health Committee advanced a legislative proposal seeking to provide an alternative approach to fight the opioid crisis and addiction by providing overdose prevention centers in communities across the state.

A priority for State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, the proposal seeks to meet people experiencing addiction where they are, creating a pilot program that installs several centers seeking to save lives and connect individuals with health services. The bill passed by a 20-12 vote.

Senate Bill 195 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.

These centers allow individuals with substance use disorder to be in a controlled and monitored environment, with staff trained to prevent overdoses, provide testing materials to ensure substances are not tainted and provide referrals to individuals seeking treatment for substance use or other mental health issues.

“Overdose deaths have declined in recent years, but that’s progress that can just as easily be erased as built upon,” said Sen. Anwar. “We still see more than two residents on average die each day from an overdose, and each death is a parent, child, friend, sibling and loved one. Every death leaves holes in the lives of those who loved them, and every one we can prevent can change lives. These centers offer an opportunity to address the opioid epidemic from a more humanistic perspective and I know they can and will save lives if we can finally deliver on their promise of a new, better approach to help those struggling.”

The centers, used sporadically in the United States and more common overseas, are known to save lives, with no known deaths occurring within them. They’re also known to reduce spread of infectious diseases, provide social connections to reduce stigma of substance use and encourage access to treatment and improve local safety.

If made law, the centers would be funded from private sources. In addition to the pilot program, it would also create an advisory committee tasked with developing recommendations on the future use and regulations that such centers would utilize in the future.

Sen. Anwar has been a champion for the concept for years, seeking to ensure the state can expand its fight against the opioid crisis that still kills nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents per year.

The legislation was previously included, then removed, from health care legislation that became law in 2025 and was introduced as a concept in years prior. Families of those who have died from overdoses, individuals in recovery from substance use disorder and families of those struggling with the condition have testified in support in recent years.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ADVANCES LEGISLATION CUTTING DOWN PRIVATE EQUITY MISUSE IN CONNECTICUT HEALTHCARE

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Anwar

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

March 2, 2026

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ADVANCES LEGISLATION CUTTING DOWN PRIVATE EQUITY MISUSE IN CONNECTICUT HEALTHCARE

The Public Health Committee today voted to advance legislation seeking to place additional controls on private equity ownership and management of health care entities in Connecticut, specifically taking action against a mechanism used to derive profits out of properties following past mismanagement in the state.

Senate Bill 196, “An Act Concerning Hospital Sale-Leaseback Agreements And Attestations Concerning Lack Of Private Equity Control Of The Hospital And Control Of Or Interference With The Professional Judgment And Clinical Decisions Of Certain Health Care Providers,” which passed the Public Health Committee by a vote of 30-2, would:

  • Prohibit hospitals from entering into ‘sale-leaseback agreements.’ Sale-leaseback agreements are a term for when a hospital sells its land to a private investor for a quick cash infusion, but then rents its property back from them on a monthly basis at whatever price the investor wants. 
  • Require annual reports from hospitals to confirm with the state Department of Public Health that the private equity group controls the hospital’s finances, but that the private group does not influence any hospital policy, including the amount of time a doctor can spend with a patient, evaluate a patients, how patients are triaged in emergency rooms, whether the patients should be discharged, and what diagnostic codes are entered into the patient’s medical records. 

“Private equity’s presence in Connecticut hospitals and health care, regarding Prospect, worsened patient outcomes and weakened the resources offered to entire communities,” said State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “While I’m confident new ownership will infuse new life into those hospitals, those years set a negative precedent our state cannot afford to continue.

Private equity in Connecticut health care drew significant headlines in recent years with Prospect Medical Holdings’ ownership of Manchester Memorial Hospital, Rockville General Hospital and Waterbury Hospital. The private equity firm drew public ire for underfunding and poor quality in those institutions, including multiple reports of immediate jeopardy conditions in the hospitals with potentially attributable patient deaths and declines in overall quality of care. A sale-leaseback of the land the hospitals sit on led to profits for Prospect but financially harmed the hospitals before Prospect’s eventual bankruptcy and sale of the properties.

When more than one in five for-profit hospitals in the United States are owned by private equity, it’s a pressing concern – especially with further studies by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health determining Medicare patients at private equity firms see 25% more complications, 40% more bloodstream infections and 27% more patient falls, while hospitals purchased by private equity see 27% increases in income, largely due to increased charges.
 

MEDIA ADVISORY – TUESDAY, 1PM – COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN PUBLIC HEARING ON AFFORDABILITY MEASURES

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY – TUESDAY, 1PM – COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN PUBLIC HEARING ON AFFORDABILITY MEASURES INCLUDING CHILD TAX CREDIT, FREE SCHOOL MEALS

March 2, 2026

When: Tuesday, March 3, 1pm

Where: Legislative Office Building Room 2E, simulcast on Zoom

On Tuesday, March 3 at 1 p.m., the Committee On Children will hold a public hearing regarding Senate Bill 6, flagship legislation seeking to help working families better afford high costs in our communities and protecting children’s safety.

Senate Bill 6, An Act Concerning Supports For Children And Families, includes provisions such as:

  • A child tax credit delivering up to $600 per child, for up to three children; single earners or parents filing separately earning up to $100,000, heads of household earning up to $160,000 and joint filers earning up to $200,000 will be eligible for the full credit
  • School breakfasts and lunches would be provided to all students for free
  • New protections against individuals convicted of certain abuse crimes living in the same residence as a minor child and monitoring their residency after release from prison
  • The Department of Children and Families would make a record notation in the file of any child withdrawn from public schools during the course of an open DCF case.

Senate Democrats Demand Trump Refund $2.3 Billion to Connecticut Families for Illegal Tariff Tax

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate Democrats Demand Trump Refund $2.3 Billion to Connecticut Families for Illegal Tariff Tax

HARTFORD, CT — Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic caucus today sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding he refund $2,328,376,000 to Connecticut families after the United States Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs as unconstitutional. The total cost, derived from a conservative estimate of $1,600 per household, is the largest tax increase in over 30 years.

In their letter, the senators write: “Your tariffs were an illegal tax on American families. The Supreme Court of the United States has confirmed what we knew all along: you did not have the authority to impose them. For more than a year, Connecticut families paid the price at the grocery store, at the hardware store, and around the kitchen table. Now it is time to pay them back and make them whole.”

The senators demand a full refund on behalf of every Connecticut household, writing: “On behalf of the 1,455,235 households in the State of Connecticut, we demand a full refund of $1,600 for each one. The total your regime owes to the people of Connecticut is $2,328,376,000. This letter serves as official notice that this compensation is owed to the families of Connecticut. If you do not comply, we will pursue every option available for restorative justice.”

The demand follows a 6-3 Supreme Court decision striking down Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, in which the Court ruled that the Trump regime exceeded its authority by using emergency powers to impose sweeping import taxes.

The letter continues: “Your tariffs drove up the cost of clothing, electronics, household goods, and food. They were also a regressive tax, with the burden on working-class families more than three times that of the wealthiest households as a share of income. The people who could least afford it paid the most.”

Connecticut’s demand mirrors that of other states, such as Illinois, where Governor JB Pritzker sent the White House an invoice for more than $8.6 billion on behalf of Illinois families, and California, where Governor Gavin Newsom also demanded a refund.

The $1,600 per-household figure comes from the Yale Budget Lab’s October 30, 2025, analysis of the 2025 tariffs. The Yale Budget Lab also found the tariffs to be a regressive tax, with the burden on the lowest-income households more than three times that of the highest-income households as a share of income. Connecticut businesses that rely on imports were also hit hard, further compounding the state’s economic damage.

The letter is marked as an official notice of the compensation owed, with the senators warning they will pursue further action if Trump does not comply.

The full letter is below.

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump,

Your tariffs were an illegal tax on American families. The Supreme Court of the United States has confirmed what we knew all along: you did not have the authority to impose them. For more than a year, Connecticut families paid the price at the grocery store, at the hardware store, and around the kitchen table. Now it is time to pay them back and make them whole.

The Yale Budget Lab calculated that the tariffs you imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cost the average American household at least $1,600. Your tariffs drove up the cost of clothing, electronics, household goods, and food. They were also a regressive tax, with the burden on working-class families more than three times that of the wealthiest households as a share of income. The people who could least afford it paid the most.

On behalf of the 1,455,235 households in the State of Connecticut, we demand a full refund of $1,600 for each one. The total your regime owes to the people of Connecticut is $2,328,376,000.

This letter serves as official notice that this compensation is owed to the families of Connecticut. If you do not comply, we will pursue every option available for restorative justice.

Senate President Martin M. Looney
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff
Senator Doug McCrory
Senator Saud Anwar
Senator MD Rhaman
Senator Derek Slap
Senator Paul Honig
Senator Matt Lesser
Senator Christine Cohen
Senator Jan Hochadel
Senator James Maroney
Senator Martha Marx
Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox
Senator Julie Kushner
Senator Ceci Maher
Senator Norm Needleman

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

Senate Democrats Demand Trump Refund $2.3 Billion to Connecticut Families for Illegal Tariff Tax

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate Democrats Demand Trump Refund $2.3 Billion to Connecticut Families for Illegal Tariff Tax

HARTFORD, CT — Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and members of the Senate Democratic caucus today sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding he refund $2,328,376,000 to Connecticut families after the United States Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs as unconstitutional. The total cost, derived from a conservative estimate of $1,600 per household, is the largest tax increase in over 30 years.

In their letter, the senators write: “Your tariffs were an illegal tax on American families. The Supreme Court of the United States has confirmed what we knew all along: you did not have the authority to impose them. For more than a year, Connecticut families paid the price at the grocery store, at the hardware store, and around the kitchen table. Now it is time to pay them back and make them whole.”

The senators demand a full refund on behalf of every Connecticut household, writing: “On behalf of the 1,455,235 households in the State of Connecticut, we demand a full refund of $1,600 for each one. The total your regime owes to the people of Connecticut is $2,328,376,000. This letter serves as official notice that this compensation is owed to the families of Connecticut. If you do not comply, we will pursue every option available for restorative justice.”

The demand follows a 6-3 Supreme Court decision striking down Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, in which the Court ruled that the Trump regime exceeded its authority by using emergency powers to impose sweeping import taxes.

The letter continues: “Your tariffs drove up the cost of clothing, electronics, household goods, and food. They were also a regressive tax, with the burden on working-class families more than three times that of the wealthiest households as a share of income. The people who could least afford it paid the most.”

Connecticut’s demand mirrors that of other states, such as Illinois, where Governor JB Pritzker sent the White House an invoice for more than $8.6 billion on behalf of Illinois families, and California, where Governor Gavin Newsom also demanded a refund.

The $1,600 per-household figure comes from the Yale Budget Lab’s October 30, 2025, analysis of the 2025 tariffs. The Yale Budget Lab also found the tariffs to be a regressive tax, with the burden on the lowest-income households more than three times that of the highest-income households as a share of income. Connecticut businesses that rely on imports were also hit hard, further compounding the state’s economic damage.

The letter is marked as an official notice of the compensation owed, with the senators warning they will pursue further action if Trump does not comply.

The full letter is below.

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump,

Your tariffs were an illegal tax on American families. The Supreme Court of the United States has confirmed what we knew all along: you did not have the authority to impose them. For more than a year, Connecticut families paid the price at the grocery store, at the hardware store, and around the kitchen table. Now it is time to pay them back and make them whole.

The Yale Budget Lab calculated that the tariffs you imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cost the average American household at least $1,600. Your tariffs drove up the cost of clothing, electronics, household goods, and food. They were also a regressive tax, with the burden on working-class families more than three times that of the wealthiest households as a share of income. The people who could least afford it paid the most.

On behalf of the 1,455,235 households in the State of Connecticut, we demand a full refund of $1,600 for each one. The total your regime owes to the people of Connecticut is $2,328,376,000.

This letter serves as official notice that this compensation is owed to the families of Connecticut. If you do not comply, we will pursue every option available for restorative justice.

Senate President Martin M. Looney
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff
Senator Doug McCrory
Senator Saud Anwar
Senator MD Rhaman
Senator Derek Slap
Senator Paul Honig
Senator Matt Lesser
Senator Christine Cohen
Senator Jan Hochadel
Senator James Maroney
Senator Martha Marx
Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox
Senator Julie Kushner
Senator Ceci Maher
Senator Norm Needleman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Senator Honig Celebrates State Grants for Three Farms in Northwest Connecticut

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senator Honig Celebrates State Grants for Three Farms in Northwest Connecticut

Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, today celebrated the state Department of Agriculture’s announcement of Farm Transition Grants for three farms in his district, totaling more than $11,600. The grants to farms in Granby, Harwinton, and New Hartford are part of a statewide distribution of over half a million dollars to 43 farms across Connecticut.

“Farms in Granby, Harwinton, and New Hartford are doing important work to strengthen our local food systems and it’s essential the state of Connecticut provides them with the support they need to keep their operations thriving,” Sen. Honig said. “These grants will help them expand their capacity and continue serving northwest Connecticut families and I’m grateful to the Department of Agriculture for recognizing the value of these operations.”

Today’s grants include:

  • $4,660 for Mailman’s Meadows in Granby to install a solar powered electric fence, gates, and pass-throughs to implement rotational grazing for their sheep.
  • $3,700 for Graces Farm in New Hartford to build a livestock shelter, increasing their capacity to raise grass fed beef.
  • $3,265 for Salinas Farm in Harwinton to build a wether shelter to increase their capacity for meat goat production.

“Connecticut farms are innovative and entrepreneurial – the growing interest in the Farm Transition Grant demonstrates that – and I’m particularly thrilled to see new and beginning farmer applicant numbers expand,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “The awarded projects highlight the diversity of Connecticut’s farms – from mushrooms and maple to cut flowers and dairy, along with poultry, livestock, fruits, vegetables, and aquaculture. These investments provide newer farm operations the means to jump to the next level and support existing businesses as they seek to improve efficiencies or venture into new areas.”

The Farm Transition Grant program is highly competitive, with applications scored by a review panel seeking projects that diversify farm businesses, expand value-added production, and improve efficiency. The funded projects represent a combined investment of $1.29 million, injecting innovation and resilience into Connecticut’s farms and fueling the state’s economy.

Of the awarded funds, $259,038 will support 13 farms with infrastructure investment, $111,669 to three farms for innovation and diversification, $106,345 to uplift 25 new and beginning farms, and $33,505 to two farms for research and development of new products. Nearly 80% of awards went to beginning farmers, with additional support for veterans, socially disadvantaged, and BIPOC farmers.

Since 2019, the Lamont administration has awarded more than $3.87 million through the Farm Transition Grant program, underscoring its commitment to sustainable, climate-smart agriculture and local food systems.