MD Rahman

IN FIRST TERM, FRESHMAN STATE SENATOR MD RAHMAN LEADS, VOTES FOR PASSAGE OF KEY BILLS IN 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Having recently completed his first legislative session as a sitting legislator, State Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) played an important role in the Senate, leading the passage of bills from the Planning & Development Committee to move Connecticut forward while also adding his voice to ensure Senate priority bills, responsible for transformative and positive change throughout the state, became law as well. Sen. Rahman was elected in 2022 to serve the 4th Senate District, representing Manchester, Glastonbury, Andover and Bolton, and has since worked to introduce himself to these communities as he worked to secure key funding and support for them.

“It is hard to believe the legislative session is over, though I am confident that the legislation my colleagues and I worked to pass will make our state a better place to live,” said Sen. Rahman. “From finding financial support for state residents, including significant tax breaks, to improving safety, accessibility and functionality of our systems and communities, our work will pay dividends. After this work I have a newfound respect and appreciation for our government and its operation. I look forward to continuing to advocate for our towns and the best of Connecticut through 2024 and beyond, and am already looking forward to next year’s session!”

Sen. Rahman is proudest of legislation he introduced to the General Assembly seeking to find an alternative to the motor vehicle property tax, which he finds to be regressive in nature. Senate Bill 497, which passed the House and Senate, would create a task force studying the repeal of the motor vehicle property tax, examining what mechanisms would be available to cover the resulting loss of revenue in municipalities in the state. The bill’s task force is designed to make sure alternative options pursued in a potential repeal would be best suited to meet the needs of the state.

Further, as Senate Chair of the Planning and Development Committee, Sen. Rahman further led the passage of legislation including, but not limiting to, bills that expand resources for municipalities to fight and regulate blighted buildings; create tax abatements for certain conservation easements, preserving greenways and averting potential problems with greenway ownership and property rights; increasing the minimum level of unpaid sewer fees triggering foreclosure proceedings to $4,000, helping hundreds of families avoid further financial difficulties; allowing municipal taxes to be paid electronically; creation of a task force to study the impact of unclaimed or abandoned real property on municipalities in which they’re located; and studying the potential use of an online database of municipal land records and maps.

In addition to these successes in the Planning and Development Committee, Sen. Rahman was proud to add his vote to the passage of a number of important bills in the Senate this year. These included the state’s bipartisan, Democrat-led budget, which will bring $8.787 million in additional educational support to the 4th Senate District in the next two years; legislation that will promote student academic success while increasing transparency of how school districts spend money; the advancement of early voting in the state, which will be available to voters for the 2024 election, and the advancement of “no-excuses” absentee voting, which will return to voters on the 2024 ballot; legislation to protect children’s mental health and provide literary freedom to libraries; a bill which cuts down on red tape in the health insurance industry that can delay care and frustrate patients and doctors alike; increased protections to survivors of domestic violence; overhauls of Connecticut’s energy regulations with a focus on ratepayers; combatting gun violence; expanding debt-free community college; adding personal financial literacy requirements to the state’s education system; and securing funding to support Manchester, Glastonbury, Andover and Bolton.