SEN. KUSHNER, SENATE DEMOCRATS GIVE FINAL APPROVAL FOR STATE FUNDS TO COUNTERACT TRUMP CUTS, CREATE MORE HOUSING, FIGHT ICE ABUSE,  AND IMPROVE CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and Connecticut Senate Democrats gave final approval today to a series of bills that will ensure state residents are financially protected from the harmful effects of the Republican federal budget, are protected from ICE arrests in courthouse parking lots, support children’s mental health, and build more housing all across the state.

Today’s Senate action comes one day after Connecticut House Democrats approved the same series of bills; they now go to Governor Ned Lamont for his signature into law.

The highlight of the day was $500 million set aside in the state’s budget reserve – better known as “The Rainy Day Fund”  – to make up for hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding that have already been cut or could be cut even further in the coming months  – by Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.

“We’ve been living within the constraints of our own state’s fiscal guardrails for some time, and all of the complications they have caused with our inability to properly fund some very necessary social programs in Connecticut. Now, added on top of that, comes a Republican budget out of Washington, D.C. that made the lives of people in Connecticut so much worse when it comes to basic needs like food, health care, and home heating assistance,” said Sen. Kushner. “This Republican budget hurts so many people at so many levels – people living check to check, folks on Medicaid, people who get their health care through the Affordable Care Act – we’re actually going backwards now in America on the number of people who have health insurance. So, I’m glad that we’re able to use this $500 million to backfill some of those federal budget cuts; my only concern is it’s not going to be enough for us through next year.”

The State of Connecticut will use the $500 million in budget reserves to make up for federal shortfalls and policy changes that would financially harm hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents in every city and town with the loss of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, which provides low-cost heating fuel over the winter), health care, school meals, child care assistance, and housing assistance.

Senate Democrats today approved new housing legislation that will see towns and regional councils of government (COGs) adopt policies to create more housing – including market-rate and affordable housing. School construction grants from the state would increase by 5% in towns that implement housing growth plans, qualify as rapid transit or transit-adjacent communities, or adopt development districts.

In order to prevent aggressive federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting people on state property, Senate Democrats today defined “courthouse” to mean not only the interior of any facility, but also the “courthouse grounds” to include the courthouse and any garage or parking lot owned by the Judicial Branch, or under contract with the branch, for the purpose of serving the courthouse – along with any walkways or sidewalks on the grounds of the courthouse or connecting a garage to the courthouse. The bill provides a private right of action so aggrieved parties can sue ICE for any such violations, and it prohibits state agencies and towns from sharing non-public information with ICE about individuals.

Senate Democrats today also passed a bill calling for a study of existing behavioral health services for children in the state, and how much demand there may be for such services in the near future. The study will examine how often children interact with The United Way of Connecticut 2-1-1 Infoline program, the 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, mobile crisis intervention services and urgent crisis centers, subacute crisis stabilization centers, and hospital emergency departments, and will examine state resources to these providers and what demands for children’s behavioral health services they might face in the future. The bill also raises the age, from under 21 to under 26, that applies to required coverage for behavioral therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder under private insurance plans.

All of the bills are effective from the date of passage, except for the housing provisions, which begin January 1, 2026.