SENATOR ANWAR JOINS APPROVAL OF TWO-YEAR STATE BUDGET INVESTING IN EDUCATION, FAMILIES, TOWNS AND CITIES

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined the State Senate’s approval of the 2026-27 biennial state budget. This budget, which passed by a 25-11 vote, invests significant amounts in education and childcare statewide, invests in families through an increase to the Earned Income Tax Credit and provides significant investments to local communities, including $6,242,697 in new support for the 3^rd Senate District in the two-year period. That sum primarily includes new education cost sharing and special education funding.

“This budget addresses a number of major concerns facing Connecticut today,” said Sen. Anwar. “It invests in child care at a time when families face real strain and pressure and supports our families who are most in need. It invests in our education systems and in our municipalities, also making sure nonprofit employees receive support. It adds funding to areas that the federal government may target in coming months, with awareness that the future is unwritten. It’s a thorough, meaningful document that will benefit countless state residents.”

The balanced $55.16 billion two-year budget does not increase taxes, reduces state costs and maintains the state’s fiscal responsibility in addition to making needed investments in Connecticut communities. It grows at a 5.4% rate in the 2026 fiscal year and 5.5% in the 2027 fiscal year.

The budget invests $200 million in early childcare education, expanding access to Early Start CT childcare programs at affordable rates for families and allowing children receive high quality childcare from birth to five years old, also funding a health care subsidy for care providers.

Important parts of the new budget include:

-A $250 tax refund for tens of thousands of workers with children through an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit program, which will benefit as many as 195,000 children

-Projected state surpluses and continued investment in the state’s Rainy Day Fund

-A total of $2.4 billion in Education Cost Sharing grant investment, with $186 million of new investments for the two-year period; this includes “holding harmless” 81 towns that would have seen a decrease in ECS funding

-$80 million in additional special education cost savings and $75 million in additional new special education funding for a total of $442 million in special education excess cost spending

-Investing $76 million in nonprofits in the second year of the budget to support worker wages

-Tax credits supporting refundable personal income tax credits for home daycare owners and farm investments

-Fully funding Medicaid, with more than $400 million in increased funding to support the program 900,000 Connecticut residents rely on

-Investing $7 million in Connecticut Foodshare, helping feed hungry Connecticut families

Investing $3 million in heating assistance as federal programs may see funding reductions