SENATOR CABRERA VOTES FOR A STATE BUDGET THAT INVESTS IN FAMILIES, EDUCATION AND OUR TOWNS

HARTFORD – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) joined his Senate Democratic  colleagues this evening in voting to approve the 2026-27 biennial, no-tax increase state budget that invests in Connecticut’s children, families and towns.

The budget passed 25-11 on a purely partisan vote and now heads to Governor Ned Lamont for his signature into law.

“Once again, the people of Connecticut are the winners with this responsible, balanced Democratic state budget that doesn’t raise taxes, stays under the constitutional spending cap, and invests in people, education, and our cities and towns,” said Sen. Cabrera. “I’m pleased to have secured millions of more dollars in state aid for the cities and towns in my district. All of that adds up to better services and a better quality of life in the region.”

In the budget, Sen. Cabrera secured a total of $305.2 million in state aid for the 17^h State Senate District towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge, which is a $9.2 million increase in state aid over the previous biennial budget.

Included in that total is $231.28 million in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) aid, an increase of $9.37 million over the previous biennial budget.

The 2026-27 State of Connecticut General Fund budget totals $49.392 billion. The budget does not raise income, gasoline or sales taxes and is about $1 million under the constitutional spending cap in FY 26 and $75 million under the spending cap in FY 27.

The budget increases state aid to all local schools by $186 million to $2.4 billion and increases special education ‘excess cost’ aid to cities and towns by more than $80 million to $442 million.

The budget also increases by $250 per family the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for the working poor, totaling $26 million per year, affecting an estimated tens of thousands of Connecticut families.

Today’s state budget also fully funds Medicaid, including more than $400 million in increased funding to shore up the program on which 900,000 Connecticut residents rely, and it invests $7 million in Foodshare, a nonprofit that helps to feed hungry families,