Anne Hughes

Sometimes a small section in a large bill can have a huge impact. Case in point, the two-year, $55.16 billion budget bill that passed the House and the Senate contains a provision that increase the refundable R&D and R&E tax credits for qualifying small biotech companies from 65% to 90%.

With the end of the legislative session today, I want to highlight some bills that passed both the House and Senate that are expected to be signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont. 

For too long, Connecticut's special education model has faced fundamental flaws that prevented all students from receiving the proper education they deserve. With our recent passage of HB 5001: An Act Concerning the Quality and Delivery of Special Education Services in Connecticut, we are taking important steps to reform this system.

I was honored to stand with our non-profit community this week in a crucial rally at the Capitol. This 2,500-person turnout demanding more funding now, sent a message of crisis and, importantly, solidarity among the all community nonprofit sector to the legislature as we finalize a two year budget.

Health care is not only a necessity, it's an essential human right, and so critical now when federal budget negotiations threaten to end healthcare access for millions of our residents. Several of my colleagues and I have been fighting for years to increase Husky insurance coverage (Medicaid) for all eligible young people, regardless of documentation status. On Tuesday I spoke at a news briefing at the Capitol with members of the group Husky4Immigrants, as well as health care providers, social workers and advocates.

I joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysciewicz, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, and Reps. Eleni Kavros DeGraw and Kate Farrar, among others on the Bipartisan Women's Caucus, for LiveGirl Day at the Capitol on Tuesday.