Jennifer Leeper

I want to start off by sharing some great, and long-awaited, news for our community: Fairfield has been granted a four-year moratorium from the state's 8-30g affordable housing law!

In this week's eblast, I want to give a difficult but critically important update on how federal funding cuts are directly impacting Connecticut. It's easy to tune out the news, but these cuts will end up impacting all of us, particularly with the widespread, nonsensical tariffs announced yesterday, which essentially serve as an increased tax on virtually all products we buy.

Before I go into how our state will be impacted, I want to be clear: this information is not meant to discourage you; it is meant to motivate you. This administration is moving at a breakneck pace, trying to stifle any meaningful opposition. But we cannot let them win.

This weekend, there will be protests across the state and the entire country, including in our neighboring Westport, as part of the "Hands Off" movement against these federal cuts. If you can attend, please do so - we can't do this without you.

This week I had the pleasure of joining my colleagues State Reps. MJ Shannon and Kathy Kennedy for a tour of Milestones Behavioral Services, which provides a specialized approach to individuals with autism.

It was a wonderful tour, and I thank Milestones for spending the morning with us, showing us around their program and explaining how they serve our students with the most acute needs. It was powerful to see everything they do to help individuals reach their full potential.

Tuesday's Medicaid rally at the Capitol was part of a nationwide day of action by members of Congress that brought together state and federal leaders, healthcare workers, advocates, and Medicaid recipients. The rally aimed to warn of the consequences should Congress approve drastic reductions to Medicaid funding.

It was so much fun to be joined by some local Fairfield Girl Scouts on Tuesday for Girl Scouts Day at the Capitol! Fairfield was well represented with more Girl Scouts than any other town!

I was a longtime Girl Scout myself, and I was proud to be made an honorary member. These young women are our future leaders and days like these where I get to be around them are so fulfilling and joyful.

This week I was proud to speak in support of our public schools with teachers from the Connecticut Education Association.

When we are stripping away what is estimated to be just shy of a half-billion dollars from our schools, or even eliminating the Department of Education completely, every child in every school is impacted.

As Chair of the Education Committee, we are prioritizing getting every dollar we can into our education cost sharing formula because we know that's how we manage class sizes, caseloads, and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality public education.

This week on the House floor, we passed legislation to require one administrator in each school to be the point person should Immigration and Customs Enforcement come to a school looking for a child and to implement the corresponding State Department of Education guidance.

The role of the designated administrator is not to enforce nor impede immigration law but to ensure that the SDE-established school security protocols are followed. The guidance includes having the administrator verify the identification of the agent, review any legal documents presented, and consult with legal counsel if necessary.

Per the U.S. Supreme Court decision 40 years ago, every child has a right to a public education regardless of immigration status. This bill is about maintaining a safe environment for students and staff while complying with any legal obligations.

This week, the Education Committee held its first public hearing. We spent nine hours listening to our commissioners and the public weigh in on various bills.