Steven Stafstrom

Today is a great day for Connecticut. After many hours of debate over the Paid Family Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) legislation, my colleagues and I were able to pass the bill, which the Senate had already approved. The bill now goes to the governor for his expected signature next month.

In 2013 legislators approved the Trust Act, setting conditions for state and local law enforcement authorities for voluntarily cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials seeking to detain and deport undocumented immigrants. Since then we've discovered loopholes and other problems in the law and this year passed a bill striking an important balance.

One of Rep. Steven Stafstrom's highest priorities was to write sensible, gun-safety legislation to help the people of Bridgeport and other communities feel safer when they step outside of their homes. Stafstrom authored three bills. The House and Senate have passed all three by strong, bipartisan votes.

Rep. Steve Stafstrom, the co-chair of the Judiciary Committee who wrote and introduced House Bill 7219, banning 3D-printed firearms also known as Ghost Guns, applauded the Senate for passing the legislation Thursday and sending it to Governor Ned Lamont for his expected signature.

Hourly minimum-pay employees are moving closer to a living wage. The House has approved House Bill 5004 to increase the minimum wage incrementally to $15 in 2023. The last time the minimum was increased was in 2017. No one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.

Led by Rep. Steven Stafstrom, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, the House of Representatives has approved bipartisan legislation he introduced to reduce gun violence in Connecticut. Representative Stafstrom wrote the bills making up the legislation and led the lawmakers in a debate of the bills before they were approved by a bipartisan vote and sent to the Senate for final passage.

We have heard from constituents, experts, Republicans and Democrats – everyone agrees that our entire transportation infrastructure needs significant investment in order to grow our economy.

The $115 million financing for the construction of a new Bassick High School remains on track. I’m very happy to report that today my colleagues and I on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee unanimously voted to approve legislation authorizing $90.8 million in state bond funding – about 80 percent of the total project cost.