Robin Comey

I hope this email finds you and your family well. During a special session in November, we took decisive action by voting to establish a $500 million emergency response reserve fund to help address potential federal cuts to critical safety-net programs. This proactive investment is already making a real difference in communities across the state, supporting healthcare subsidies, preventing homelessness, and strengthening essential services for those who need them most. Keep reading to learn more about how these funds are being put to work and the impact they’re having.

There is also an important update to share, due to a system outage the Access Health CT Deadline has been extended to Saturday, December 20. Please continue reading for full details.

There is plenty to get to in the email below, so make sure to keep scrolling for more on:

• Around Town
• Branford Food Pantry Funding
• Early Childhood Education Public Hearing
• Access Health CT Deadline Extension
• Healthcare Funding
• Homelessness Prevention
• Medical Debt Erased
• No REAL ID Fee
• Skill Up for Manufacturing 2026
• Paying Down Pension Debt
• Community Events

The East Shore District Health Department (ESDHD) recently celebrated achieving National Public Health Accreditation, an extraordinary accomplishment resulting from a journey more than 10 years in the making. ESDHD serves as a cornerstone of our communities, and the towns of Branford, East Haven, and North Branford are fortunate to benefit from their unwavering commitment to excellence in public health.

I also had the honor of recognizing Barbara Naclerio upon her retirement after two decades of service with the East Shore District Health Department and presented her with a citation from the legislature. Her steadfast commitment as a champion of public health, along with her passion for health education and community wellness, has made her a trusted leader in our communities. Barbara’s legacy of excellence in public health will continue to benefit our community for years to come.

This week, my colleagues and I visited 211 Connecticut in Rocky Hill for a legislative tour. This trusted resource represents a 50-year partnership between the State of Connecticut and United Way of Connecticut, originally launched in 1976 as Infoline.

We had the opportunity to learn more about their statewide reach and to ask questions about this vital 24/7 hotline and online resource, which connects residents to essential services and benefits. The top three reasons residents contact 211 are for assistance with housing, mental health, and food insecurity.

Each month, I receive a summary of the number and types of calls coming into 211 from my district, and I have been closely monitoring the significant increase in constituents seeking support for mental health and addiction services. I am working with stakeholders to better understand these trends and the stories behind the numbers.

This work is made possible by a dedicated team of compassionate professionals who serve our communities every day. Thank you for all that you do.

I am excited to announce $100,000 in bonding allocation for our Branford Food Pantry, Inc. Along with State Senator Christine Cohen and State Representative Moira Rader we worked to identify the most pressing needs for this volunteer organization. Branford Food Pantry plays a vital role in supporting families and seniors in our town and this investment reflects the strength of our partnership between state government and local organizations serving our most vulnerable residents. When we work together, we can deliver real, meaningful support to those who need it most.

The funding will be used to replace aging infrastructure, including a conveyor belt that moves thousands of pounds of food into the Food Pantry each day, and to upgrade to commercial-grade flooring to ensure durability and compliance with health regulations.

The Branford Food Pantry provides critical support to Branford families in need, over 200 families receive groceries every week:

• More than 30% of Branford students qualify for free or reduced lunch programs
• 1 in 6 residents struggle with food insecurity
• 4,272 Branford households are struggling to make ends meet, 39% of all households
• Branford is also the home to as many as 3,852 Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) families with an additional 874 families living in poverty.

The first Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board Public Hearing took place last week. I was happy to speak in support of the Endowment’s mission of expanding access to childcare and pre-K, lowering the cost of care for families, and ensuring our early childhood educators receive the pay, respect, and benefits they deserve.

This hearing was only the beginning. We have a great deal of meaningful work ahead, and I’m inspired by the momentum we’re building together to strengthen early childhood education across Connecticut.

Due to a system outage that may have prevented many customers from enrolling in health and dental coverage by the December 15, 2025 deadline for coverage effective January 1, 2026, Access Health CT is extending the enrollment deadline. Customers now have until Saturday, December 20, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. to enroll in coverage beginning January 1, 2026,

To receive coverage effective January 1, 2026, enrollment must be completed by contacting the Access Health CT Call Center. Applications completed on the website will result in coverage beginning February 1, 2026.

Call: 1-855-805-4325 or TTY: 1-855-789-2428

• Monday–Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Customers should expect longer-than-normal hold times and are encouraged to call before 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20 to ensure enrollment is completed. Assistance is available in more than 100 languages.

If you work with a Certified Broker, please contact your broker for assistance enrolling by Saturday, December 20.

Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2026. You may continue to enroll online at AccessHealthCT.com, but coverage will begin February 1, 2026.

To date, Congress failed to extend federal Affordable Care Act subsidies. As a result, Governor Lamont announced that the state expects to spend roughly $70 million next year to make up for the loss. These funds will come from the state's emergency response reserve fund.

For individuals earning up to $56,000 a year, health care costs will remain unchanged. Likewise, a family of four with an annual income of up to approximately $128,000 will see little to no change in their costs. Partial subsidies are being considered for those with slightly higher incomes, up to $75,000 for single individuals and $160,000 or more for a family of four who would pay slightly more than they do now.

According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, one in every 1,000 state residents is experiencing homelessness. The federal government has suspended its primary homelessness prevention and support services grant program, exacerbating the issue.

In response, the state of Connecticut will consider using at least $5.2 million from the state's emergency response fund to offset the losses from the federal Continuum of Care program. The aim is to help those who do not have a home and prevent others from falling into the same situation.

Governor Lamont will submit his plan soon, and legislative leaders will have 24 hours to respond. 

Gov. Ned Lamont announced this week that an additional 40,000 Connecticut residents will have their medical debts erased, part of an initiative launched in partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to give relief to those struggling to pay medical bills.

This is the third round of the initiative, which has now eliminated $198 million for 160,000 Connecticut residents since Dec. 2024. The program's arrangement allows the debt to be forgiven at a fraction of its face value, typically costing a few pennies on the dollar.

Those affected by this program should receive a letter in the mail this week informing them of their debt forgiveness. There is no application process for this relief, and it cannot be requested.

Relieving tens of thousands of Connecticut residents from the stress of paying down burdensome medical debt will make a profound difference in their lives, especially during the holiday season.

Click here to read more about the program.

Starting February 1, 2026, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will begin charging a $45 fee for air travelers who arrive at airport security without a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification, such as a valid passport or trusted traveler card. Travelers will be charged this fee to use TSA's ConfirmID identification verification system. The verification is valid for a 10-day period, so it may cover a return trip within that window.

To avoid unnecessary costs and potential security delays, travelers without a Real ID are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment at their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible. Click here to make an appointment with the CT DMV.

If you are looking for a career in manufacturing, applications are now being accepted for Skill Up for Manufacturing 2026.

Learn fundamentals in as little as 5 weeks, connect with employers, and start earning competitive wages. The class offers free training, hands-on experience, and industry-recognized credentials.

Upcoming Sessions:

January 20 – March 13, 2026 | Middlesex/Vinal Technical H.S., Middletown

February 23 – March 27, 2026 | Gateway CC, New Haven

Click here for more information and to apply now. Take the first step toward a rewarding career in manufacturing!

Connecticut’s recent progress in funding retired teachers’ and state workers’ pension plans marks an important step toward meeting the state’s long-term obligations, and it matters to every resident.

Here is a breakdown of the numbers:

• State workers’ pension fund: up more than $2.3 billion in 2025 thanks to strong investments and additional contributions. The unfunded liability dropped from $19.2 billion to $17.6 billion, and the funded ratio climbed from 55.2% to 59.6%.

• Teachers’ pension fund: grew by more than $1.6 billion, with the funded ratio rising to 63.7%.

If those ratios still seem low, it helps to remember where we were. Back in 2018, the funded ratios were just 37% for state retirees and 52% for teachers. For decades, Connecticut under-funded its pension obligations, allowing a massive, compounding debt to build up. But since 2011, the state has stuck to responsible budgets, fully funding pension contributions each year and working with labor and management on needed reforms.

Connecticut is steadily putting its financial house back in order. And one major ripple effect of healthier pension funds is improved credit ratings, now Aa2, AA-, AA, and AA+ across the agencies which lowers the cost of borrowing by securing better interest rates.