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Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of May 30.
Click the image below to view my video on this week’s events. |
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| The countdown begins: 5 days to wrap up the 2025 session. Still time to get important work done. |
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| In addition to the great pieces of legislation that we've passed, three towns in our district will receive state funding. I will provide details below. |
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| I brought a little beauty from the northwest Corner to brighten the long hours in session this week. |
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| Finally, I was honored to meet with North Canaan Elementary School students during their visit to the Capitol last Friday. Thanks for visiting! |
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Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- Session Wrap Up. Click here.
- STEAP Funding for the 64th District. Click here.
- Upcoming Session Days. Click here.
- Northwest Corner Events. Click here.
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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.
This bill, which passed 148-0 in the House on a bipartisan basis, makes historic investments for students in special education, delivers better access to services, and provides cost controls and greater transparency.
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Historic investment in our students, including $30 million for the Special Education Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program, which will help build capacity to serve students closer to home.
- Prioritizing better access to services through enhanced development screenings, behavioral assessment and intervention plans, access to remedial classes in higher education, and involvement of parents and local school districts before a student is moved from their school.
- Reining in costs by regulating third party rate processes and developing new billing and licensing standards.
- Increasing oversight through on-site compliance visits and detailed system-wide reporting to reduce unpredictability and improve accountability.
Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to provide them a proper education. In a state that has one of the best K-12 public school systems in the country, HB 5001 makes sure our special education program maintains that same level of quality.
The bill must now pass the Senate and be signed into law by the governor.
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| We also passed SB 1284, which will authorize steep fines, vehicle seizures, and automatic license suspensions. This legislation targets both participants and organizers, aiming to curb dangerous road behavior with tougher enforcement and penalties. |
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Amid one of the most constrained housing markets in the nation, families across our communities are finding it harder than ever to secure homes. Rents are rising, available housing is scarce, and outdated policies are standing in the way of new construction. This housing crisis impacts every facet of life — limiting economic opportunity, straining our education and healthcare systems, and affecting public safety.
House Democrats led passage of legislation that aims to tackle these challenges head-on by increasing housing supply, streamlining regulations, protecting vulnerable residents, and empowering local communities with the tools they need to create lasting solutions. |
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Amid unprecedented federal immigration crackdowns - even targeting properly documented immigrants - and the denial of due process and Habeas Corpus, we are standing by our Connecticut values, and protecting our friends and neighbors.
Connecticut has one of the strongest TRUST Act’s in the country - it was approved unanimously in 2013 - and we added to it on Wednesday:
➡️ Make sure that officials like juvenile probation officers, and employees of the Division of Criminal Justice and the Board of Pardons and Paroles are included in existing TRUST Act protections.
➡️ The TRUST Act allows cooperation with federal immigration authorities when someone has been convicted of serious crimes.
➡️ Added a slew of Class C and Class D felonies including those related to domestic violence, sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material to the list of post-conviction offenses where law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. |
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Last week, the House passed legislation that will foster a more inclusive and responsive system that better meets the needs of individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.
- Tracks delays & gaps in critical services
- Requires public reporting on abuse & neglect cases
- Reviews DDS investigation policies every 5 years
- Launches statewide autism needs assessment
- Studies future of Southbury Training School
- Proposes urgent help for complex autism cases
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| Finally, we passed a reform to stop the weaponization of our legal system by using defamation lawsuits to silence victims. Communications that detail sexual discrimination, harassment or assault will now be kept confidential in civil court. |
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| Click here to find the full list of bills passed. |
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Canaan, Salisbury, and Sharon are set to receive state funding from the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP). STEAP allocated $30 million in state grants to 46 small towns in Connecticut that will be used to complete various infrastructure improvements, including road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, and more. Our district received the following
- Canaan: $620,051 in state funding is approved for critical municipal infrastructure. This will be matched by $155,014 from the town.
- Salisbury: $328,000 in state funding is approved for Salisbury Recreational improvements. This will be matched by $82,000 from the town.
- Sharon: $1 million in state funding is approved for River Road pavement and embankment stabilization. This will be matched by $700,000 from the town.
Click here to learn more.
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Coming up at the Capitol! The House will be back in session next week. Stay tuned for key updates, votes, and what’s on the legislative agenda.
Here are some great ways to stay informed:
- The Connecticut Network (CT-N) provides live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative sessions. You can watch sessions live on Roku, YouTube or their website: https://www.ct-n.com.
- Connecticut General Assembly's official website offers a Schedule of Events: cga.ct.gov/calendarofevents.asp.
- Follow Connecticut House Democrats on social media for legislative updates and policy priorities.
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The Congregational Church of Salisbury will present its monthly First Friday Music in the Meeting House on Friday, June 6 at 12:00p.m. at 30 Main Street, Salisbury. The Meeting House will open at 11:45 a.m.
For this month’s program, David Baranowski has assembled a group of singers to perform The Peaceable Kingdom by American composer Randall Thompson.
Free to the public, this musical gift provides a time of reflection surrounded by inspiring, soul-nourishing classical repertory. |
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Upcoming Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy Events
Click the corresponding graphic below for more information. |
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| Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Day |
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| The 30th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival will be held on July 25-27 at the Thomas Perakos Performing Arts Center in Washington, Connecticut. Click here to purchase tickets. |
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It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend. |
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Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative |
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