Workers' Rights Bill Signed and Celebrating America's 250th

May 15, 2026

I hope this email finds you and your family well. I am pleased to share some exciting news for the City of Bristol, we have been awarded a grant to support important public safety improvements in our community.

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

  • Bristol awarded Community Connectivity Grant
  • Workers' Rights Bill Signed
  • Celebrate America's 250th
  • Community Events

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at any time.

I am pictured with Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, CTDOT Deputy Commissioner Laoise King, and Rep. Joe Hoxha (L-R).

I was proud to join in announcing important public safety improvements for the City of Bristol.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has awarded Bristol a $569,106 Community Connectivity Grant for sidewalk improvements along Emmett Street. This project will repair and construct approximately 1,500 feet of sidewalk while adding safety enhancements, including ADA-compliant curb ramps and safer intersections for pedestrians and drivers alike.

This funding will help strengthen local safety initiatives and enhance the resources needed to better protect residents, families, and visitors throughout the city. Investments like these are essential to ensuring that Bristol remains a safe, welcoming, and thriving place to live, work, and raise a family.

Investments like these help create safer, more accessible, and more connected community for everyone.

I am happy to announce that Public Act 26-12 has officially been signed into law, delivering stronger workplace protections and advancing workers’ rights for employees throughout Connecticut.

The law includes major provisions addressing wage theft in the building trades, job protections for service workers, compensation for workers assaulted on the job, including nurses and teachers, expanded protections for breastfeeding employees, and stronger pay transparency requirements for job postings.

Highlights include:

  • Enhanced workers’ compensation benefits for teachers and health care workers injured through workplace assaults
  • Joint liability for general contractors when subcontractors fail to pay workers
  • Job retention protections for service workers when contracts change hands
  • A fairer teacher termination process with impartial hearings
  • Required break time for breastfeeding or pumping at work
  • Expanded pay transparency requiring wage ranges and general benefits information in job postings

This legislation is an important step toward protecting workers’ dignity, safety, fairness, and economic security across our state.

Celebrations for CT250 are underway, Connecticut’s statewide initiative to commemorate, celebrate, and reflect on the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The program highlights Connecticut’s pivotal role in our nation’s founding and honors the state’s lasting contributions to the American story. Through community events, educational programs, cultural activities, and historical commemorations, CT250 invites residents of all ages to engage with our shared history and envision the future together.

Click here for a full calendar of CT250 events across the state.



Click here to register for the Foundations of Early Childhood Education or Entrepreneurship 101 classes.
 

The Bristol Bazaar is home to over 75 local makers, unique gifts, creative workshops, and Yellow King Bristol.

Shop small, support local and explore thousands of handmade treasures in our one-of-a-kind indoor market space. Open 6 days a week (67 Race Street), click here for more information.