The 2026 Legislative Session officially began on Wednesday, marking a critical period for advancing Connecticut’s priorities. Throughout the session, my colleagues and I will consider a broad range of policy matters impacting our communities, economy, and overall quality of life. With issues such as affordability, education, public safety, health care, and infrastructure before us, the decisions made at the Capitol will carry long-term consequences for residents statewide.
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There’s a lot ahead of us as we work to build a state where everyone can thrive and I'd like to hear from you! With so much chaos coming out of Washington, it’s more important than ever that Connecticut is prepared to respond here at home.
Click the image below to take my annual survey (if you haven't) and share your priorities. And if I can ever be of help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
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Last November, the legislature established an Emergency State Response Fund to address a range of devastating federal funding cuts to Connecticut. Most recently, Governor Ned Lamont submitted a supplemental plan to the bipartisan leaders of the Connecticut General Assembly to use funding from the recently created Emergency State Response Reserve in response to federal funding reductions and delays made by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to essential health and human services.
This supplemental plan totals $18.7 million and will be used for:
- Funding to expand the reach of community health workers, who will play a critical role in helping residents understand and navigate changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility under Public Law 119-21 (commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”). These workers will provide personalized assistance to help ensure individuals and families remain connected to the benefits they need through June 30, 2027, in the amount of $2,000,000.
- Funding to support system upgrades at the Department of Social Services, ensuring the state can successfully implement the eligibility changes required by Public Law 119-21 in the amount of $11,400,000 for the state share of these costs.
- Replace funding for mental health counselors provided by EdAdvance to schools in the Northwest region of Connecticut through June 30, 2027, in the amount of $830,000.
- Replace funding for Community School grants for Clifford Beers in New Haven, Waterbury Bridges to Success, and Hartford Public Schools which provide critical wraparound services, including healthcare and childcare, to children and families in these communities through June 30, 2027, in the amount of $4,513,000.
Yesterday, during a second day of legislative session, I voted yes in the House to pass an Emergency Certification (e-Cert) bill for the Emergency State Response Fund to continue functioning through the end of the 2027 fiscal year. These funds will allow Connecticut to quickly respond to millions of dollars in ongoing federal funding cuts of essential services as the uncertainty of Washington continues.
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Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Newington and West Hartford Town Halls. The conversations were thoughtful, engaging, and incredibly meaningful, and they provided a valuable opportunity to connect directly with you. Hearing firsthand about your concerns, priorities, and ideas helped deepen our understanding of the issues that matter most to our communities. I’m grateful for your time, your candor, and your continued engagement.
Newington Town Hall
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With session in full swing, this week I also joined the Manufacturing Caucus for an informational forum yesterday discussing the state's current strategy on manufacturing. Since the 20th District has so many small manufacturers, I will continue to look for ways to support this sector of our economy, its current skilled workers and future workforce needs.
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Also yesterday, I participated in the Office of the Treasurer's briefing to hear an overview of the current state of Connecticut’s financial position.
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He also discussed the Unclaimed Property Fund managed by his office. Be sure to check whether you have any unclaimed money by visiting the link here.
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| STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES |
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The Office of the Student Loan Ombudsperson is partnering with the Student Debt Crisis Center to host a free 5-part webinar series on key federal student loan changes. The series began on February 4 and will run until April.
These informative webinars will provide repayment options, public service loan forgiveness, and more. Please see below for more details on the remaining 4 webinars.
For more information, email dob.studentloanombuds@ct.gov or call 860-240-8122.
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February is Heart Awareness Month. Heart disease is often preventable, but remains the top killer in the U.S.
Here are some simple ways to promote heart health:
• Get CPR Certified
• Exercise Regularly & Manage your Stress
• Keep Track of your cholesterol
• Know your numbers! Learn how to self-measure your own blood pressure
Last year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1, which included language requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of coronary calcium scans.
The coronary calcium scans looks for calcium deposits in the heart’s arteries. The results can help determine the risk of heart attacks or strokes in patients, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The scan costs about $200 if you pay out of pocket, doctors don’t usually mention the scan because, up until last year, insurers didn’t cover it.
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Access Health CT will offer a Special Enrollment Period for eligible customers to enroll in health coverage with the new state subsidy. The Special Enrollment Period end date is to be determined.
The Special Enrollment Period is separate from the Open Enrollment Period which ended January 31.
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Customers who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include:
- Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
- Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% FPL. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
Eligible customers who have already enrolled or plan to enroll in a 2026 health plan will see a credit applied to their carrier bill.
It’s important to note that while customers will not see the state subsidy amount in AHCT’s online system until all updates have been made in the coming weeks, all eligible customers will soon receive a notice in the mail from AHCT with the amount of their state subsidy.
Insurance companies will send consumers updated premium bills with the credit for the state subsidy amount. This manual process will begin soon, in advance of the system updates to be implemented in the coming weeks.
Free help to sign up is available online, in person, and over the phone.
Customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com and click the “Get Help” button on the homepage to find the option that works best for them—including scheduling an appointment, finding a nearby Navigator site or working with a Certified Broker in their area.
AHCT has expanded its Navigator program to include six locations around the state and introduced a new Mobile Enrollment Team that supports community events and assists with in-person enrollment, available in English and Spanish.
To get help over the phone, customers can call 1-855-805-4325 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Help is available in over 100 languages.
Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.
For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat live with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
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