Kaitlyn Shake

I am thrilled to share that Stratford will be receiving an additional $1,618,526 in state funding to help close critical gaps in school budgets and town finances through the 2027 state budget.

This funding includes:

• $1,212,175 in additional education funding
• $406,351 in additional town aid

Stratford’s portion of the state budget is $44.8 million, which includes PILOT funds, Motor Vehicle Tax Payments, Supplemental Revenue Sharing Grants, Town Aid Road, Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP), Municipal Grants in Aid, Education Cost Sharing, Adult Education, Special Education and Expansion Development (SEED) Grant, as well as the supplemental funding for education and town aid.

This increase in state funding is a direct response to supporting the Stratford community in the areas they need it most, from additional town aid to critical education funding. I am grateful for the continued support from Speaker Ritter and House Democrat Leadership to help residents through property tax relief and increased aid. This will make a real, meaningful difference in the lives of our residents.

After months of negotiation, House Democrats shepherded passage of a bipartisan budget demonstrating that compromise remains the most effective way to govern.
 
Together, we produced a 2027 budget that significantly boosts support for the state’s education system, increases crucial investments in housing and transportation, supports town and city budgets, and more—all while safeguarding the state's strong fiscal outlook, including $1 billion toward paying down long-term debt.
 
This budget includes:
 
Over $300 million relief package for cities, towns, and schools

• $190 million in direct support for schools
• $100 million to offset local property tax increases
• $12 million to establish universal free school breakfast programs across the state
• Expanded grants for successful special education programs
• Numerous grants to towns to address the rising costs associated with construction and purchasing
• $4 million to help communities where three hospitals abruptly came off the tax rolls

A historic agreement with our hospitals

• Providing them with much-needed tax relief
• Maximizing federal funding for health care
• Setting up a system to address rising costs

Making Connecticut more affordable for working families

• Expanding sales tax-free week to include clothing, shoes, and backpacks under $300 (from $100)
• Making basic school supplies tax-free, including backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, rulers, and paper
• Creating a family caregiver tax credit for residents caring for a loved one for individuals who make less than $50,000, or couples who make under $100,000, to learn more read CTPublic here

Investing in Connecticut businesses and job growth

• Helping small businesses offer health care support by providing a tax credit when they contribute toward employees’ individual health insurance coverage.
• Supporting small businesses and biotech companies through a new research and development tax credit to help them grow and create jobs in our state

Taking Aim at Property Taxes

• $162M new Education Equalization Grant to address underfunding in our current school funding formula
  • Additional 2% for the towns that have seen recent population decreases
• $100M in new funding to cities and towns

Connecticut residents made a call for help in many areas. Connecticut lawmakers heard it and answered in a strong, bipartisan way.

Since 2025, masked federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents – many inadequately trained -- have waged a campaign of fear and intimidation with a reckless disregard for the constitutional rights of the people they encounter.
 
Parents are afraid of bringing children to medical appointments or sending them to school, court dates are skipped for fear of being detained, and congregants are afraid of going to their places of worship.
 
We as a state have an obligation to address the unprecedented breakdown in federal accountability and attacks on the rule of law. Senate Bill 397 represents a measured and lawful response to these concerns. The legislation seeks to strengthen accountability by requiring clear identification from federal agents, restricting enforcement actions in sensitive locations, and creating a pathway for individuals to seek recourse when their constitutional rights are violated. 

Specifically, Senate Bill 397 does the following:

• Enables any person the right to sue federal actors who violate their constitutional rights.
• Ensures the Inspector General has clear, unrestricted authority to investigate the unauthorized use of force by state, local, and certain federal agents when force results in death.
• Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves when conducting operations.
• Builds on the framework established in 2025, designating protected areas – hospitals, schools, courthouses, places of worship – that will be shielded from civil immigration arrests unless a law enforcement officer presents a signed judicial warrant.
• Establishes a floor of at least 480 hours of training for law enforcement officers in Connecticut.
• Regulates automated license plate reader technologies, permitting an active hot list, but capping retention of data to 21 days absent an ongoing criminal investigation.

This legislation is not born out of partisan preference. It’s a measured response to protect the people of Connecticut. No one is above the law, and the protection of constitutional rights is not solely within the federal government’s purview.

I was a proud cosponsor of this legislation and am thrilled to see these much needed protections become law. Both the House and Senate passed S.B. 397, and this Monday, it was signed into law by Governor Lamont. 

Connecticut has strived to be a leader in renewable energy, and this approach ensures we keep moving forward while prioritizing affordability. This session, I was a proud cosponsor of HB 5340, An Act Concerning Renewable Power Generation. This bill modernizes Connecticut’s renewable energy programs by introducing measures meant to make them more reliable, consistent, and flexible to economic fluctuations.

HB 5340 will:

• Create clear annual megawatt and budget targets so renewable energy programs remain financially sustainable, and ratepayer impacts stay predictable and focus on investments that result in savings for ratepayers holistically.
• Give state regulators the flexibility to adjust programs year-to-year to remain within overall budget limits instead of being tied to rigid annual caps that may not reflect market conditions.
• Create dedicated solar rates for low-income residents, residents in distressed municipalities, and affordable multifamily housing residents
• Encourage municipalities to adopt an existing streamlined solar permitting platform (Solar APP +) to help simplify and speed up the permitting process.

As electricity demand grows, we must ensure that our energy programs are cost-effective and efficient.  

Senate Bill 4: An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

This bill makes it easier to exercise your right to delete your data from data brokers and people-tracking websites and prevents predatory surveillance pricing. As technology evolves, our laws must evolve with it. Senate Bill 4 takes critical action to strengthen privacy protections, promote transparency, and ensure Connecticut consumers are treated fairly.

Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:

• Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
• Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
• Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
• Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services and create more transparency in their policies.
• Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials. 

SB 4 was an AI Caucus priority, and I was a proud cosponsor this session. 

The House and Senate passed legislation to make sure our 2026 elections are free and fair.

In 2024, voters overwhelmingly approved the expanded use of absentee ballots, HB 5001 will modernize our absentee ballot system by:

• Replacing the second envelope with a more reliable barcode system
• Setting up a system to check the status of your absentee ballot online
• Allowing more people who request a ballot to be automatically sent one for each election
• Expanding where town-supervised voting by absentee ballot takes place (currently it is only in nursing homes and hospice)
• Letting anyone who will be 18 by Election Day vote early or by absentee ballot

People’s right to vote is under constant attack around the country, but here in Connecticut, we’re making sure elections remain free and fair which is why I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill.

HB 5001 now moves to the Governor's Desk to be signed into law.