Norwalk Day Recap

May 4, 2026

Dear Neighbor,

Last Tuesday was Norwalk Day at the Capitol. It was wonderful to see so many Norwalk based organizations showing off what makes our city great.

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The end of session is right around the corner. As we quickly approach Sine Die, I wanted to take a moment and highlight a couple of important bills:

After several recent tragedies involving children in Connecticut and growing calls for more accountability in our child welfare system, House Democrats are taking action in the 2026 legislative session.

The House passed HB 5004, which will:

Prioritize placing children with family members and responsible adults who are already in their lives.
Make sure there is follow-up with sister agencies when DCF-involved children travel out of state.
Support caregivers and children with funding for after-school programs, childcare, and incidentals.
Uplift our child welfare workforce through improved training, stipends for mentors and mentees, and personal emergency communication devices.
Require additional eyes on children who are the subject of multiple reports of abuse or neglect, and those residing with someone on parole or probation after incarceration for serious crimes against children.
Provide robust real-time data for policymakers and the public on DCF performance through a user-friendly dashboard.
Establish a new committee to gather legislators, state agencies, experts, and stakeholders to review our child welfare policies and performance and make recommendations for improvements.

This significant legislation reflects a bipartisan effort to reform the Department of Children and Families with policies and procedures that put children first, and a commitment to continued attention to this important issue.

House Bill 5323: An Act Concerning Various Revisions to the Education Statutes, is a comprehensive omnibus measure that proposes updates to how schools address student health, nutrition, safety, and administrative support programs. Key provisions include:

Create an incentive program: Help districts reduce time spent on broad assessments, expand use of formative tools, and strengthen teacher practices, with rewards such as recognition, funding, and flexibility. As well as providing guidance to help districts cut back on excessive testing and shift toward more targeted, instructional assessments.
Redesign high school math pathways: Helps to better align with postsecondary and workforce needs, establish guidance on the role of math specialists, and support improved instruction through professional development resources and a potential statewide training initiative.
Strengthen safeguards in the hiring process for school personnel: Requires applicants to disclose whether they are currently the subject of a pending investigation related to abuse or misconduct.
Armed School Security: Expands eligibility for armed school security personnel to include retired parole officers who meet established training standards and are in good standing.
Therapeutic Arts Grants: Directs the State Department of Education to create a grant program supporting therapeutic arts initiatives, prioritizing districts with higher rates of suspensions and limited access to behavioral health resources.
Athletic Eligibility: Prohibits local school districts from imposing academic eligibility requirements for interscholastic athletics that exceed those set by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), ensuring greater consistency statewide.

Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen student well-being, promote equitable access to resources, and provide clearer, more consistent policies across school districts.

Cellphones have become a major part of the lives of adults and children. While these devices can be useful at times, they have also proven to be addicting, distracting, and are robbing our children of important opportunities to create connections and develop relationships, particularly at school.

This week, the House took action to remove these harmful devices from our schools. HB 5035 implements a bell-to-bell ban on students' cellphones during the school day. This policy will allow our children to further connect with their peers and educators, strengthen their attention spans, and enhance their learning ability.

While this bill does not fully remove technology as a distraction, it is a great step in the right direction to give our students the best school experience possible.

Click here for a complete list bills that have passed this session.

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will perform surveying operations on Route 7/Main Ave in Norwalk/Wilton, Between Valley View Road and Kent Road over the weekend from 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The project consists of improvements along Route 7 in Norwalk and Wilton to improve mobility and reduce congestion-related crashes; includes new turn lanes, traffic signal revisions, sidewalk installation, and transit/ADA improvements. The project is scheduled to be completed by Sunday.

Click here to learn more.

Additionally, wrong way driver detection, preventative maintenance and recertification will be performed on I-91, Route 15, Route 8, and Route 7 in Southern Connecticut, including Norwalk.

On Monday, May 4, the following exits in Norwalk will be impacted from 7:00 PM - 5:00 AM:

Route 7 Northbound at Exit 2 in Norwalk
Route 7 Northbound at Grist Mill Rd in Norwalk
Route 15 Northbound at Exit 17 B in Norwalk
Route 15 Northbound at Exit 17 C in Norwalk

Click here for more information.

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Attention Norwalk residents - a portion of East Avenue will be closed starting tonight at 8 PM through Monday at 6 AM. Please see the graphic below for detour options.

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The inaugural Black Wall Street Festival in Norwalk will be held on Saturday, May 30th from 12 PM - 5 PM on the Norwalk Green.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Eva Beau at blackwallstreetnorwalk@gmail.com.

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The Connecticut Judicial Branch is warning residents about two text message scams aimed at stealing your money and personal information. One falsely claims you have an unpaid traffic citation and must pay immediately. The other alleges that you missed jury duty and owe a penalty. Both are bogus.

The Judicial Branch does not send texts or make calls demanding payment for motor vehicle violations. It does not threaten arrest of missed jury service by text, and it does not use a judge’s name to pressure individuals into paying money.

If you receive one of these messages: