Christine Conley

A number of new laws that my colleagues and I worked on during the 2023 legislative session to implement meaningful change in our state will take effect in Connecticut on July 1.

I was thrilled to see the allocation of nearly $500,000 to the Lyman Allyn Art Museum as part of a $7 million state grant for upgrades and improvements at 34 cultural and historical sites in Connecticut.

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in our country. This important holiday was unknown to many for several years, but thanks to the tireless work of advocates, it is now rightfully recognized throughout the country.

I was thrilled to see New London will receive the full reimbursement of $4 million for abatement and demolition work on a renovation project at New London High School.

The funds were initially not covered by the state, but with the passage of HB 6942, the project is eligible for reimbursement of previously ineligible costs.

I applaud the budget’s allocation of $400,000 to the Thames River water taxi cruise, with $200,000 allocated in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

The water taxi cruise is a one-hour hop-on hop-off harbor cruise that connects the towns of Groton and New London.

After months of negotiations, the House of Representatives delivered a state budget that includes the largest income tax cut in the state’s history and significant increases in funding for local schools, also known as Education Cost Sharing funds.

This balanced, bipartisan budget maintains our commitment to promoting fiscal responsibility and stability to continue strengthening our economy, while delivering on key investments to support children, families and seniors.

Today, we received a very welcome update on the construction project at West Side Elementary School: The Department of Administrative Service's reimbursement of the project has been increased by 10 percentage points, from 47.5% to 57.5%.

We are delivering on key legislative priorities this session by addressing specific concerns affecting our Intellectually, Developmentally Disabled (IDD) population, which has been lacking adequate funding and services for far too long.