Corey P. Paris

I am pleased to announce that I have been selected by Connecticut Voices for Children's as this year's First for Kids honoree! CT Voices is a research-based advocacy organization dedicated to improving the financial wellbeing of Connecticut children and families, particularly those that have been historically disadvantaged.

Members of the Stamford Legislative Delegation, which includes state Senators Pat Billie Miller, state Representatives Corey P. Paris, Dan Fox, David Michel, Hubert Delany, and Matt Blumenthal, and Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons highlighted state funding for Stamford high schools in the recently passed state budget. The state budget, House Bill 5506, was signed into law on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D - Norwalk) announced that all schools in Stamford will be reimbursed 60% of each new school project over the next 25 years. 

Connecticut families continue to be impacted by historic inflation, affecting nearly every aspect of daily life. My colleagues and I remain committed to finding ways to put money back into your pockets. That's why my main goal this year is cutting taxes for Connecticut families.

The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and must be fair and accessible to all. As states across the U.S. seek to limit access to the ballot box, Connecticut is taking steps in the opposite direction. On Thursday, I was proud to stand alongside my legislative colleagues and advocates to call for passage of the Connecticut Voting Rights Act.

As legislators on either end of the age spectrum, we’ve seen the yin and yang of college debt. The experience of today’s recent graduates — including millennials and members of Gen Z, is dramatically different from that of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. The rising rate of inflation in education costs is preventing too many recent grads from getting an economic toehold. In comparison, earlier generations, once they got a steady job post-graduation, paid off the cost of college relatively easily.

State Representatives Corey P. Paris (D – Stamford), Gary Turco (D – Newington), Christine Palm (D – Chester, Deep River, Essex, Haddam), Eleni Kavros DeGraw (D – Avon, Canton), and Manny Sanchez (D – New Britain, Newington) held a press conference Tuesday announcing legislation to help address Connecticut's student loan debt crisis. The press conference coincides with the Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee's public hearing on the proposed bill.

Did you know that from 2007 to 2020, student loan debt ballooned by 144% in the United States? In Connecticut, there are nearly 500,000 borrowers who have about $17.5 billion in student loan debt. The average borrower in the Class of 2020 graduated with an average of $35,853 in student debt. The cost burden of student debt can impact borrowers' ability to build wealth, contribute to their families, and engage with their community.

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters recently released its legislative scorecard for votes on key environmental bills during the 2021 legislative session. Rep. Paris received a 100 percent for his votes on these major issues.