Robin Comey

I hope this message finds you and your family well. As August begins, I hope you're enjoying the final weeks of summer and finding time to relax with family and friends before the busy back-to-school season.

There is plenty to get to in the email below, so make sure to keep scrolling for more on:

• Around Town
• August Primary Elections
• Minimum Wage to Increase in 2027
• Women-Owned Business Grant Opportunities
• Manufacturing Job Opportunities
• Elder Justice Hotline
• Community Events

During National Health Center Week, I had the opportunity to visit Norwalk Community Health Center and Branford-based Read to Grow  to see firsthand the impact of the "Read to Your Belly" prenatal early literacy and parent engagement program.

I was proud to help lead efforts to expand this early literacy program with state funding. It is incredibly rewarding to see it continuing to support expectant parents and growing families in our community. Encouraging parents to read to their children, even before they are born, helps build the foundation for healthy brain development, early language skills, and a lifelong love of reading.

Thank you to Read to Grow, the Norwalk Community Health Center, and everyone involved in making this program such a meaningful resource for families. Your commitment to promoting early literacy is making a lasting difference in the lives of children across our community.

Last weekend Senator Christine Cohen and I  attended a Teej Mela event here in Branford hosted by the incredible Nepali community. Teej is a traditional celebration that honors womanhood and sisterhood providing a space for community, bonding, and self-expression. It’s a rare opportunity in the Nepali culture where women take center stage in public and cultural life. It was also great to have Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro join in on the festivities and connect warmly with everyone. 

Early voting for the First District is at Joe Trapasso Community House.

Primary elections will take place on Tuesday, August 11, in municipalities where more than one candidate from the same political party has qualified for a particular office.

The primary will be preceded by seven days of early voting, through August 9. Early voting hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on August 7, 8, and 9, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on August 6.

**Please note that Branford only has a Democratic Gubernatorial Primary as there are no Republican primaries in this area.

In Connecticut, only registered members of a political party may vote in that party's primary. 

Connecticut has a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters who wish to vote in a primary must enroll in a political party by 12:00 p.m. on the day before the primary (August 10), provided they have been unaffiliated for at least three months.

Updating your party affiliation is one of the many changes voters can conveniently do online at https://ow.ly/Vmcn50Z38Qr.
 

For additional election information and resources, click here to visit the Secretary of the State's election webpage.

If you plan to vote by absentee ballot, you no longer need to provide a specific reason to request one for any primary or election.

Click here to access the absentee ballot request portal.

Here’s a great rundown from CT Mirror on who is running and where! 

https://ctmirror.org/2026/07/27/ct-primary-election-2026-voter-guide/

Connecticut's minimum wage will increase to $17.48 per hour on January 1, 2027, up from $16.94 per hour.

The increase is required under a 2019 state law that provides for annual adjustments to the minimum wage based on economic indicators from the previous fiscal year. By tying the minimum wage to changes in the economy, the law helps ensure that wages keep pace with the rising cost of living and changing economic conditions. 

The Women's Business Development Council (WBDC) Ignite Grant offers up to $10,000 to women-owned businesses in Connecticut for a clearly-defined project that will have a measurable impact on the business, its growth, and profitability.

Since its launch in 2020, the program has provided grants of more than $4.8 million to 519 women-owned businesses in Connecticut. In the latest grant round, 50 Ignite grants totaling $476,787 were awarded.

The application period is open through September 13.

Click here to learn more about the Ignite Grant including dates and times of upcoming information sessions.

The WBDC Child Care Business Support Program, in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), offers grants of up to $25,000 to qualified child care providers across the state. These grants help licensed and aspiring home- and center-based child care businesses cover critical start-up costs, expand operations, and increase capacity to serve more families.

Since its inception in 2020, the program has provided over $9.4 million to child care providers across Connecticut. During the latest round, more than $600,000 in grants was distributed to 50 early childhood businesses.

Start-up grants can be up to $5,000 for family homes, $10,000 for group homes, and $25,000 for centers, while expansion grants of up to $25,000 can support growth goals that create additional slots and strengthen business sustainability.

The application period is open through August 31.

Click here to learn more about Child Care Opportunity Fund.

Information sessions for both grant programs are scheduled throughout the application periods. These sessions will help applicants understand the grant requirements and provide an opportunity for those interested to ask questions about the grants. Interested applicants can click here to register for a live information session.

Click here for more information on Skill Up for Manufacturing with Plastics and to apply.
 

The Elder Justice Hotline is a resource to help older adults in Connecticut seek information, assistance, and justice.

Click here for more information on the assistance provided or call 1-860-808-5555 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.