Robin Comey

This week has wielded some long days of debates on the floor of the House.  As we head into the last few days of this years legislative session and wrap things up we are still aiming to advance important legislation.  Keep scrolling to read more about important legislation that passed the House.

There is a lot in this week’s update, and I hope you will take the time to read about it! 

• Grant Funding Awarded
• Mock Trial Competition
• Transforming Special Education
• Housing Bill
• Towing Bill
• CT Tourism
• Community Events

On Wednesday Governor Lamont announced that he is releasing $30 million in state grants to 46 small towns in Connecticut that will be used to complete a wide variety of infrastructure improvements, such as road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, educational and recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects.

Branford is receiving $1 million dollars in state funding for Town Center sidewalk improvements. This will be matched by $200,000 from the town.

The grants are being provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), a state program that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects.

On Tuesday I visited East Shoreline Catholic Academy (ESCA) to award citations to ESCA’s award-winning mock trial team for winning the 2024-20025 CBA Middle School Mock Trial Competition for the State of Connecticut at the Appellate Court that took place in Hartford on April 29th. 

There are many benefits from a mock trial program:

• it helps students gain analytical skills by evaluating cases and facts
• students learn to build effective arguments and how to respond to questions quickly and articulately
• it's a team sport and each team member has an essential role: either lawyer or witness
• it's a fun way to learn about civics i.e., the trial process, the roles of those in the courtroom and their importance to the administration of justice, and the significance of their constitutional protections.

Congratulations to all that took part in the competition!

For too long, Connecticut's special education model has faced fundamental flaws that prevented all students from receiving the proper education they deserve. With our recent passage of HB 5001: An Act Concerning the Quality and Delivery of Special Education Services in Connecticut, we are taking important steps to reform this system.

This bill, which passed 148-0 in the House on a bipartisan basis, makes historic investments for students in special education, delivers better access to services, and provides cost controls and greater transparency.

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Historic investment in our students, including $30 million for the Special Education Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program, which will help build capacity to serve students closer to home.
• Prioritizing better access to services through enhanced development screenings, behavioral assessment and intervention plans, access to remedial classes in higher education, and involvement of parents and local school districts before a student is moved from their school.
• Reining in costs by regulating third party rate processes and developing new billing and licensing standards.
• Increasing oversight through on-site compliance visits and detailed system-wide reporting to reduce unpredictability and improve accountability.

Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to provide them a proper education. In a state that has one of the best K-12 public school systems in the country, HB 5001 makes sure our special education program maintains that same level of quality.

The bill must now pass the Senate and be signed into law by the governor.

We have a housing shortage. This is not disputed. Just last week, the CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth released a report on the economic impact of Connecticut’s housing shortage which is an impediment to our competitiveness. This report is incredibly informative and I encourage you to read it if you are interested in housing policy as it relates to business and economic growth.  

In the state legislature we are tasked with removing barriers that exist in policies that are sometimes outdated or might not have the intended positive impact. Over the years there have been laws put forward that have made incremental changes. This year's housing bill, HB 5002, was heavily negotiated with compromises from all parties.

The resulting bill included many of the solutions in CBIA's report, including upzoning for middle housing and beginning an effort to rethink parking requirements that add to the cost of housing and have significant impacts on the environment and storm water management. 

That said, I have heard from people who think I should have voted no. I read the bill, I read the amendments, and I asked a lot of questions of the policy team. I can assure you that I deeply understand the importance of maintaining local control. I served on a local zoning board myself. My family lives in Branford in a very dense neighborhood. We are neighbors who all want the same opportunities and quality of life.

I also considered my own personal life experiences. At the age of 14, my family and I had the opportunity to move from a diverse economically disadvantaged community to a more affluent town, with much less diversity. That move provided me with a unique perspective on belonging and how community dynamics shape opportunities and worldviews.

In the end, I weighed the pros and cons, deciding that the answers I received to many of your concerns were sufficient. I then made the decision to vote yes. I believe this bill still allows Branford to retain local control on zoning. I firmly stand behind my vote.

One final thing, some of you have concerns about some specific parts of the bill. I have recorded a 4 minute video which gets into the weeds of the sections of the bill. You can listen to it by clicking below. Thank you for listening.

Last week, the House overwhelmingly approved a bill to overhaul the state’s towing law, making it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve their vehicles after a tow.

HB 7162 overhauls the state’s 100-year-old towing statutes creating massive reforms to towing procedures from private property and rate increases for highway tows that typically follow car accidents.

Tow companies are now required to accept credit cards and they are not allowed to tow vehicles quickly just because of an expired parking permit or registration. Vehicles can’t be towed from private property without notice unless they’re blocking traffic, fire hydrants or parked in an accessible space.

The bill takes several steps to make it easier for people to get their towed vehicles back and requires towing companies to take more time and increase documentation during the sale process.

Below is a summary of other bills that passed the House this week:

• SB 1221: Improves the Connecticut Retirement Security Program
• SB 9: Advances climate action, protects our environment and addresses harmful chemicals like neonicotinoids and rodenticides
• SB 3: Focuses on consumer protection and safety, with provisions addressing price gouging, junk fees, right to repair, and more
• SB 7: Safeguards access to health care and the equitable distribution of healthcare resources
• SB 1284: Cracks down on illegal vehicle use and street takeovers
• HB 7013: Strengthens the Local Food for Schools Incentive Program
• SB 1328: Prohibits private ownership or management of state correctional facilities

Hot days, cool drinks, baseball, and barbecues are popular staples during the summer but Connecticut, from one end of the state to the other, offers so much more.

Connecticut is home to 110 state parks, 32 state forests, 29 state campgrounds, 117 state boat launches, and 4 coastal state beaches that provide any number of recreational opportunities, along with many other attractions and nationally-ranked restaurants.

Two new trails guide visitors on some of the more unique experiences the state has to offer, including the Connecticut Oyster Trail, and the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail. Later this year, the state will officially launch the Connecticut Pizza Trail to celebrate its designation as the Pizza Capital of the United States.

The best way to explore tourism destinations and find activities to do in the state is by visiting the official Connecticut Tourism website.

There's more.

Litchfield County was ranked as one of the best places to go in 2025 and Mystic Seaport Museum was the “#2 Best Open-Air Museum” for the second consecutive year.

Hungry?

Several CT chefs and restaurants have gained national recognition, including chef David Standridge of The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic capturing the world-renowned James Beard Award for best chef in the northeast, and several others named semifinalists, including Renee Touponce of Oyster Club and The Port of Call in Mystic who was nominated in the outstanding chef category, and Coracora in West Hartford nominated for outstanding restaurant.

Seasons change quickly. With all that it has to offer, summertime in Connecticut is one you don't want to miss!