I hope you and your family have been enjoying the warm Summer months.
The 2023 legislative session is officially over, and it was a legislative session unlike any other!
And as I look back at the ups, downs, smiles, and moments of bipartisanship. I can proudly say it has continued to be an honor to serve as your state legislator.
Thank you for trusting me to represent you. In the upcoming weeks and months I will be including highlights and breakdowns on the legislation I supported, the state budget we passed, and resources that are coming into the community.
Further in this newsletter I have included the first of those highlights, messages on my time in the U.S. Army, and information on local events and resources that I hope will be useful to you and your family.
Veterans Corner / Overseas Mission
I would like to give a wholehearted thank you to all of the friends and colleagues who wished my family and I well during my mission overseas.
However, I would like to give special consideration to my staff. I have a team of incredibly dedicated and hardworking people. It was only with their help that I was able to manage these multiple commitments : serving both the nation and my community.
During my mission my staff kept me updated on the legislation being debated, enabled my support of my legislative priorities, and kept in regular communication on any pressing constituency issues that required my immediate attention.
Below is a video me recognizing my fiancé on the House floor when she came to see me after I returned to the chamber, and two news articles on my mission overseas.
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 (ECS) 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.
With this good budget stewardship, and honoring the the fiscal guardrails we will maintain our excellent credit rating and pay down debt.
We also historic investments in local education through Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funds, which helps reduce local property taxes and makes it easier for our urban schools to recruit and retain teachers as peer educators. The budget also prioritized higher education and provides significantly more funding to our state colleges and universities.
Key highlights:
Deposits $3.3 billion into the Rainy Day Fund, helping us maintain a high credit rating and preparing us for any possible economic downfall.
Pre-pays an additional $2.072 billion in unfunded pension liability.
Includes the largest Personal Income Tax Cut in CT history ($190.6 m in FY 24 and $421.7m in FY25).
Exempts more retiree income from the state income tax.
Continues our car tax cap
Increases funding to towns – helping stabilize and lower local property taxes
Continues property tax credits for homeowners
Supports Our Robust Safety Net Services by:
Funding our nonprofit providers – 2.5% cost of living increases for critical service workers
Providing funding to group home employees – roughly a 4.5% pay increase
Making historic investments of over $30 million for residents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
In the coming weeks I plan to share more details on provisions in the measure to help you understand what this means to you.
Local Events
End of Session Town Hall
Please join the other members of the Stamford delegation and I at at a session wrap-up town hall put on by the Stamford delegation.
The event will be held on June, 20 at 6:30 pm at the Ferguson Main Library Auditorium. Please stop by and give us your feedback on the results of this year's legislative session.
Juneteenth Freedom Day
Join me this Saturday, June 17th from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Mill River Park for a day of fun events in honor of Juneteenth!
Free Summer Meals
During the school year, nutritious meals are available through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). These programs end when school ends for the summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps fill the hunger gap by providing nutritious meals and snacks for children ages 18 and younger.
If you have any issues, concerns, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at 860-240-8585 if you ever need anything or by email at hubert.delany@cga.ct.gov
