Bob Godfrey

 

 

 

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Dear Neighbor,

 This is my favorite time of the year. Outside it’s the peak of spring’s promise. Inside the Connecticut House of Representatives is also at our peak. We’ve been working in the House Chamber every day, Monday through Friday, and expect to be at work Saturday. It was a week in which we honored our interns, celebrated Danbury, and entertained visitors from home from nurses to the Danbury Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, to Mayor Roberto Alves. Here’s the highlights.

Conferring with Speaker Matt Ritter and Republican Leader Vincent Candelora.

Last week, the House passed a measure to support Connecticut’s small businesses by creating a pathway to access state grants and economic development programs.

Under House Bill 5467, an employee with the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) would serve as a direct point of contact for small businesses. This individual would help business owners navigate available funds, incentives, and community development programs administered by DECD.

Too often, small businesses struggle to identify what resources are available or how to apply. This measure creates an accessible gateway for information and assistance, ensuring business owners have someone to answer questions, connect them with the right programs, and guide them through the process.

House Bill 5467 is an important step toward removing barriers and helping Connecticut businesses grow and thrive.

On Monday,  the House took action on HB 5035, which implements a bell-to-bell ban on students' cellphones during the school day. This policy will allow our children to further connect with their peers and educators, strengthen their attention spans, and enhance their learning ability.

Cellphones have become a major part of the lives of adults and children. While these devices can be useful at times, they have also proven to be addicting, distracting, and are robbing our children of important opportunities to create connections and develop relationships, particularly at school.

While this bill does not fully remove technology as a distraction, it is a great step in the right direction to give our students the best school experience possible.

On Tuesday, we passed a bill that makes targeted, meaningful investments in the people who keep our communities strong — from first responders and veterans to nurses, teachers, and blue-collar workers.

We passed legislation backing those who serve by expanding support for police, firefighters, and veterans. That includes state-backed health insurance for families of fallen volunteer firefighters and state marshals, mortgage assistance for first responders, and stronger recruitment and training efforts. We’re also building on successful partnerships between law enforcement and mental health professionals, improving access to jobs and benefits for veterans, and creating new tuition assistance opportunities for those serving here at home.

At the same time, we’re strengthening protections for workers. Nurses and teachers will have better safeguards if they’re injured on the job, including help covering lost wages and expenses. Paraeducators will have greater financial stability, and workers across industries — especially those in high-risk or subcontracted roles — will see stronger protections, fairer pay practices, and safer working conditions. We’re also ensuring workplace standards keep pace with modern needs, including guaranteed break time for nursing mothers.

Additionally, we’re helping employers build stronger workplaces by investing in workforce development. From training programs for certified nurse assistants to better coordination between educators and industry, these efforts are designed to connect people to good-paying jobs while helping businesses grow.

The bill also includes stipulations for virtual monitoring in home care, increased penalties for noncompliance with staffing requirements in hospitals, and mandates for remote work during inclement weather.

This bill was intended to create safer and more equitable work environments and support the needs of several employee groups across Connecticut. We think it does. For a closer look at the legislation, please click HERE.

This is about standing with the people who serve and support our state — and making sure Connecticut continues to work for them.

On Wednesday, we passed HR. 12, which is an agreement between the State of Connecticut and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC). The agreement includes a General Wage Increase of 2.5% and an Annual Increment in FY 26, FY 27, and FY 28 for most employees.

This agreement covers four fiscal years for the period of July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2029, with a wage re-opener provision for the final year of the agreement (FY 29). The agreement covers approximately 42,000 state employees across various agencies.

I’m thankful and proud of my intern, Alex Barkhamer, from UConn, for his work on research, constituent services, and being named the 2026 Babbidge Scholar. He’s already secured a paralegal position and hopes to become an attorney. Thank you Alex!

On Thursday, the House passed HB 5004, which will:

• Prioritize placing children with family members and responsible adults who are already in their lives.
• Make sure there is follow-up with sister agencies when DCF-involved children travel out of state.
• Support caregivers and children with funding for after-school programs, childcare, and incidentals.
• Uplift our child welfare workforce through improved training, stipends for mentors and mentees, and personal emergency communication devices.
• Require additional eyes on children who are the subject of multiple reports of abuse or neglect, and those residing with someone on parole or probation after incarceration for serious crimes against children.
• Provide robust real-time data for policymakers and the public on DCF performance through a user-friendly dashboard.
• Establish a new committee to gather legislators, state agencies, experts, and stakeholders to review our child welfare policies and performance and make recommendations for improvements.

This significant legislation reflects a bipartisan effort to reform the Department of Children and Families with policies and procedures that put children first, and a commitment to continued attention to this important issue.

Two bills of note that have passed today are SB 397, which seeks to strengthen accountability by requiring clear identification from federal agents, restricting enforcement actions in sensitive locations, and creating a pathway for individuals to seek recourse when their constitutional rights are violated, and SB 5, an omnibus bill that deals with AI. 

 For details on these bills or any others, please visit the CGA website. 

If you or someone you know requires assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at the Capitol at 1-800-842-1902 or email me at Bob.Godfrey@cga.ct.gov.

Sincerely,


Bob Godfrey

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