Matt Ritter

Midterm changes to the 2026-2027 fiscal year state budget include over $300 million in additional funding for municipalities. These new resources are specifically targeted and include:  

• $190 million in direct support for schools
• $100 million to address local tax increases
• $12 million to establish universal free school breakfast programs across the state
• Expanded grants for successful special education programs

In addition, with Connecticut's economy remaining strong, we were able to continue our commitment to reduce long-term liabilities by putting another $1 billion toward paying down future debt obligations. 

Helping to make Connecticut more affordable for working families was a top priority for this new budget, and that is why we also invested in critical areas such as:

• Supporting early childhood education by investing $300 million in the Early Childhood Education Endowment
• Expanding sales tax-free week to include clothing, shoes and backpacks under $300 (up from $100)
• Making basic school supplies tax-free, including backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, rulers and paper
• Creating a family caregiver tax credit for residents caring for a loved one

Our House Majority Leader Jason Rojas summed up the new budget by saying, "we have an opportunity to invest in our children, and in our families, in our workforce, in healthcare, in our state. And that’s an awesome opportunity that we all have here together as Republicans and Democrats."

While the federal government in Washington D.C. continues to devolve and stall under a wide partisan divide, here in Connecticut we are proud to be able work with our Republican colleagues on passing a state budget that works for everyone. 

You can read more about the new state budget in this article from CT NewsJunkie.