Kicking off the 2026 Legislative Session, Session Resources, and more

February 6, 2026

Dear Neighbor,

The Connecticut General Assembly kicked off the 2026 Legislative Session this Wednesday. During a Joint Session Wednesday afternoon, House and Senate members sat together in the House Chamber as Governor Lamont delivered the State of the State Address. Thursday afternoon, the House was back in session to vote on the Governor's recently proposed plan to allow the Emergency State Response Reserve to continue through the 2027 fiscal year.

During Wednesday's opening day session, I was proud to wear red alongside many of my colleagues for American Heart Awareness Month. It was wonderful to have Stratford Mayor Chess join us on Opening Day and to recognize him on the floor to introduce him to the House Chamber. It was an exciting week getting back to work in the legislature, and I am looking forward to what we accomplish this session.

In this week's email, you can read an update on the Emergency State Response Reserve, find information on a special enrollment period for Access Health CT, and more. If you have any questions, concerns, or if my office can be of assistance to you, please call my office at any time or email me at kaitlyn.shake@cga.ct.gov.

Severe Cold Weather in Effect Through Thursday

The governor has extended the state's Severe Cold Weather Protocol a second time, through Tuesday, February 10th at noon, marking the longest activation of this protocol in more than a decade.

Forecasts now show that bitterly cold weather will persist even longer than expected, with well below normal temperatures continuing into the middle of next week. Overnight lows over the next 10 days are projected to fall into the single digits, with several nights dipping below zero.

Anyone in need of shelter or a warming center is urged to visit 211ct.org or call 2-1-1 to find available locations. Transportation can be provided if necessary.

Click HERE to learn more.

Below is a list of warming centers around Stratford:

Baldwin Center (1000 W Broad Street, Stratford, CT 06615)

Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Stratford Library (2203 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615)

Monday -Thursday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Stratford YMCA (3045 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615)

Monday - Thursday, 5:30 am to 9:00 pm
Friday, 5:30 am to 7:00 pm
Saturday, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Community Nonprofit Alliance Press Conference

Monday morning 02/02, I attended a press conference with the Community Nonprofit Alliance to advocate for what community nonprofits need in terms of resources and funding. Nonprofits need these resources to continue serving families and residents in our communities. Nonprofits continue to be underfunded while they provide services that keep our communities and families thriving. Connecticut must provide financial support to these organizations as they face new challenges from the federal government.

Connecticut For All Stand Up for Connecticut

Monday afternoon 02/02, I stood alongside my legislative colleagues and activists at the Connecticut For All Stand Up for Connecticut press conference. This press conference was the launch of the 2026 Stand Up CT legislative campaign. This campaign will continue to advocate for the needs of Connecticut residents who are now financially struggling due to funding cuts from the federal government. We stood together to demand that the state continue to take action to support residents and provide relief and stability during this time of federal chaos, to support our working and middle-class residents.

Early Childhood and Kindergarten Discovery Night

Tuesday evening 02/03, I attended the 2026 to 2027 Early Childhood and Kindergarten Discovery Night hosted by Stratford Public Schools and the Early Childhood Collaborative of Stratford. This was a great community event for Stratford parents to learn about the various resources and programs available to them. It was a pleasure to speak with so many families, Stratford early childhood educators, and local/state organizations. Over 40 organizations participated in the event and answered questions from parents and families on early education here in Stratford.

Office of the Treasurer 2026 Legislative Forum

Thursday afternoon 02/05, I attended the Office of the Treasurer's 2026 Legislative Forum to take part in a discussion with the Treasurer's office on many key issues and the 2026 Legislative Agenda for the Office of the Treasurer. We discussed the Pension Fund Performance, Unclaimed Property, CHET, Baby Bonds, and many more topics. It was great to engage with Treasurer Russell on several of these issues and hear updates from his office.

Unclaimed Property in Connecticut

The Connecticut Treasurer’s Office is holding unclaimed funds for Connecticut residents. Unclaimed property includes things such as payroll checks, refunds, bank accounts, liquidated securities, and insurance proceeds.

Property is returned at no cost with proper evidence. Be sure to check with the treasurer's office frequently, as it gets new unclaimed property every year.

Click on the link here to file a claim.

For more information, click on the link here.

Unclaimed Property in Connecticut

Our first Labor & Public Employees Committee meeting was Friday 02/06, in the Legislative Office Building. You can review the agenda by clicking here. This is the beginning of the legislative process where concepts are raised to move forward and become future bills. We will convene again on Tuesday 2/10 to continue this part of the legislative process.

As a friendly reminder, I serve on Labor and Public Employees, Human Services and Public Safety & Security and will have meetings all day Tuesday 2/10 in Hartford. If you would like to follow along in the 2026 legislative process, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the CGA online portal and read the helpful information below.

How to Stay Engaged in the Legislative Process

It's easier than ever to follow along and get involved this sesson. There are several resources you can utilize that will help you stay updated on the legislative process as it unfolds in Hartford.

Here's how you can stay connected and actively participate:

The Office of Legislative Research (OLR) provides nonpartisan and unbiased research to members of the General Assembly and their staff. Part of their duties includes writing bill analyses, which are summaries of bills in plain language. Click here to check out their website.
You can view the Connecticut General Assembly's upcoming events by checking out its schedule on the CGA's official website.
Follow CT-N for live coverage of committee meetings, as well as House and Senate floor debates.
You can register to monitor any bill's journey through the legislative process. By signing up, you can enter the bill number and receive real-time updates. Stay informed with email notifications whenever there's a change in the bill's progress.
Click here for information on how to testify on a bill at a public hearing.

Black History Month

Each February, we celebrate Black History Month and honor the stories and lives that shape our world today. Black history is American history.

Right here in Stratford, we are home to the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum.

Visit their website at africanamericanmuseumct.org/ to learn more about the history right here in our community.

American Heart Awareness Month

Heart disease is often preventable, but remains the top killer in the U.S. Here are some simple ways to promote heart health today:

Get CPR Certified
Exercise Regularly & Manage your Stress
Keep Track of your cholesterol
Know your numbers! Learn how to self-measure your own blood pressure

Emergency State Response Reserve Update

Thursday afternoon, I joined my House Democrat colleagues in a vote to allow the Emergency State Response Reserve to continue through the end of Fiscal Year 2027. This fund will enable the state government to continue quickly responding to funding cuts from the federal government. I was proud to vote yes and ensure our residents have access to what they need. My priority continues to be advocating for and protecting everyone in our community, especially the most vulnerable residents in our neighborhoods.

Since this fund was established during the 2025 November Special Session, $185 million has been used to backfill cuts from Washington. This funding has been used to support programs that are critical to families and our residents. So far, funding has been allocated to combat cuts to Access Health subsidies, support United Way and the 2-1-1 Call Center, homelessness services, and more. As there is more chaos at the federal level in terms of funding, this vote allows Connecticut to quickly respond to the millions of ongoing federal funding cuts to essential services.

Access Health CT Special Enrollment

Access Health CT will offer a Special Enrollment Period for eligible customers to enroll in health coverage with the new state subsidy, starting Feb. 1st. The Special Enrollment Period end date will be determined.

Customers who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include:

Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% FPL. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.

Eligible customers who have already enrolled or plan to enroll in a 2026 health plan will see a credit applied to their carrier bill.

It’s important to note that while customers will not see the state subsidy amount in AHCT’s online system until all updates have been made in the coming weeks, all eligible customers will soon receive a notice in the mail from AHCT with the amount of their state subsidy.

Insurance companies will send consumers updated premium bills with the credit for the state subsidy amount. This manual process will begin soon, in advance of the system updates to be implemented in the coming weeks.

Calling Connecticut Nurses

The Connecticut Nurses Association encourages nurses to submit comments to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the proposal to exclude nursing from recognition as a graduate professional degree.

Deadline: March 2
Click here to submit your comment.

Sample language is available on the site; however, personalized comments, even just a few sentences, are far more impactful. Consider sharing:

Why you chose nursing as your profession
How advanced nursing education has impacted your patients or career
What it would mean for you and the profession if nursing were excluded from recognition as a graduate professional degree

Personal stories and unique perspectives carry significantly more weight than identical form submissions.

Stratford Community Updates

View the calendar below for the weekly Stratford Eats schedule of community meals, food pantries, and other food resources in the Stratford community.

Take Your Child to the Library Day is Saturday, February 7th. Join the Stratford Library as the Dinos Invade the Library! The Stratford Library will have free books, a craft station (while supplies last), and an iSpy all day, as well as drop-in events.

The Stratford Library is bringing She Thrives presented by Live Girl to the community. SHE THRIVES supports high school girls as they explore their identity, build confidence, and strengthen leadership and social-emotional skills. Through group mentoring and supportive conversations, participants develop resilience, meaningful connections, and the tools to thrive in school, relationships, and future opportunities. If you have or are a high school young lady interested in joining this 10 week program starting February 10th click the link below to register.

https://share.hsforms.com/1tXppxL0oQyCM59q-Q6mKOAs8xn9

United SEPTSA of Stratford is holding a meeting on Thursday, February 12th, at 6:30 p.m. at Sterling Community Center. United SEPTSA helps create a community support system for families and specialized staff in Stratford. During the meeting, you can hear about the organization's upcoming events and collaborate to plan future events, share ideas, and more.

Stratford PAL is hosting a family open skate with Stratford Police Officers and PAL Hockey program coaches on February 15th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. at Sports Center of CT, Shelton Rinks.

The Alliance for Community Engagement will hold a recruitment event for early learning professionals on February 18th from 1 to 4 p.m. at their office at 1070 Park Ave in Bridgeport. Visit alliancect.org/event/alliance-recruitment-event/ for more information.