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| I spent my Memorial Day weekend attending parades and picnics to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. |
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| June 1 is the first Day of Pride Month! There will be several pride celebrations throughout the state, including one in Milford on June 28. There will be more information about that event below. |
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| Please see below to see what else I've been up to in Hartford and in the 117th district! |
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We passed several pieces of great legislation this week, including a bill that will transform special education in Connecticut.
For too long, our state'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.
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Earlier this week, we passed HB 5002. This bill is a meaningful step toward making Connecticut a place where young people can actually build a future. For too long, we’ve watched housing prices climb while options stay out of reach—not because we’re lazy or unwilling to work hard, but because the system hasn’t kept up with our generation’s reality.
HB 5002 gives towns the tools and resources they need to grow responsibly, while maintaining local control. It invests in the “missing middle”—homes for people like us who earn too much to qualify for help, but not enough to afford what’s out there. It bans new hostile architecture that targets people experiencing homelessness and promotes collaboration across towns to tackle shared challenges around housing, infrastructure, and climate.
I’m proud to support a bill that doesn’t just acknowledge the crisis—it actually does something about it. Young people want to stay in Connecticut. We want to live near our families, contribute to our communities, and start the next chapters of our lives here. But that only works if we have access to safe, affordable places to live.
This is forward progress—but it’s not the end. We still have more work to do to fix the gaps in our housing policy. I remain committed to reforming 8-30g to make sure it works as intended—promoting real affordability and preventing predatory developers from using it to bypass local zoning without actually helping to solve the housing crisis. Connecticut needs solutions that are fair, equitable, and effective—and I’ll keep fighting for them. |
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| We’re cracking down on street takeovers and illegal ATV use. House Democrats voted in favor of SB 1284, which will authorize steep fines, vehicle seizures, and automatic license suspensions. This legislation targets both participants and organizers, aiming to curb dangerous road behavior with tougher enforcement and penalties. |
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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. |
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| We also passed a reform on Wednesday to stop the weaponization of our legal system by using defamation lawsuits to silence victims. Communications that detail sexual discrimination, harassment, or assault will now be kept confidential in civil court. |
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| Click here to find the full list of bills passed. |
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| Last week, I had the opportunity to spend the morning at the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange! |
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Great news! The town of Orange is set to receive state funding through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP). The town has been allocated $600,000 for parking lot paving and guardrail replacement. This will be matched by $150,000 from the town.
Click here to learn more. |
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CT Tourism, Activity Season Begins
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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 HERE.
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.
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Coming up at the Capitol! The House will be back in session next week. Stay tuned for key updates, votes, and what’s on the legislative agenda.
Here are some great ways to stay informed:
- The Connecticut Network (CT-N) provides live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative sessions. You can watch sessions live on Roku, YouTube or their website: https://www.ct-n.com.
- Connecticut General Assembly's official website offers a Schedule of Events: cga.ct.gov/calendarofevents.asp.
- Follow Connecticut House Democrats on social media for legislative updates and policy priorities.
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation announced that survey operations will be performed on I-95 in Milford on Saturday, May 31.
There will be a moving traffic protection pattern on I-95 at Exit 38 from 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
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Sincerely,
MJ Shannon
State Representative |
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