House Approves Special Education Funding, Free Resources for Tax Season, and More!

February 25, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

Last Thursday, the newly formed End Homelessness caucus held a press conference to outline our legislative priorities. It was an honor to stand with so many individuals who are equally committed to ending homelessness. In addition to Rep. Kadeem Roberts, who is the chair of this caucus, we were joined by a bipartisan group of legislators, as well as representatives from several organizations, including Coalition to End Homelessness, Open Doors, and The Housing Collective.

I am so grateful that the Housing Committee voted to draft the Gloria Johnson Act (HB 7033). Please register to testify for the hearing which is scheduled for 2/27 at 10am. To sign up to testify or submit testimony, click here.

No person should be punished for not having a place to call home. Last week's meeting was a success, and as Vice Chair of this caucus, I look forward to building on this momentum throughout this session and beyond. Thank you to all who attended!

On Monday, I was proud to vote for a bill allocating $40 million in funding to special education, giving immediate support to more than 140 school districts in our state and helping to provide the highest quality education for our students.

These critical resources will help ensure students receive the specialized support they need to thrive.

My colleagues and I have heard from cities and towns across Connecticut that special education costs are squeezing local budgets. Students and families are dealing with the repercussions of a broken system, and while the legislature considers long-term solutions for our special education system, we recognized our school districts needed immediate relief.. The Town of Hamden's special education funding is set to increase by $942,810. (Please note that these are preliminary numbers and are subject to revision.)

Special Education is 2025 legislative priority for House Democrats. We have heard from cities and towns across Connecticut that Special Education costs are squeezing local budgets. This investment will help school districts now though we recognize the challenges municipal governments face going forward, which is why we are working to lower costs, strengthen services, and provide more financial support.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is developing plans to improve interchange 61 at the Wilber Cross Parkway and Whitney Avenue in Hamden and North Haven. The project involves several changes that aim to make the area safer for drivers as well as pedestrians. These changes include:

Moving the southbound exit 61 off-ramp and installing traffic control signals on Whitney Avenue to facilitate north and southbound turning movements at the northbound exit 61 off-ramp and southbound exit 62 off-ramp.
Reconfiguring the Whitney Avenue Corridor in the area of Interchange 61 and add bicycle facilities and sidewalks

The design for this project is set to be completed in September 2027, with construction anticipated to start in spring 2028.

If anyone has questions or comments on this project, contact Mr. Scott Bushee, P.E., Principal Engineer, at (860) 594-2079 or by e-mail at Scott.Bushee@ct.gov.

Tax season is upon us. There are several free resources available this year for anyone who needs to file state and federal taxes.

You can use the IRS Direct File Tool, which is a new option for anyone who lived and earned all their income in Connecticut last year.

Click here for more information on IRS Direct File Tool.

The federal government is also offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax preparation services to eligible taxpayers. Here is some of the eligibility date for VITA:

Household income less than $68,000
If self-employed, business expenses should be less than $35,000
No income from a rental property

Do you know of a public school student who wants to participate in statewide education policy? If so, please encourage them to apply now to potentially serve on the Connecticut State Board of Education! The selected students, who must be a rising senior, will serve a one-year term, beginning July 1, 2025.

The governor will appoint two public school students who will lend an important perspective to deliberations on the State Board of Education. The selected students will not have voting privileges.

Participants must complete their application, and it must be received by mail or email by Monday, March 17.

Click here or check out the graphic below for more information.

All politics is local! Get involved and make change in your community by participating in public hearings. Many people find the idea intimidating, but I encourage you to get involved.

Accessibility:

All public hearing rooms are wheelchair accessible.
If you are not able to attend the hearing, you can submit written testimony ahead of time.
You can follow along live on the committee’s YouTube channel.

Learn more here: housedems.ct.gov/HowToTestify.

Here’s a look at the schedule of public hearings being held this week. You only need to register if you wish to provide testimony. If you want to observe the hearings, you can tune in to watch the proceedings live on the committee’s YouTube channel.