Dear Neighbors,

On June 4th at midnight, the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session came to an end. The lead-up in the last few weeks saw a flurry of activity from both the House and the Senate, with many important bills passed.

I’d like to focus on two that will bring real benefits to families and small businesses:

Lowering your energy costs

The General Assembly set as one of its priorities this session to give ratepayers relief from some of the highest electric rates in the country. In Connecticut the average residential rate of 32.55 cents/kilowatt hour is more than 50% higher than the national average and last summer’s electricity bills were an unwelcome surprise for all of us.

SB4 creates nearly $800 million in savings for ratepayers. Not only that, this bill coincides with the 25% reduction in the public benefits charge that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved in May and the upcoming 13% reduction in supply rates expected on July 1st.

In addition to lowering electric bills, the legislation modernizes our grid and invests in clean energy. This will be a win-win for families, small businesses and the environment. 

Meeting families' needs for early childhood education 

The General Assembly tackled the affordability and availability of early childhood education, by passing SB1 and HB 5003 that will create an Early Childhood Endowment Fund. This fund will make childcare more accessible for families earning up to $100,000, as well as recruit and retain more early childhood educators, and provide the resources necessary to build capacity.

This will deliver real, tangible relief because as many people know, there is a severe shortage of early childhood education spots and the cost of childcare is prohibitive both here and nationally. In Connecticut, the average cost of childcare for two is nearly $34,000 per year.

The economic benefits of funding early childhood are clear. According to the research, every dollar spent on a child under 3 yields a $13 return in terms of lower healthcare costs and more generational wealth-building. In addition, without access to early childhood care and education, parents - especially women - are forced to leave the workforce, resulting in lost productivity, decreased tax revenues and increased public spending on healthcare and other supports.

My best regards,

Funding Special Education

This year, the General Assembly made funding special education a priority. In March, they voted on an additional $40 million for special education. More recently, both H.B. 5001 and SB 1 made significant progress on addressing the need for special education programming, as well as the increasing costs. Watch my video to learn more about HB5001.

Community Conversation with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas

On May 22, I had the pleasure of hosting a community conversation with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas. 

We talked elections, voter access, and what's next for Connecticut. Secretary Thomas shared that in last November’s election, about 40% of voters cast their ballots early - roughly 50,000 people. Now, the legislature is working to expand absentee voting so all eligible voters can vote by mail without needing a specific excuse.

Secretary Thomas also discussed how the federal government’s funding cuts are impacting Connecticut. And, she highlighted two bills: The SAVE Act (The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), and Executive Order 14248, Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. Both bills make key changes to voter registration and other election procedures. 

If the SAVE Act passes the Senate and becomes law or Executive Order 14248 takes effect, you should check your voter registration details at https://myvote.ct.gov to be sure you remain eligible to vote.

In closing, Secretary Thomas shared her greatest hope: that every single person in Connecticut understands their civic responsibilities, seizes the opportunity to engage with government, and believes that their voice truly matters.

Upcoming Events:

Juneteenth

Juneteenth symbolizes the end of slavery in the United States and represents a crucial moment in our ongoing journey toward equality and justice. I hope you’ll join me on June 19th at Greenwich Town Hall to commemorate this important moment in our country’s history.