These news briefs were originally written for CT Politics, The Connecticut Mirror’s weekly newsletter providing updates on the 2025 legislative session. To sign up for CT Politics, click here.
Interim SEEC executive director
Clare Kindall, the former solicitor general of Connecticut, has come out of retirement to serve as the interim executive director and general counsel of the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Kindall succeeds Michael J. Brandi, who took early retirement at the end of 2024 due to health issues. He had been the director and counsel since 2012.
Kindall worked in the office of the state attorney general for 25 years, the last three as solicitor general. She retired from the AG’s office in July 2022.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
Questioning sentences for violence victims
Directors of domestic violence organizations and advocates want lawmakers to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
“Survivors can sometimes receive severe sentences for actions directly tied to their victimization, whether they’re coerced into committing a crime by their abuser, fought back to survive or turned to substances to cope,” Meghan Scanlon, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, told the legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Monday.
Brashani Reece, executive director of Drop the LWOP [Life Without Parole] New England, told lawmakers that she was aware of a case in Connecticut of a 20-year-old who was given a sentence of life without parole, despite her abuser’s influence and actions being contributing factors in the decisions that led up to the crime. According to Reece, the woman, who has now served 30 years incarcerated, was in a relationship with a 33-year-old boyfriend, who isolated her from her family, took control of her finances, and physically assaulted her.
Under the bill, a defendant in a criminal case can provide evidence of abuse: police reports, hospital records, therapy notes, school reports or affidavits. If a court determines that the evidence shows that domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or trafficking “was a contributing factor” in the crime they committed, judges are required to reduce the sentences significantly.
John Doyle, the New Haven’s State’s Attorney said that attorneys and judges already considered factors like domestic violence in criminal cases. Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, asked why the bill was necessary when the bill’s contents were “already part of the system.”
But Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, D-Trumbull, asked what evidence there was to support that all prosecutors in the state were taking factors like domestic violence into account uniformly. Doyle questioned highlighting those specific factors when there were many other factors that attorneys and judges take into account.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
FOIA response times
Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management would conduct a study of state agency response times to public records requests made under the Freedom of Information Act as part of a bill that cleared the Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday.
Under the measure, the OPM secretary must submit a report with the findings of the study to lawmakers by Feb. 15, 2026. The report must include a summary of average agency response times, information about when unreasonable response times were the basis of complaints filed with the Freedom of Information Commission, and recommendations for legislation to address any issues featured in the study.
— Jenna Carlesso, Investigative Reporter
Homemaker companion agency training
A bill that would add training requirements for homemaker companion agencies, whose workers help care for people aging at home, passed the Government Oversight Committee Tuesday.
Under the measure, officials at the Department of Consumer Protection would have to come up with a list of approved training programs for homemaker companion workers to complete in the areas of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, best practices in personal hygiene (bathing, dressing, toileting), identifying and reporting abuse and neglect, communication, identifying and reporting changes in a client’s condition and service needs, the differences between medical and nonmedical care, and other topics.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, new employees at homemaker companion agencies would have to complete a minimum of 10 hours of training. The training must be finished within 90 days of hire. Existing staff would have to complete a minimum of 10 training hours by July 1, 2027. Agencies must document the trainings and certify compliance with the consumer protection department.
The Connecticut Mirror reported in 2023 that the state’s growing home care industry was operating with little oversight. In 2012, there were 380 registered homemaker companion agencies. By 2022, the number had swelled to more than 900.
Despite that, the industry is still largely unregulated. Unlike nursing home employees and home health aides, who must be licensed by the state Department of Public Health, there is no licensing process for homemaker companion workers. Instead, those agencies must register annually with the consumer protection department.
— Jenna Carlesso, Investigative Reporter
Could CT be a hub for benefit corporations?
Phil White, the co-founder of a Westport marketing agency that caters to other social-and-sustainability-minded companies, says he wants to make Connecticut “the best place for better business in America.”
In addition to his company, Grounded World, White also serves on the board of B Local Connecticut, a group of independently-certified benefit corporations — or “B Corps” — located in the state.
“What I love about B-Corps, and the B-Corp community specifically, is that we have three stakeholders to answer to: We have a planet environment, we have people and society at large, and we also have profits,” White said. “It isn’t a case of either or, left or right.”
White and other B-Corp advocates held a press conference at the State Capitol on Thursday to show support for legislation offering vouchers to eligible B-Corps to cover the cost of business registration or renewal fees from the Secretary of the State’s Office. That proposal is one of many measures tucked within Democrats’ latest omnibus climate and renewable energy legislation, House Bill 5004.
The bill has already advanced out of the Environmental Committee on a party-line vote, but will likely have to face review from legislative appropriators due to its likely impact on the state budget.
While the cost of those vouchers has yet to be determined, White said Wednesday there are currently about 25 benefit corporations in Connecticut paying fees that range in the hundreds of dollars.
“Anytime you can remove friction or a barrier to taking the next step… that’s a good thing,” White said.
— John Moritz, Environment and Energy Reporter
GAE long-term care insurance bill
A fourth legislative committee has raised a bill aimed at changing the long-term care insurance landscape.
A measure introduced by the Government Administration and Elections Committee would require insurers to certify that premium rate increases are necessary to prevent a material risk of insolvency, require public hearings for rate hike requests that exceed 10%, mandate that carriers notify potential buyers of the risk of rate increases prior to purchasing plans, and bar insurers from entering into state contracts if they violate any provisions of the bill.
Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, House co-chair of the committee, said in January that lawmakers can’t be “bullied” by threats of insurance companies becoming insolvent.
“Some of these insurers have threatened to withdraw or otherwise drop policies, and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be bullied by threats like that,” he said. “Every option should be on the table for trying to rectify the situation.”
The Insurance and Real Estate Committee, Aging Committee, and Government Oversight Committee have also introduced substantial bills aimed at increasing transparency in the rate review process and protecting policyholders. All of those proposals have passed through the committees.
— Jenna Carlesso, Investigative Reporter
Towing bill takes next step
The Transportation Committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would overhaul Connecticut’s towing statutes and take several steps to make it easier for people get their vehicles back after they’re towed.
House Bill 7162 would, among other measures, require that towers stay open longer hours to give people a chance to get back their vehicles. It would also mandate that cars worth less than $1,500 not be sold until 30 days after the tow and clarify sale processes for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
Lawmakers introduced the bill following an investigation from The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica that showed how state towing statutes have come to favor the towing industry over vehicle owners. The news organizations’ reporting found a lack of oversight over the sale system and that Connecticut law allows the sale process for lower-value cars to begin at 15 days, one of the shortest timeframes in the country.
The bill has faced opposition from towing companies and landlords who say it would impede their ability to do their work. Insurance companies, vehicle owners and tenants have issued statements of support for the bill.
During Wednesday’s committee meeting, Republicans voted against the measure, saying it needed more work, while Democrats approved it. The bill is next headed to the House floor.
— Ginny Monk, Housing & Children’s Issues Reporter
Baby bonds program questioned
During testimony to the Education Committee on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, argued that the state should consider doing away with its new, trailblazing baby bonds program that sets aside money for babies born to low-income families in Connecticut. Candelora said that Connecticut should spend that money on funding early childhood education instead.
“I would suggest to take that 300 million and repurpose it for early childhood programs,” Candelora said. “We all hold onto programs dearly because we might have been the author of them and we don’t want to let them go, but I think it’s time to think outside the box and really look at those programs and say, you know, maybe we could repurpose it and get people services at an earlier age when they need it.”
The baby bonds program was launched in July of 2024, and invests $3,200 on behalf of babies enrolled in Connecticut’s Medicaid program, HUSKY. They can then cash in when they are between 18 and 30 years old when the funds are expected to be worth as much as $24,000.
The program has sparked opposition in the past, including from Gov. Ned Lamont. Candelora introduced a bill in January in an attempt to end the program, called ‘An Act Concerning the Repeal of the Baby Bonds Program and the Redirection of Funds into the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund.’
— Laura Tillman, Human Services Reporter
Choosing a behavioral health advocate
The Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee voted to move forward Howard Sovronsky to be considered as the state’s new Behavioral Health Advocate.
The Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate was created through a law passed in 2023. Under the law, the role was designed to help mental health workers trying to get payments from claims they’ve submitted to insurers, and to make recommendations to state agencies and lawmakers about ways to address the problems that clients and mental health workers are struggling with.
Sovronsky has a long background in behavioral health work, first in New York and then in Connecticut. He has served both as the COO of the non-profit Community Health Resources and then as the chief behavioral health officer at Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
Sovronsky told the committee that he saw this as a “critical time” for mental health.
“We should all be proud that CT has one of the most highly developed behavioral health systems in the country, yet individuals and families continue to struggle navigating a system that is fragmented and confusing,” he said.
Once he assumes the new role, he said, his first plan would be to conduct a statewide listening tour to get a sense of people’s concerns. He said it was also key that different state systems that affect people’s lives are able to coordinate with one another.
“You can’t talk about emotional health if a person is homeless, if a person can’t access basic food. So all of these factors really become a way of looking at mental health as a public health issue more than as a singular health concern,” he said.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
Parking minimums
Lawmakers on Friday gave the nod of approval to a bill that would eliminate required parking minimums for new developments across Connecticut.
House Bill 7061 passed through the Planning and Development Committee on Friday, with support from Democrats. The idea is that removing parking requirements helps make it easier and cheaper to build housing, and the strategy has been used in a few cities across the country, including Hartford.
Advocates argue that the number of parking spaces in Connecticut already far outweighs the number of cars, and that the requirements are often arbitrary or onerous.
“I think this is one of the most important if not the most important levers that the legislature can pull to try to address housing affordability,” said Rep. Steve Winter, D-New Haven.
Republicans objected to the measure, saying it would encroach on local authority. Ranking member Rep. Joe Zullo, R-East Haven, said it would make towns and the parking like the “wild, wild west.”
— Ginny Monk, Housing & Children’s Issues Reporter
504 plans
Connecticut could become the first state to codify protections for certain students with disabilities.
Nearly 48,000 students in Connecticut have 504 plans, according to the state Department of Education. Unlike an Individualized Education Program, which provides specialized instruction, children with 504 plans do not require special education services. In schools, a 504 plan instead outlines accommodations for a student with a disability, including things like preferential seating, assistive technology or extended time on tests.
House Bill 7219 comes at a time where Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which covers this group of students, is under attack. In September, a group of 17 states sued the federal government, challenging the constitutionality of the federal law. The lawsuit came shortly after former President Joe Biden finalized a rule to include gender dysphoria under Section 504 in early 2024.
For Fairfield mom Laura Carroll, 504 accommodations for her 8-year-old son Patrick, who was born with a common form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia, include stepstools by the water fountains and in the bathroom and having a lower hook in his locker to hang his backpack. Having a 504 plan has “ensured that his school is 100% accessible to him,” Carroll told lawmakers at a public hearing before the Education Committee Wednesday.
Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said she agreed with the purpose of the federal law, but she said the state Department of Education would need additional resources to implement the law if passed, specifically, “at least 2 full-time staff above what is provided for in the Governor’s Budget.” In written testimony, Russell-Tucker wrote that the proposal could also “blur the distinctions between special education and Section 504 accommodations.”
— Jessika Harkay, Education Reporter
New bill takes aim at conflicts on PURA board
Lawmakers will hold a hearing Monday on legislation that could pose trouble for state Sen. John Fonfara’s plans to take a job as a regulator on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
The legislation, Senate Bill 1531, would prevent any executive of a company that has received a “notice of violation” from PURA from serving as a utility commissioner.
Fonfara, a longtime legislator, has been the subject of news articles in the CT Mirror and elsewhere in recent weeks regarding his ownership of several energy-related companies including one that racked up more than $1 million in fines from PURA before it closed in 2023.
The Hartford Courant first reported on S.B. 1531 after it was raised by the Government Administrations and Elections Committee on Wednesday.
The co-chair of that committee, state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, denied that it was drafted with Fonfara or any other particular individual in mind. Instead, he said it was cobbled together from several ideas swirling among members of both parties.
Other parts of the bill would require the state’s two largest electric utilities, Eversource and United Illuminating, to divest from their gas distribution businesses. It would also require any PURA commissioner who previously worked for a utility to recuse themselves from cases involving their former employer — a provision that could be seen to be aimed at interim Commissioner David Arconti, a former lobbyist for United Illuminating.
— John Moritz, Environment and Energy Reporter