Upon hearing the news of the appointment of David Arconti as a new Commissioner of PURA , I agree with the choice of the Governor. During our shared time on the Energy & Technology Committee together, despite sitting across the political aisle from each other, David always was receptive to a conversation and would approach each issue with common sense and a rational demeanor. I also worked with David after he left the state legislature and became an industry liaison. David’s industry-focused perspective…

Hartford – On Wednesday the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) released its 2024 voter record scores for the Connecticut State House and Senate. Its scores were based on action taken on several priority pieces of legislation that had been flagged by the organization because of their expected impact on various business sectors. According to CBIA’s legislative record report, State Rep. Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) completed the 2024 session with a perfect score, signaling his support…

HARTFORD – Each year, the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) publishes a collection of “Acts Affecting” reports. These reports provide a brief explanation of the new state laws impacting various subjects and topics. To date, reports cover the following categories:

• Seniors
• Housing & Real Estate
• Business & Jobs
• People with Disabilities
• Municipalities
• Banking
• Energy & Utilities
• Veterans & the Military
• Town Clerks & Elections
• First Responders
• Animals & Agriculture
• Insurance
• Taxes
• Criminal…
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Several new laws will be going into effect on Monday, July 1^st. I have highlighted some of the major pieces of legislation for your review and encourage you to check out all the newly effective laws.

Click here to review all new Connecticut laws taking effect on July 1^st.

July 1^st New Laws…

School Mandate Relief (Public Act: 24-45)

• This new law creates an advisory council to examine any mandates imposed on local boards of education by the General Assembly and will provide recommendations to remove…
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New Milford—During an assembly at Sarah Noble Intermediate School, State Representatives Bill Buckbee (R-67), Patrick Callahan (R-108) and Cindy Harrison (R-69) talked with students about how a bill becomes a law. The three legislators presented a slideshow about the legislative process and then took questions.

The lawmakers used a relatable example to engage the kids in the discussion of how a bill becomes a law by proposing free ice cream for all Connecticut students. They asked some students to…

The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has published its 2024 “Major Public Acts” report. This report gives a categorical breakdown of the major topics that the General Assembly addressed in the 2024 session. OLR produces this report in consultation with the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA). The legislation included in the report has been broken out into 20 different categories including energy, environment, taxes, and transportation.

To review the report in its entirety,…

HARTFORD – The House of Representatives took favorable action on S.B. 385 An Act Concerning Energy Procurements on Monday evening. The legislation seeks to expand the state’s usage of certain renewable energy sources. Specifically, it extends a sunset clause for the purchase of Class III renewables for at least 5 more years. According to State Rep. Billy Buckbee (R-67) and State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30), this will help New Milford’s Kimberly-Clark and other entities across that state that sell…

HARTFORD – The House of Representatives acted on H.B. 5491 – An Act Establishing a Property Tax Exemption for Veterans who Have a Service-Connected Permanent and Total Disability Rating. State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford), who is a member of the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, spoke in favor of the legislation while it was under consideration during Monday’s session.

“This issue really came to light during an open public hearing that was hosted by the Military and Veterans’…

I joined my colleagues to present our 2024 budget adjustments at the State Capitol during a news conference on Thursday morning. This budget prioritizes spending, creates structural reforms, and comes in $43.5 million under the established spending cap.

To view the news conference, click the image below.