Mark DeCaprio

State Representative Mark DeCaprio Defends Homeschooling Freedoms

On Wednesday, I joined hundreds of families from across Connecticut speaking up against HB 5468. I have heard from many parents and families in our district who are worried, concerned, and even frightened about the potential impact of this bill on their ability to direct their children’s education. The common theme in their calls and emails is clear: they do not want to see any change to the current law which rightly recognizes parents as the primary caretakers and decision-makers for their children’s education. My wife and I homeschooled our seven children from 1993 to 2018, all the way through high school graduation. Homeschooling required commitment and hard work, but it was deeply rewarding, and our children met the educational goals in current Connecticut law CGS Sec. 10-184 has—reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, U.S. history, and citizenship. For us, homeschooling allowed each child to learn in the way that best fit their needs and enabled us to integrate strong character formation along with academics. The growing number of homeschoolers in Connecticut—estimated around 39,000—reflects that many families have found this path very effective, and homeschool students consistently demonstrate strong academic outcomes. My opposition to HB 5468 is about defending parental rights- which was one of the main reasons I ran to be your state representative. This bill expands government control over education and, in doing so, diminishes parental authority. Recent court decisions, such as Mirabelli v. Bonta, reaffirm that parents—not the state—have primary authority over the care and education of their minor children. The two tragic cases that inspired this bill were not failures of homeschool regulation, but failures within Connecticut's child-protection system. Conflating those issues and placing new burdens on thousands of law-abiding families will further strain the CT Department of Children and Families (DCF), the CT State Department of Education (DOE), and our local school districts. Passing this legislation will also divert limited resources away from help to our public schools, which across our state have public school districts that are challenged by high truancy rates, serious behavioral and safety concerns. I have heard much strong concern regarding HB 5468 from homeschool parents and families in the 48 th District, and I share their view that government should not expand regulatory beyond the current law for homeschoolers. We don’t need to diminish parental rights, impose burdensome regulation on thousands of families based on two isolated incidents. Instead, the state should focus on giving the tools and resources to DCF to better serve and protect children in troubled situations. As I mentioned to the members all the Education Committee during the hearing - I will do anything I can do to assist them in doing what is right by Connecticut families. To view my testimony, click the link below. https://youtu.be/PC6T_y7swB0

Public Hearing Announcement- S.B. 373 Volunteer First Responder Stipend Bill

The Public Safety & Security Committee has released the latest Public Hearing Agenda for March 5th, and I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of S.B. 373 – An Act Allowing a Personal Income Tax Deduction for Stipends Paid to Volunteer Firefighters, Volunteer Fire Police Officers and Volunteer Ambulance Members. This proposal would exempt the first $2,000 in stipends for volunteer firefighters, fire police, and EMT personnel in Connecticut. The measure has enjoyed strong bipartisan support in previous sessions, and with volunteer responder enrollment declining across our state, we believe this legislation can help retain current members and create an added incentive for new recruits. I encourage you all to take part in the process and have your voices heard at this important public hearing. Hearing Specifics- Thursday, March 5, 2026 I 11:00 A.M. I Connecticut Legislative Office Building, Room 1E, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106 Sign up to testify in-person or over Zoom here- https://zoom.us/web.../register/WN_uzm3-6H9SWK2mtH1AO3ACQ... (Registration will close on March 4, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.) Submit written testimony here- https://www.cga.ct.gov/.../CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx... Read the bill here- https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2026&bill_num=5468 To watch the hearing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGLFxzoW22A

No Tax on Tips Public Hearing on Friday

We know you’re feeling the squeeze of Connecticut’s high cost of living, and even after new federal tax relief, majority Democrats at the Capitol are still dragging their feet. This Friday, February 27, is your chance to speak up. Lawmakers on the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee will hold a public hearing at 11 a.m. on our proposal to End Tax on Tips & Overtime (HB 5010). You can testify in person, virtually, or by submitting written comments. The registration deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. After Congress passed sweeping legislation to exempt tips and overtime from federal income taxes, Connecticut declined to extend the same relief at the state level. House Republicans launched a petition and pushed for this hearing so you could be heard. Make your voice count and testify to End Tax on Tips & Overtime: 📅 Friday, February 27 | 11 a.m. 📍 300 Capitol Ave., Hartford | LOB Room 2E 🏦 Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee Register to testify in-person or remotely: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yfl4gBLwT3-iubukM2rJ1g#/registration Submit written testimony: https://www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATestimonySub/CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx?comm_code=FIN Have you signed our petition? Visit www.NoTipTaxCT.com

Lebanon Legislative Update with State Representatives Ackert & DeCaprio

I look forward to joining State Representative Tim Ackert on Tuesday, February 3rd, from 11:145 AM to 1:30Pm at the Lebanon Senior Center. We invite you to attend and bring along any questions or concerns you have concerning state government.

Another Successful Food Drive in Colchester

I want to thank everyone who contributed to our Colchester food drive this past Saturday. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to fill three full grocery carts with food donations for the food bank and collect just over $300 in cash donations as well. We’re also grateful to Colchester First Selectman Bernie Dennler, who was kind enough to open the town hall for us so we could drop off all of the donations right after the event. Your support makes a real difference in our community—thank you again to everyone who donated to help those right in time for the Holiday Season.