Capitol Update: The 2025 Session Has Started and Bill Proposals Are Online Now!

Last week, the General Assembly began its work for the 2025-2027 session and later that day I was busy in my Hartford office working on my bill proposals and reading dozens of other proposals from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. As I expected and like in years’ past, there are some good, some bad, and some absolutely terrible ideas.

This year, much of our debate will be focused on the key issues of public safety, the cost and availability of energy, and the state’s fiscal guardrails. These protections have provided substantial structure and predictability to our state budget and paid down nearly $8 Billion in unfunded pension liability, fully funded the state’s Budget Reserve (“Rainy Day”) Fund, and provided more stability to our finances since being implemented in 2017.

As Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, I am fortunate to have a direct role in questioning and dissecting the merits of each bill proposal that comes before the committee. Ranking Members serve as a liaison to the broader caucus, providing advice and counsel to members regarding the details of proposals before they are brought to the full House of Representatives for a vote. I also serve on the (very unique) Regulations Review Committee and the Public Safety and Security Committees.

As you can imagine, with 151 legislators in the House and 36 in the Senate there are thousands of ideas put forward each year. Many of these ideas do not make it past the proposal stage. Others will be dismissed by the committee of cognizance, and some will be tweaked during the process and eventually get called for debate and consideration by the entire General Assembly.

It is a privilege to be your voice in Hartford, and that’s why I have once again proposed common sense ideas on a wide variety of topics. Each year, I introduce and cosponsor dozens of proposals.

For example, keeping the public safe has always been a priority for me, which is why I introduced a bill to allow off-duty law enforcement officers to carry firearms used in the performance of official duties on school grounds, and I co-sponsored bills to revise Connecticut’s police pursuit policy to allow police officers to pursue individuals suspected of committing certain property crimes, as well as a measure that would include serious firearm offenses in the list of offenses eligible for discretionary transfer from juvenile to adult court.

I co-sponsored a proposal to require institutions of higher education to allow victims of intimate partner violence to participate in any investigation or administrative hearing where the accused is a student or employee of such institution, but the victim is not.

Protecting the community also means taking care of the brave men and women who protect us, which is why I co-sponsored a proposal to “establish a personal income tax deduction, not exceeding two thousand dollars, for any stipend paid to certain volunteer emergency personnel by a municipality, volunteer fire department or volunteer ambulance association.”

And in an effort to secure our elections, I introduced a bill to require presentation of photo identification to vote.

Other common sense, cost-saving measures I am supporting this year include those to exempt veterans from the Passport to the Parks motor vehicle registration fee, and similarly, to limit the Passport to the Parks Fee to one registered motor vehicle per household.

If you’d like to read more about these or any other legislator’s proposals, please go to the General Assembly’s website at cga.ct.gov and click on the Bill Info tab, then Bill Information Search for a drop-down menu to locate each legislator.

I look forward to continuing my work on your behalf to make Wallingford and Middlefield, and our state, a safer, more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.