Legislative Update
I continue working on issues to make Connecticut more affordable for more people. Our state continues to rank poorly when it comes to affordability. We all feel it every day when we buy groceries, fill our cars up with gas, and pay electricity bills. Me too. There is more that needs to be done. I endeavor to work in a bipartisan way to get things done.
This legislative session, I worked on and voted for several major efforts — common sense, sustainable solutions that improve access to affordable, high-quality child care and early childhood services. This is not just about helping people now, but also about investing wisely in families and the future of our state.
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Senate Bill 1 – Increasing Resources for Students, Schools, and Special Education
- Creates and funds the Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund to help stabilize and expand child care services, while limiting annual costs for families;
- Provides affordable health insurance options for child care providers through Access Health CT.
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House Bill 5003 – Concerning Early Childhood Care and Education
- Improves transparency and ease of access to child care options for families;
- Modernizes and strengthens the Care 4 Kids payment system;
- Expands licensing opportunities for larger in-home day cares.
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House Bill 7288 – Bond Authorizations and Budget Implementation
- Enables up to $80 million in funding through the new Child Care Facilities Grant Program, supporting construction and renovation of licensed centers and homes.
This session, I was proud to be one of the bipartisan leaders working alongside Speaker of the House Matt Ritter on a Child Tax Credit, a meaningful way to support low- and middle-income families. I introduced Senate Bill 112, to provide $500 per child or other dependent claimed on income tax forms. SB 112 got bipartisan support and was incorporated into an overall legislative effort. In the toss and tumble of the legislative session, a modified version was enacted for low-income families who get an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). But this additional tax credit was tagged as part of an increase in taxes, which is not a good way to do it. I agree with Governor Lamont. While we work to help families, we don’t need more taxes, we need more taxpayers (including more people and businesses coming to or staying in Connecticut).
However, my work continues. I am committed to expanding the credit to include middle-income families, because hardworking parents deserve meaningful relief and support in raising their children during these ongoing, challenging economic times.
I’m proud to represent and work for you and Eastford. As always, please reach out to me if I can help you with a constituent matter, answer a question, or take up a concern. You can call my office at 860-240-8000, e-mail me at [email protected], check for news and updates at my website, or learn about what I am doing on Facebook at "Senator Jeff Gordon." Through my website, you can sign up for my e-newsletter (Common Sense Matters) that I send out every two weeks.