Roland Lemar

I was honored to receive an A from the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) for my work during the 2026 legislative session. This recognition reflects the importance of working together with our educators to strengthen our schools, support students, and improve teaching and learning conditions. Thank you to Connecticut's teachers for your unwavering dedication and for all you do to help our students succeed.

Connecticut closed the 2025-26 fiscal year with a budget surplus for the eighth straight year. Thanks to fiscal guardrails created by the General Assembly in 2017, those surpluses are contributing to paying down the state’s unfunded pension obligations, so future debt payments are hundreds of millions of dollars smaller than they would have been.

The state’s 2026 surpluses include $411.7 million in the General Fund and $22.7 million in the Special Transportation Fund. The $411.7 million sum was transmitted to support the state’s Early Childhood Education Endowment in late June, with more than $1 billion contributed to pension debt following contributions to the state’s “rainy day fund”.

By making responsible financial decisions today, we're ensuring Connecticut remains well-positioned to invest in priorities like education, transportation, public safety, and other essential services while planning for the future.

Primary elections will take place on Tuesday, August 11, in municipalities where more than one candidate from the same political party has qualified for a particular office.

The primary will be preceded by seven days of early voting, August 3 through August 9. Early voting hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on August 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on August 4 and 6.

In Connecticut, only registered members of a political party may vote in that party's primary. Voters who wish to participate in a different party's primary must first update their party affiliation. Under Connecticut law, voters who change their party affiliation must wait three months before they are eligible to vote in their new party's primary.

For additional election information and resources, click here to visit the Secretary of the State's election webpage.

If you plan to vote by absentee ballot, you no longer need to provide a specific reason to request one for any primary or election.

Click here to access the absentee ballot request portal.

Connecticut has a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters who wish to vote in a primary must enroll in a political party by 12:00 p.m. on the day before the primary (August 10), provided they have been unaffiliated for at least three months.

Updating your party affiliation is one of the many changes voters can conveniently do online at https://ow.ly/Vmcn50Z38Qr.

On Wednesday, August 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., join the panel discussion, The State of Our Vote: Policy, Progress, and Protections in America, to explore the many challenges facing voting rights in the modern era.

This hybrid event will be held online via WebEx and in person at the Legislative Office Building (Room 2C, 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford). In-person visitors are welcome to park in the Legislative Office Building visitors garage.

Click here for more information and to register.

Registration is now open for the Connecticut State Department of Education's newly launched Paraeducator Preparation Academy.

This free, six-week program is designed to help aspiring paraeducators prepare for the ParaPathways assessment, a requirement for employment as a paraeducator in Connecticut. Participants will receive instruction from certified bilingual educators, free study materials, coverage of the exam fee, and Spanish-language support.

The inaugural pilot session will run from August 17 through September 23 and will be held at the Leaders for Educational Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD) Center in East Hartford.

Registration is open now through the first day of class, August 17. Once the session reaches capacity, additional applicants will be placed on a waitlist and notified about future academy offerings. Additional sessions are planned to launch in communities across Connecticut later this fall.

Participants who successfully complete the academy and pass the ParaPathways assessment will be connected with school districts seeking to hire paraeducators. Once employed, graduates will also be paired with experienced mentor paraeducators to support them as they begin their careers.

Click here to learn more and register.

Governor Lamont has signed Public Act 26-127 into law, advancing several initiatives to make renewable energy, including solar power and battery storage, more accessible and affordable for homeowners, renters, and businesses across Connecticut.

The new law extends Connecticut's existing residential, commercial, and community solar programs through 2035, ensuring these incentives remain available as energy demand grows and affordability continues to be a top concern for families and employers. These programs were previously set to expire in 2027, and their extension is especially important following the expiration of federal incentives for rooftop solar installations last year.

Public Act 26-127 also requires the development of successor renewable energy programs with clear cost controls, allowing Connecticut to continue expanding clean energy while protecting ratepayers from open-ended costs. The law prioritizes benefits for residents and communities facing higher energy burdens, expands support for battery storage to strengthen grid reliability, and streamlines residential solar and battery storage permitting while maintaining important safety standards.

In addition, the legislation encourages responsible solar development by prioritizing projects on rooftops, brownfields, municipal and state-owned buildings, and other commercial properties, helping preserve open space and agricultural land. It also directs the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to ensure the public benefits charge remains limited and that the overall impact of the law reduces costs for ratepayers.

Click here to learn more about Connecticut's renewable energy programs.

Click here for a list of Summer Meal locations and hours of operation.
 

Click here to make an appointment for an eye exam.
 

The 11th annual Paddle for the Sound is taking place from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 9 and invites you to take to the water on your own terms. Over a 10-day period, paddle a kayak, SUP, or canoe wherever you are, whenever it works for you, and turn your time on the water into something bigger. This friendly challenge turns time on the water into real impact, raising funds to protect clean water and ensure everyone in our region has the opportunity to experience and enjoy this incredible estuary.

Pricing: Adults $40, Youth (Under 14) $30

Click here for more information and to register.

Click here to access the New Haven Pubic Library events calendar.

Movies in the Plaza brings you free Wednesday night movie screenings through October in downtown New Haven’s Pitkin Plaza (145 Orange Street).

Grab your lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and some takeout from a local spot, and spend an evening under the stars enjoying blockbusters, nostalgic blasts from the past, cult favorites, family films, and more.

This event is free and open to the public, there is free popcorn and snacks, and it is a (leashed) pet-friendly event.

The next movie showing: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on July 29 at 8:00 p.m.