Jennifer Leeper

Every 4th of July we have a reading of the Declaration of Independence in front of Fairfield’s Town Hall. This year instead of the typical 20 or so people in attendance, there were closer to 60 or 70.

So many people showed up with American flags and posters protesting tyranny and evoking the roots of our fight for freedom. Given the current political climate, distressing erosion of norms and checks and balances, and the rise in seemingly blind fealty to a leader above principles- our neighbors coming together to protest tyranny on a day to celebrate our independence gave me a lot of hope.

I hope you'll join me in taking a moment to reflect on the true meaning of this important holiday. Independence Day is not just about fireworks and cookouts – it’s' about honoring the ideals of freedom, democracy, and the generations of Americans who have fought to protect them.

It's also a time to come together with our neighbors and celebrate what unites us. In a world that often feels divided, our shared values and sense of community matter more than ever.

Tomorrow, July 2, I will be joined by State Rep. Sarah Keitt and State Sen. Tony Hwang for a post-legislative session update. The event will be at the Dolan School of Business Event Hall at Fairfield University (1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield) at 6pm.

We will discuss the highlights of our 2025 legislative session - including our state budget and major investments in special education - and how our community will be impacted. In addition, we will cover our priorities and yours as we look ahead to the 2026 legislative session.

We had a productive session, and I can't wait to tell you about the work we did for our community. I hope to see you there!

Several new laws that were passed during the 2025 legislative session take effect on Tuesday, July 1. Please click here to read about some of them!

Thursday, June 19 is Juneteenth. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in our country. For many years, this important holiday was primarily celebrated in the South, but was unknown to others from the rest of the country. However, thanks to great advocacy work, it is now rightfully observed throughout the country, including Connecticut. In 2022, the Connecticut General Assembly voted to make Juneteenth a state holiday.

We officially wrapped up the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday at midnight.

This session brought meaningful wins—particularly in early childhood education, special education, and climate action—but it also ended with some heartbreaking setbacks.

With the pace of bills being passed at this point in the session, I will be sending out eblasts more frequently this week to keep you updated on everything we're doing in Hartford. Today, I'll tell you about the state budget we passed late last night and three great bills we passed on Saturday.

This week we passed An Act Concerning the Quality and Delivery of Special Education Services in Connecticut, which takes major steps to reform our special education system.

This bill, which passed unanimously in the House, makes historic investments for students in special education, delivers better access to services, and provides cost controls and greater transparency.