Mary M. Mushinsky

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), in consultation with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), has announced that $8.8 million in special food assistance benefits is scheduled to be distributed Sunday, August 13, 2023, to the families of 57,313 children under age 6 who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Under the program, Connecticut children 18 years of age and under – plus one accompanying adult – can receive free admission to any of the participating museums, including historic house museums, historic sites, historical societies, art museums, children’s museums, science centers, special-interest museums, natural history museums, university museums, arboretums/botanical gardens, and zoos.

A number of new laws that my colleagues and I worked on during the 2023 legislative session to implement meaningful change will take effect in Connecticut on July 1.

I was happy to serve as a co-sponsor and to support HB 6486, which passed in the House on Wednesday. Next, it heads to the Senate for consideration.

We are more than halfway through the regular session, and this is the time of year when legislative activity picks up in the Connecticut General Assembly.

I am pleased to report that responsible budgeting and major structural changes made to pension and teachers' retirement plans are putting Connecticut on much more solid fiscal ground and saving taxpayers billions in debt payments.

With many families in Connecticut facing added financial strain due to rising prices, the legislature went into special session earlier this week to provide some relief. A bipartisan bill passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lamont extends the current suspension of the gasoline tax, provides additional funding for energy assistance programs, and continues premium pay for frontline workers.

Earlier this summer, the Biden Administration announced student loan debt relief, and I'm pleased to share that the application is now open!