Robin Comey

I hope this message finds you and your family well. Following a busy week of legislative activity, the House has approved several bills that now move to the Senate for consideration. With a deadline of May 6, the next phase of the process is underway. Below is an overview of the legislation passed this week.

There is plenty to get to in the email below, so make sure to keep scrolling for more on:

• Around Town
• Bills Passed in the House
• Possible Lower Electric Rates Through September
• Funding to Support Clean Air Projects
• Branford Early Start Parent Survey
• ABLE to Save Month
• April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• Community Events

Celebrating Earth Day, Nepali New Year, and Kickball for a cause at the 5th Annual Democrats vs. Republicans Kickball Game!

My cousin Merrie and I spent this past weekend at the Patriots’ Day celebration in Lexington, Massachusetts. Our ancestor Joseph Comee fought in the Battle of Lexington, which made experiencing the day’s festivities and reenactments especially meaningful.

Emily from BH Care joined nonprofits from across the state for Nonprofit Lobby Day. I’m also looking forward to welcoming a large group of clients who will be visiting us next week.

Dr. Brian Lynch and the Connecticut Association of Optometrists came to Hartford to advocate for optometric parity in Medicaid, an important priority for us on the Human Services Committee.

It’s always great to welcome the YMCA family from across the state. Matt LePrino and Cristal Esposito met with me and other local legislators as part of a full day of advocacy.

This week, the House passed legislation to make sure our 2026 elections are free and fair with House Bill: 5001: An Act Concerning Absentee Voting For All And Various Other Reforms to the Administration of Elections.

We took steps to:

• Modernize our absentee ballot laws and vote counting procedures
• Create more safeguards to ensure your vote counts
• Protect our elections from corrupt outside forces

Additionally, we’ll empower the Attorney General to prevent people from interfering with our elections, among other provisions.

People’s right to vote is under constant attack around the country, but here in Connecticut, we’re making sure elections are free and fair.

In an effort to ensure that children do not fall through the cracks when they are withdrawn from public school, House Bill 5460: An Act Concerning the Provision of Equivalent Instruction establishes a set of procedures that balance student safety with the rights and privacy of parents who are responsibly educating their children.

These measures are designed to maintain appropriate oversight and communication between families and schools, while respecting parental choice in education. Key provisions in the bill include: 

• Creating an annual notification form for all students to indicate whether a child will be attending a public school, private school, or being homeschooled. This helps ensure accurate enrollment tracking and supports continued engagement with families.
• Requiring schools to check Department of Children and Families (DCF) records for any active protective orders or open cases of abuse or neglect prior to a child being withdrawn from school. This step is intended to help ensure that any necessary safeguards are in place for vulnerable children during transitions.

Together, these procedures provide a balanced approach that prioritizes child safety, improves accountability, and respects the rights of parents and guardians.

This House also updated vaccine policies with the passage of House Bill 5044: An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards.

What’s especially important to understand is that this bill does not force adults to get vaccinated or create a general adult vaccine mandate. The emergency standing-order language explicitly states that it does not require any individual to receive a medical intervention, it offers recommendations, not requirements.

HB 5044 seeks to update Connecticut's vaccine policies so they are based on science, not political agendas. The bill will:

• Allow the Connecticut Department of Public Health to promote COVID and flu vaccines
• Require private insurance companies to cover the cost of your vaccinations
• Allow Connecticut to buy vaccines from suppliers other than the CDC
• Establish an adult vaccine program for uninsured and under-insured individuals
• Tighten loopholes around unvaccinated children and public schools

As for my vote, I support the bill’s goals, grounded in my commitment to science-based policymaking. Connecticut needs clear guardrails and continuity, particularly given uncertainty at the federal level. I take my constituents’ concerns seriously and want to be clear about what this bill does, and does not do so we share a common understanding.

This bill makes vaccines more accessible, more affordable, and it will keep our communities healthier.

Connecticut is advancing a gun violence prevention bill aimed at strengthening public safety and closing dangerous gaps in current law. House Bill 5043: An Act Concerning Convertible Pistols and Unfinished Frames or Unfinished Lower Receivers.

The proposal would ban convertible pistols, firearms that can be easily modified to function like automatic weapons, sometimes with minimal tools such as a screwdriver or knife. By addressing these modifications, the bill targets a growing concern among law enforcement and public safety officials.

For residents who are committed to protecting their Second Amendment rights, I want to be clear that this bill does not require current gun owners to forfeit their handguns. It applies to future sales of adaptable firearms in the state. We are asking manufacturers to incorporate safety and design features already used in other countries across Europe.

Owning a pistol that has been modified with an illegal switch is currently and will continue to be a Class D felony in the State of Connecticut.

Together, these measures are designed to reduce the risk of gun violence while promoting responsible ownership and safer communities across the state.

Starting May 1, Connecticut residents can expect some welcome relief on their energy bills. Earlier this week, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved an interim decision to lower residential electricity rates across the state.

Under this change, rates will decrease by approximately 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, about $30 per month for the average Eversource customer, and 4.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, or roughly $34 per month, for the average United Illuminating customer.

This reduction is largely driven by a drop in the public benefits charge, which will now appear as a credit on customers’ bills rather than an added cost, at least through September. Much of this shift is tied to long-term energy contracts negotiated by Millstone and Seabrook nuclear power plants. These agreements provide electricity at stable, fixed prices, helping shield ratepayers from the volatility of fossil fuel markets.

The state’s continued investment in a diversified energy portfolio has helped cushion the impact of rising natural gas prices this winter, underscoring the value of a balanced and forward-looking energy strategy.

Customers should begin seeing these lower rates reflected in their bills starting May 1, with the reductions expected to remain in place through at least September for most households.

The state is making $15 million available through the national settlement of the Volkswagen emissions scandal to support clean air projects across Connecticut. Eligible projects must reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, key contributors to smog, and help advance the state’s efforts to combat air pollution.

Older diesel engines are a major source of nitrogen oxide, which is linked to asthma, lung damage, and other serious health conditions, with children particularly at risk. Funding will prioritize projects that replace, repower, or retrofit aging diesel-powered vehicles and non-road equipment, significantly reducing harmful emissions.

Click here for more information on the VW settlement.