Sen. Heather Somers

Maddy summarySB 229 authorizes local governments (cities or towns) to impose specific local taxes on certain businesses. It allows municipalities to levy up to a 1% tax on hotel, bed & breakfast, or lodging rental income; up to a 3% tax on event venue rental fees; and up to a 1% tax on restaurant meal and beverage sales. These taxes would be collected directly by the affected businesses - hotels, event venues, and restaurants - and are optional for local governments to implement. The bill does not require any municipality to impose these taxes but provides the legal authority for them to do so if they choose.

Maddy summaryHB 5839 appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the Department of Housing for a grant to the Town of Somers. This funding directly supports the construction of the Somersville Apartments, an affordable housing project in Somers. The bill specifies the money will be used for building this specific project during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The Town of Somers and future residents of the Somersville Apartments will be the direct beneficiaries of this funding.

Maddy summaryHB 5998 authorizes Connecticut to issue up to $2.5 million in state bonds to fund the reconstruction of Main Street in Noank, a village within the town of Groton. The funds will be provided as a grant-in-aid to Groton through the Department of Economic and Community Development. The bill specifically directs the State Bond Commission to issue these bonds under existing law, with proceeds dedicated solely to this street reconstruction project. This is a procedural funding measure that directly affects Noank's infrastructure without altering broader policy.

Maddy summaryHB 5975 would allow workers who report tips (like servers or bartenders) to deduct the full amount of declared tips from their taxable income when filing state personal income taxes. This directly affects service industry workers who earn tips and report them to their employers. The bill amends tax law to create a specific deduction for tips declared during the tax year, reducing the income subject to tax. It does not cover unreported tips or change how tips are taxed at the federal level. The deduction applies only to tips actually reported to the employer, making it a concrete tax relief measure for eligible workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state to issue up to $700,000 in bonds to fund repairs and upgrades to the sewer treatment plant in Jewett City. The funds will be distributed as a grant-in-aid by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection directly to the borough. The State Bond Commission is empowered to approve this issuance under existing state statutes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The legislation focuses on infrastructure maintenance without specifying particular repair details or long-term operational changes.

Maddy summarySB 860 appropriates funds from the General Fund to the Department of Education for a grant-in-aid to EASTCONN, a regional educational service center in Connecticut. The bill directs this funding specifically to expand services for rural communities during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It does not change existing laws but allocates new resources to support EASTCONN's work in underserved rural areas. This is a straightforward funding measure targeting improved educational access in rural Connecticut.

Maddy summarySB 872 would require all public high schools and colleges in the state to bar students from competing on gender-specific sports teams if their birth certificate gender does not match the team's designation. This bill directly affects transgender and non-binary athletes seeking to participate on teams aligned with their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth. The key provision mandates that schools must deny participation based solely on a person's birth certificate gender, as specified in amended statutes. The stated purpose cites protecting "the health, safety and scholarship opportunities of female athletes" as the rationale for this policy change.

Maddy summarySB 923 increases the research and development (R&D) tax credit exchange rate to 100% specifically for biotechnology companies in Connecticut. This change directly affects qualifying biotech firms by effectively doubling the value of their R&D tax credits under existing law. The bill amends Section 12-217ee of the general statutes to set this new 100% rate, replacing whatever the previous rate was (though the bill text doesn’t specify the prior percentage). The policy change provides a more substantial financial incentive for biotech companies to invest in research and development activities within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state to issue up to $13.5 million in bonds to fund housing construction for elderly and disabled individuals in the town of Griswold. The funds would be provided as a grant-in-aid through the Department of Housing to support building projects specifically for this population. The State Bond Commission would be empowered to approve the bond issuance, with the proceeds allocated for the designated housing development. This legislation directly affects the town of Griswold and the state's financial and housing authorities.

Maddy summarySB 920 authorizes up to $5 million in state bonds to fund the rehabilitation and upgrade of sewer and water utility infrastructure. The project connects Norwich Public Works through the former Norwich State Hospital property (in Norwich and Preston) and extends to the Preston Incinerator site. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will use bond proceeds to provide grants for upgrading sewer lines, water lines, pump stations, and related equipment. This bill directly affects residents and operations in Norwich and Preston by improving utility infrastructure in these specific locations.