CCAG: Know the Facts, Shift the Narrative

Coalitiion building was a hallmark during this session of the Connecticut State Legislature as labor and community and immigrant rights groups allied to “Stand Up Connecticut” against the attacks from the Trump administration on working people.

The long term fight has been for economic and social justice in a state with one of the highest gaps between billionaires and everyone else and the need to tax the rich including the windfall delivered to billionaires by MAGA while cutting healthcare and all services.

The Connecticut For All coalition, CT AFL-CIO, the Immigrants Coalition and the Connecticut Tenants Union all mobilized with significant partial victories for people's needs. The following assessment of the session is from the Connecticut Citizens Action Group, addressing the priorities they mobilized around.

By CCAG

Wednesday night marked the last day of Connecticut’s legislative session for 2026. For many of us, this entire session has felt like emergency triage due to DOGE-damage and the Trump administration. Luckily, many Connecticut legislators and advocates, like you, stepped up to fight back. Connecticut started the year with a massive budget cut from the Federal government leaving families vulnerable to food insecurity, lack of medical care and then soon after skyrocketing prices due to the illegal war of aggression against Iran.  We saw some significant victories, and some disappointments. But the people of the Nutmeg state came together to send a strong message to Washington DC/Mara-Lago that Connecticut will not be held hostage and we will protect our communities.  First and foremost, we want to thank every person who protested, testified, wrote a letter, called their legislator, came to a lobby day or even just shared information this session. It is because of you we have new legislation reigning in the unchecked power of ICE, renewing community solar programs, the implementation of universal absentee voting and so much more.  This session, CCAG was focused on Democracy, Climate & Environment, Healthcare and Private Equity.  The legislature passed a budget which makes adjustments to the spending guardrails and volatility cap, acknowledging the need for us to spend more to meet this moment. We did not see all we wanted, particularly around progressive revenue and in protecting healthcare for more than 200,000 people slated to lose it due to harmful federal cuts - we continue these fights. Along with several legislative victories it did give us something else worth holding onto:  Proof that organized people can still bend power toward the public good. What we won together: Democracy and immigrant protections: SB 397 strengthens accountability for federal law enforcement, including ICE, by allowing residents to sue in state court for violations of their rights. It also protects sensitive places like schools, hospitals, and houses of worship, requires federal agents to show identification, bans masks, and limits license plate reader surveillance. Voting rights: HB 5001 implements no-excuse absentee voting, following Connecticut voters' approval of the constitutional amendment in 2024. The bill also includes a ban on ICE at polling places, a major victory for democracy and voter protection. Healthcare: HB 5127 passed, restricting medical providers from promoting or helping patients sign up for medical credit cards that can trap people in high-interest debt. Key pieces of the healthcare affordability fight also moved forward through the budget, including extended subsidies, guardrail adjustments, and a feasibility study for a Connecticut Option. We again defeated Junk Insurance plans, which would  have placed small businesses at risk. Private equity accountability: Two bills addressing private equity passed both chambers this session. SB 125 requires greater transparency in nursing home ownership, helping expose who is actually profiting from care facilities. SB 196 limits hospital real estate investment trusts, or REIT,arrangements, a financial scheme that can separate hospitals from the land they sit on, drive up costs, and drain resources away from patient care. Together, these bills are important first steps toward stopping private equity and real estate investors from treating healthcare as another extraction site. Climate and environment: HB 5340 expands access to renewable power generation and solar energy, while HB 5334 strengthens protections for riparian areas, the vegetated land near rivers and streams that helps reduce flooding, prevent erosion, protect drinking water, and filter toxins. Economic justice: HB 5003 makes targeted investments in safer and more equitable workplaces, supporting workers, including first responders, veterans, nurses, teachers, and blue-collar workers. What still needs pressure: Connecticut has the resources to do better. We are one of the wealthiest states in the country. No one should go without food, healthcare, safe housing, clean water, or protection from a dangerous climate while billionaires receive massive federal tax cuts. Victories are not the end of the work. They are proof that pressure works. We will keep organizing, keep watching, and keep pushing for a state that meets this moment with the courage our communities deserve.