State Sen. Stephen Harding

Health insurance costs are already squeezing Connecticut residents and small businesses. Now insurers are asking for rate increases on 2027 individual and small group plans.

Before any of these requests are approved, you have the right to make your voice heard! The Insurance Department will hold a public informational meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 9 AM in Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building.

Here’s how to participate:

📝 Submit written comments to: [email protected] by 5 PM on Monday, Aug. 24.

💻 Speak virtually: Register by emailing mailto:[email protected] by 5 PM on Monday, Aug. 24 with your full name and organization.

🏛️ Speak in person: Sign up starting at 8:30 AM on Aug. 26 in Room 1D. Public comment happens early in the afternoon.

Oral comments are limited to three minutes per speaker.

More information: https://portal.ct.gov/cid/consumer-resource-library/insurance-rate-filing/health-insurance-rate-filing-fact-sheet?language=en_US

Hartford needs to hear directly from the people paying these premiums. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to speak up.

The New Milford Lions Club Carnival returns August 6 - August 8, with rides, games, food trucks, local vendors and fun for the whole family. It’s a great tradition that brings people together each summer while supporting the New Milford Lions Club and its commitment to serving our community.

I encourage everyone to come out, support a terrific local organization and enjoy a great event!

📅 August 6-8
🕕 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
📍 John Pettibone, 2 Pickett District Road, New Milford
🎆 Fireworks on Saturday, August 8

⛳️A decade of Tee It Up 4 Autism! Torrington Area Families for Autism-TAFA is hosting the 10th annual charity tournament on Saturday, August 8, at Fairview Farms Golf Course. Golfers, sponsors and dinner guests are all welcome. Details at tafainc.org. Thank you to TAFA for everything they do for families in our area!

Strong infrastructure is essential to keeping our communities connected, supporting local economies, and ensuring residents can travel safely every day.

I’m pleased to share that New Milford and Wi******er have been awarded state funding through the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s State Local Bridge Program to support important local bridge projects.

-New Milford will receive $2,656,875 to rehabilitate Bridge #109016 on Boardman Road over the Housatonic River.

-Wi******er will receive $612,500 to replace Bridge #162008 on Newfield Road over Fox Brook.

These investments will help improve safety, strengthen critical infrastructure, and support our communities for years to come.

For years, one of the most historic homes on North Street in Litchfield sat dark, empty and abandoned. This morning, State Representative Karen Reddington-Hughes and I joined local officials, Litchfield County residents and the Belden House and Mews team to celebrate its Preservation Connecticut Award of Merit and to present a legislative citation from the Connecticut General Assembly.

The 1888 Belden home has been restored down to its carved mantels, stained glass and parquet floors and the 1959 modernist Mews behind it was brought back right alongside it.

Today, the three-acre estate is a full-service hotel. There are 31 rooms, a restaurant and bar sourcing from Connecticut farms and producers, a bathhouse, a pool and lawn, and the old 1891 firehouse reopened for events and gatherings.

If you have driven past this place your whole life and wondered what was behind those doors, go find out. Stop in for dinner or to walk the grounds. Congratulations to everyone who made it happen and thank you for giving this landmark back to the community!

What a great morning running the New Milford Parks and Recreation Road Race with my dad and my son! It was nice to catch up with George Fletcher, the former New Milford Parks and Rec Director who helped found this race and to see so many friends along the course, including New Milford Mayor - Pete Bass and Brookfield Selectman Karl Hinger.

Thank you to the volunteers who make this New Milford tradition happen year after year!

A statement regarding Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn’s announcement about the Iroquois Gas Compressor in Brookfield.

“Very positive news, and it’s a testament to the hard work of people of all ages and backgrounds throughout Brookfield who spoke out to demand changes.

We joined together to cite the environmental risks for everyone in our community, and we have been unified in demanding transparency.

Thank you to all who have been involved in this effort, and our vigilance must continue.”

It was great visiting Newbury Archery in Goshen today to meet owner Barry Hall, learn more about his business and connect with local sportsmen.

We discussed a lot of important topics like supporting our volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel, eliminating the Public Benefits Charge from electric bills and making Connecticut more affordable so families and businesses can stay here.

We also talked about protecting local control so our towns decide what gets built in their neighborhoods, opening up association health plans so small business owners can offer coverage without going broke and the need for bear management.

These are the conversations that shape the work we do at the Capitol. Thank you to Barry for having me today and to everyone who took the time to talk with me.

Good news for the Northwest Corner!

The state has awarded over $4.1 million in transportation grants to improve roads, bridges and sidewalks in the 30th District. I fought for this funding because safe and reliable infrastructure is the foundation of daily life in our towns, from the roads we travel to work, the school bus routes our kids take every morning and the bridges our first responders depend on when every minute counts.

The following projects are receiving funding:

-Canaan: $561,600 to replace the Cobble Road bridge over Wangum Lake Brook, improving access between Upper Mountain Road and Huntsville-South Canaan Road (Route 63).

-Kent: $920,800 to reconstruct Bulls Bridge Road with new drainage and pavement improvements.

-North Canaan: $1,850,000 to resurface and rehabilitate West Main Street, Bragg Street and Pease Street, the corridor connecting Route 7 to our schools and town facilities.

-Washington: $856,800 to build new sidewalks and pedestrian safety improvements around Titus Road, connecting Washington Depot's shops, town buildings and recreation areas.

These investments will make daily life safer and our communities stronger. I am proud to keep delivering critical funding to the 30th District!

Thank you to everyone who joined State Representative Joe Canino - Torrington and me for our Coffee Hour last week at Tina's Cafe' 38!

We truly appreciate everyone who took the time to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee and share your thoughts, questions and ideas. Hearing directly from the people we represent is one of the most important parts of serving in the legislature, and conversations like these help ensure your voice is heard at the State Capitol.

Thank you to Tina’s Cafe for hosting us and to everyone who made this such a great community gathering. We look forward to continuing these conversations and hope to see you at a future event! ☕