by Karla Ciaglo The New Haven independent
HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut House of Representatives debated increased funding for special education late Monday before ultimately approving House Bill 7067 through an emergency certification process. The bill, which addressed three hospitals in financial crisis, education, and taxation, bypassed standard committee reviews and moved directly to the House floor for debate and a vote.
One of the bill’s key provisions establishes a fast-tracked process for transferring ownership of hospitals that have declared bankruptcy. During the House debate, it was noted that the legislation would benefit three state hospitals owned by the private equity firm Prospect Medical Holdings. All three are in dire financial circumstances after filing for bankruptcy protection.
The legislation also includes updates to the depreciation schedules used to assess motor vehicle property taxes. Under the bill, municipalities will have the option to choose between two different schedules.
Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, explained the reasoning behind the change.
“The whole goal last year was to try to address the volatile spikes that we saw in the price of used cars. They were leading to increased property tax bills for individuals,” Rojas said. “What we’re doing is providing them the opportunity to mitigate that revenue loss. We always knew it would be a revenue loss. This bill was really about serving property taxpayers.”
One of the most discussed portions of the bill centered on special education funding. The bill originally allocated $40 million to the Special Education Excess Cost Grant program.
House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, gestures during a news conference before the House session on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at the Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Doug Hardy / CTNewsJunkie
At a news conference before the session, House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, and Rojas discussed key legislative and budgetary issues, particularly the allocation of $40 million for special education funding. The discussion revolved around the administration’s stance on budget deficits and the potential consequences of spending decisions.
Ritter emphasized that the legislature has the authority to make budgetary decisions and that there was no spending cap violation, despite concerns from the Office of Policy and Management.
Ritter clarified that Medicaid, adjudicated claims, and personnel services are not required to have deficiencies plugged by legislative appropriations. He argued that there is a sufficient operating surplus to support the proposed funding and dismissed claims that the decision violated fiscal guidelines.
“The legislature is going to decide whose argument carried the most weight in all the facts and circumstances. We have plenty of money in our operating surplus right now to do it, and nobody has told us that we don’t. If the vote total is low, the administration wins. No hard feelings. If the legislature wins, it’s just because people listened to both sides and said, ‘we’re going to agree,” Ritter said.
During debate, an amendment was introduced to increase special education funding to $108,187,517.
Legislators questioned the feasibility of the proposed increase.
The amendment ultimately failed, with 48 yes votes, 96 no votes, and six absent or not voting.
“This bill, that amendment would have helped the towns that are in crisis now, because the special ed cost is so high, and we are not funding it,” Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, said. “We had an opportunity to fund it, we said no. We just had an opportunity now to fund it. And once again the majority in the house said no. I find that disappointing.”
“I think it’s a little disheartening that, due to our procedural rule, we can’t all enlighten ourselves as to how much funding we’re all losing out on. You should take it back to your municipal CEO,” Zullo said, suggesting that lawmakers should ask their town’s First Select or Mayor, “‘Hey, could you use two-thirds more funding for our special ed in our town?’”
Beyond education funding, the bill also allows municipalities to amend their 2024 grand lists, provides a 30-day period for assessment appeals, and sets a requirement for municipal boards of assessment appeals to hold hearings within a specified 16-day period. Municipalities that have already adopted budgets or levied taxes for fiscal year 2026 will also be authorized to make adjustments by June 15, 2025.
The bill ultimately passed on a vote of 140-5 with five absent or not voting. Rep Jill Barry, of Glastonbury, was the only Democrat to vote no.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Rep. Maryam Khan, D-Windsor, who chairs the Select Committee on Special Education, asks her colleagues to vote “no” on an amendment to increase funding for special education during debate Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at the state Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Screengrab / CT-N