Connecticut Government February 24, 2019 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Connecticut State Government Governor Ned Lamont(D) House of Representatives 151 members (101 needed to override a veto) 92 Democrats (79) 2 Special Elections 59 Republicans (72) Senate 36 members (24 needed to override a veto) 23 Democrats (18) 3 Special Elections 13 Republicans (18) 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

2019 Legislative Session (January to June) Opening Day January 9, 2019 Session Adjourns June 5, 2019. Odd Session Year – Proposed Bills (1/18/19) Deadlines for Bills - February 14 & February 15 Public Hearings on Bills - February to March Final Committee Action on Bills - March 7th to April 28th Committees of Interest – Deadlines to Introduce Bills Education Appropriations Finance, Revenue & Bonding Children Public Safety Transportation Public Health Planning & Development February 15 February 14 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Committee Structure 22 Joint Committees – Unlike Congress Each Committee has both a Senate and House Co-Chair Membership is proportional to representation Education Committee 37 members Senate: 6 Democrats, 2 Republicans House: 17 Democrats, 12 Republicans Chairs control the Agenda for the Committee What bills will be scheduled for a public hearing What bills will be put on an agenda to be voted on 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Final Passage of Bills Committee Vote (Public Hearing; JFS Language) Bill is analyzed by OFA and OLR and goes to either the House or Senate for a vote. Amendment Process. If the bill successfully passes both chambers, it is assigned a Public Act number and goes to the Governor for his signature. The Governor has 5 days during session and 15 days after adjournment to sign or veto the bill. Legislature can override a veto with a 2/3 vote to repass. Regulations Review Committee (6 Sen; 8 Reps) 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Communicating with Your Legislator The most effective communication to legislators is from their constituents . 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Forms of Communication Letter E-mail Telephone Face to Face Meetings In-District 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

What to Include When Communicating Name, address (home, so a legislator can identify you as a constituent), e-mail and phone number so they can get back to you with a response if necessary Keep the message to the point Do not overload the legislator with too much information Ask the legislator for a particular action 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Public Hearings Your Opportunity to be heard Every bill must have a Public Hearing in the Originating Committee Dates of Public Hearings are published five days prior to hearing. Bills for the hearing are published at least three days prior to hearing All testimony stays with the bill throughout it’s legislative journey 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Testifying at a Public Hearing Identify yourself and the organization you represent Thank the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee by name for the opportunity to speak State your position for or against the proposed bill Identify the bill by name and number Summarize your recommendation first and then add your explanation Sum up your position at the end 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Top Ten Tips on Testifying Keep your testimony short. Double-space your written testimony. Be prepared to use your written testimony as a guide, but don’t read it verbatim. Do not repeat points made by speakers ahead of you. You can use your time to respond to questions asked of other speakers, or to rebut statements of other speakers. Answer only those questions that you can answer correctly. It’s okay to provide additional material after the hearing. Avoid arguing with members of the committee. If your Legislator was not able to attend the public hearing, put copies of your testimony in their mailbox. If possible, follow up your testimony with a letter Use your testimony in other ways (Letter to the Editor, etc.) 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Appropriations Process Governor's Budget Address – 2 Year Budget Cycle Typically the first week in February (February 20th) “The Governor Proposes, the Legislatures Disposes” Appropriations Committee – March 6th Hearing What We Spend & Where We Spend It Votes on all bills that require an expenditure. Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee How Much Money We Raise & How We Raise It Large Committees 52 members ‑ 12 Senators and 40 Representatives 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Appropriations Process The Governor’s Office, and each Legislative Caucus may set forth individual spending plans The Appropriations Committee holds Public Hearings on the major sections of the Budget by subject area Appropriations Subcommittees take the lead on agency specific areas of the Budget Work with agency staff to gather data Make recommendations to the full Committee Negotiations typically continue up to the final days Budget Implementers may contain virtually anything 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Education Funding 3 Tiers of Overlapping Responsibility Federal, State and Local Federal – minimal (4.2%) State – varies by location (39.5%) Education Equalization Grants Excess Cost Grants (Special Education) School Construction – Formula Based Reimbursements Local – varies by location (56.3%) Everything that the Federal and State governments don’t cover 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Federal Funding Federal funding makes up a small percentage (4.2%) of overall funding for public education in Connecticut. We don’t have much control over how much federal funding Connecticut gets for public education. Funding is typically contingent on complying with certain procedural requirements Federal education funding is restricted to specific purposes. For example, funding programs and services for low-income children (FRLP), children with disabilities (IDEA), and English Learners. 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

State & Local Funding Education is not a fundamental right under the United States Constitution. All 50 states guarantee a free, public education under their state’s constitution. Public schools fall under the authority of state government and are primarily funded through state and local tax dollars. 96% of Education Funding in CT. Each state determines how schools are funded within their jurisdiction. 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

The State Education Budget Overall State Budget - $20.86 Billion Education Budget (SDE) – $2.96 Billion Includes: Education Grant Aid to Municipalities (54%) Additional Special Education Funding (4%) Funding for: Magnet Schools (8%) & Charter Schools (3%) School Building Projects (15%) Other Line Items (16%) 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2018-2019 2018-2019 REVISED Personal Services  2018-2019  2018-2019 REVISED Personal Services [16,264,240] 15,811,046 Other Expenses [3,261,940] 3,098,843 Development of Mastery Exams Grades 4, 6, and 8 [10,443,016] 10,410,723 Primary Mental Health [383,653] 345,288 Leadership, Education, Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) [462,534] 312,211 Adult Education Action [216,149] 194,534 Connecticut Writing Project [30,000] 20,250 Neighborhood Youth Centers [650,172] 438,866 Longitudinal Data Systems [1,212,945] 1,091,650 Sheff Settlement 11,027,361   Parent Trust Fund Program [395,841] 267,193 Regional Vocational-Technical School System [133,918,454] 130,188,101 Commissioner's Network 10,009,398 Local Charter Schools [540,000] 540,000 Bridges to Success [40,000] 27,000 K-3 Reading Assessment Pilot [2,461,940] 2,215,782 Talent Development [650,000] 2,150,000 School-Based Diversion Initiative [1,000,000] 900,000 Technical High Schools Other Expenses [23,861,660] 22,668,577 American School For The Deaf [8,257,514] 7,857,514 Regional Education Services [350,000] 262,500 Family Resource Centers 5,802,710 Charter Schools 116,964,132 Youth Service Bureau Enhancement [648,859] 583,973 Child Nutrition State Match 2,354,000 Health Foods Initiative 4,151,463 Vocational Agriculture [10,228,589] 13,759,589 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Education Budget Line Items -Continued Education Equalization Grants [2,017,131,405] 2,016,728,682 Bilingual Education [2,848,320] 3,177,112 Priority School Districts [38,103,454] 37,150,868 Young Parents Program [106,159] 71,657 Interdistrict Cooperation [3,050,000] 1,537,500 School Breakfast Program 2,158,900   Excess Cost - Student Based [142,119,782] 140,619,782 Youth Service Bureaus 2,598,486 Open Choice Program [40,090,639] 39,138,373 Magnet Schools 326,508,158 After School Program 4,720,695 AGENCY TOTAL [2,968,933,107] 2,961,685,292 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz

Important Contact Information Governor Lamont’s Office 860-566-4840 Governor.Malloy@ct.gov House of Representatives Democratic Caucus- 860-240-8500 Republican Caucus- 860-240-8700 Senate Democratic Caucus- 860-240-8600 Republican Caucus- 860-240-8800 www.cga.ct.gov 5/16/2019 Rome Smith & Lutz