The end of the Office of Health Strategy On Thursday, the much-criticized state Office of Health Strategy was disbanded. The office has been responsible for the state’s key health care oversight programs, including “certificate of need,” a process requiring state approval of substantial ch anges in the health care sector, such as hospital mergers and closures. The agency’s staff and core operations will transfer to other departments. The Lamont-backed proposal to dissolve OHS came after years of criticism towards the agency in the wake of a lengthy approval process for a failed deal for Yale New Haven Health to buy three hospitals from the now-bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings.  — Katy Golvala, Health Reporter CT senators push for $25 minimum wage Democrats have pushed for an increase to the federal minimum wage for years, largely rallying around a bump from $7.25 to $15 an hour. They now want to go much farther: $25. Sen. Chris Murphy introduced the Senate’s companion legislation alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Murphy argued it’s time for a boost for working people, especially after Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire. “We didn’t pick this number out of thin air,” Murphy said. “$25 is the amount of money that you need to just pay your bills on a weekly basis. It’s not a luxury wage.” It’s unlikely to get taken up this session since Republicans control the Senate and the House. — Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter Stamford joins tire recycling network Connecticut’s nascent tire recycling program received a major boost on Tuesday when Stamford became the largest city in the state to sign up for the program. The program, known as Roll Recycle Renew, allows residents in participating towns to drop off used tires for free at their local transfer station. The cost of properly disposing of those tires is borne by manufacturers through fees that can be baked into the price of new tires. Since launching in March, the program has expanded from four to 29 municipalities, officials said. So far, roughly 65 tons of used tires have been collected through the program. Lawmakers tried and failed to pass legislation earlier this year that would have required retail tire stores to participate in the program, allowing residents to avoid additional fees for dropping off old tires when purchasing new ones. — John Moritz, Energy Environment Reporter Small town housing grants Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday announced that five towns will receive $10.7 million in federal grant money to improve and replace infrastructure such as driveways, sidewalks and affordable housing. The money comes from the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities program, which is administered by the state’s Department of Housing. Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston will each receive between $2 million and $2.5 million. Lamont said in the press release that the grants will help improve neighborhoods and encourage growth in some of the state’s small towns. — Ginny Monk, Investigative Reporter Free bus fares for July 4th Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto announced Friday that CT Transit will offer free bus fares on July 4th and 5th, along with reduced price train tickets, to encourage public transit ridership to and from events celebrating America’s semiquincentennial. Events for the 250th birthday celebrations will take place in Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and elsewhere throughout the state. To facilitate travel to and from those events, Eucalitto said, DOT will provide increased train service and $2.50 fares along the Hartford and Shore Line East rail lines. The agency has also wrapped five CT Transit buses with new liveries promoting the state’s celebrations. — John Moritz, Energy Environment Reporter Safe harbor fund State leaders on Thursday announced the launch of a safe harbor fund meant to provide financial support to people traveling to Connecticut for reproductive or gender-affirming care from states where those services are restricted. Passed by the legislature in 2025, the safe harbor fund is supported entirely by private donations. The money is meant to go towards expenses like travel, lodging and childcare. The fund will launch with an initial $25,000 private donation by the Leonard Litz Foundation. Providers can apply for grants on the Treasurer’s website beginning July 1. — Katy Golvala, Health Reporter Blue Ribbon Commission briefed on special ed The Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 Funding and Affordability met Thursday to receive an overview of state special education funding from the consultant group Education Resource Strategies. Some noteworthy takeaways: Connecticut relies more heavily on outplacing special needs students than most other states. The cost of outplacing has been rising faster than inflation. Connecticut is also one of just two states whose primary special education funding mechanism is based around excess cost. Overall, $3.3 billion was spent on special education in Connecticut in 2024-2025. That’s far higher than state and federal funding, which combined is $477 million. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter DCF golf event The Department of Children and Families held a golf event on Thursday to celebrate fathers. Best Dads by Par was held at The Vue in Hamden and included fathers nominated by DCF employees for awards for their exemplary commitment to the stability and enrichment of their children. At the event, Gov. Ned Lamont encouraged more Connecticut residents to become foster parents. “Fathers, father figures and the role they play in a child’s life truly make a difference,” he said. The event is part of DCF’s larger efforts to highlight and fortify the role of fathers in child welfare. — Laura Tillman, Human Services Reporter Educator healthcare subsidy The Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board voted on Tuesday to approve a new healthcare subsidy for educators in the field. The subsidy is part of the state’s ambitious overhaul of the early childhood education sector and is designed to help retain and recruit workers to a field that has historically been unsustainable for many educators. The plan allows educators to get a health plan through Access Health CT and will provide educators with between $1,200 and $1,000 annually toward healthcare depending on income, as long as they make more than 175% of the Federal Poverty Line. — Laura Tillman, Human Services Reporter An online issues forum with Lamont, Elliott In two virtual sessions open to the public, the tri-state Regional Plan Association will quiz Lamont and Elliott separately Tuesday on their thoughts about housing, transportation and clean energy, among the other things. Registration information is available here. Peter Harrison, the organization’s Connecticut director, will question Lamont at 9 a.m. and Elliott at noon. Republican nominee Ryan Fazio, who voted against the housing bill favored by RPA and signed by Lamont, will chat with Harrison at 11 a.m. on July 9. — Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief SCOTUS immigration decision hits home Ruth Fortune, one of the four Democrats to qualify for the 1st Congressional District primary in August, was especially stung by the Supreme Court decision Thursday allowing the Trump administration to revoke the temporary protections accorded Haitians and Syrians. “It breaks my heart,” Fortune said in a video posted on line. Now a naturalized U.S. citizen, she came to the U.S. from Haiti as a 12-year-old and was undocumented for nearly a decade. The Temporary Protected Status program was created by Congress with bipartisan support and signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, giving legal status to migrants from countries in crisis. — Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief Lamont announced open space grants Gov. Ned Lamont announced the latest round of state grants to aid the acquisition of open spaces on Tuesday. The money, totaling $9.4 million, will help preserve 1,243 acres of land, his office said. The grants were awarded through Connecticut’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program, which began in 1998 with the goal of setting aside 21% of the state’s land area — more than 673,000 acres — as protected open space by 2023. Underinvestment during the early years of the program caused the state to miss that initial deadline, and officials say they are about four-fifths of the way toward meeting the program’s overall goals. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which administers the program, has enacted some changes recently, such as focusing on smaller tracts of land, that have allowed the agency to increase the pace of preservation. The latest round of grants will help preserve 14 different properties, mostly through local land trusts and other conservation groups, according to DEEP. — John Moritz, Energy Environment Reporter ...read more read less