Hartford CT

GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS LEGISLATION STRENGTHENING THE ABILITY TO PROSECUTE HATE CRIMES

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed legislation into law that will improve the ability of police and prosecutors to charge criminals with hate crimes and seek their associated enhanced penalties. “Connecticut proudly led the nation in the adoption of hate crimes laws, but after three decades of expanded statutes, we needed to streamline our laws in order for them to be effective for police and prosecutors,” Governor Lamont said. “Our decision to consolidate our existing hate crime statutes into one law reflects feedback we received many criminal justice and legal experts. Hate crimes are on the rise nationwide, and many communities feel that the federal government is emboldening hate speech and discrimination against them.…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL 97,000 CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO HAVE MEDICAL DEBT ERASED

Letters Being Mailed This Week Under Fourth Round of the Lamont Administration’s Medical Debt Erasure Initiative (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that more than 97,000 Connecticut residents can anticipate receiving letters in the mail starting the week of June 1, 2026, informing them that some or all of their medical debt has been erased under an initiative the Lamont administration launched in partnership with the national nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt to give relief to qualifying residents who are having difficulties paying outstanding medical bills. This fourth round of the initiative is eliminating nearly $315 million in medical debt. In total, more than 252,000 Connecticut residents who’ve been struggling with medical bills have had more than $513 million in medical debt…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS FY 2027 STATE BUDGET, DELIVERING A RELIABLE PATH FORWARD FOR SCHOOLS AND MUNICIPALITIES AND INCREASING AFFORDABILITY INITIATIVES

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law the fiscal year 2027 budget adjustment bill (Public Act 26-68), which his administration developed in collaboration with legislative leaders and was overwhelmingly approved on a bipartisan basis by the members of the Connecticut General Assembly. Most notably, the budget includes an historic increase in state funding for every school district and municipality statewide with the goal of helping towns and cities deliver essential services, while also working to stabilize and lower property taxes. It also includes a major investment into the state’s Early Childhood Education Endowment to continue Governor Lamont’s landmark expansion of early childhood education programs, continuing the state on the path forward toward providing…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG WARNS AGAINST JOB RECRUITER SCAMS

(Hartford, CT)- Attorney General William Tong today urged Connecticut job seekers to remain vigilant against elaborate job recruitment scams. Cybercriminals are impersonating recruiters from legitimate companies to steal money, personal information, and other sensitive information from job seekers. These scams often appear on popular job search websites, like Indeed and LinkedIn, and on social media. The criminals may identify and target job seekers who have recently posted about the job search, layoffs, or displayed an “open to work” banner on their profiles. “As graduates begin searching for jobs and launching their careers, scammers are preying on that excitement and luring victims into handing over money and personal information. A legitimate recruiter or employer will never require payment for a job…

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Attorney General Tong Challenges Federal Rule Limiting Student Loans for Professional Degrees

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OVER STUDENT LOAN RULE LIMITING ACCESS TO STUDENT LOANS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS Coalition challenges unlawful rule that could restrict access to advanced education and worsen workforce shortages (Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over a new rule that unlawfully limits access to federal student loans for students pursuing professional degree programs, including many healthcare and other critical workforce fields. The lawsuit challenges a recently finalized Department of Education rule that narrows the federal definition of “professional degree” and imposes restrictions Congress did not authorize. The coalition argues the rule unlawfully excludes many degree programs…

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Attorney General Tong Announces Court Ruling Against Federal Tariffs

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG WINS LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ILLEGAL TARIFFS Court of International Trade Invalidates Tariffs that are Increasing Prices and Inflicting Chaos on the American Economy Following Lawsuit Filed by 24 States (Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong yesterday secured an order invalidating President Trump’s latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on products purchased by American consumers and businesses. A federal court granted summary judgment in the lawsuit filed March 5 by 24 states, including Connecticut. “We just beat Donald Trump for the second time in the Court of International Trade to stop his illegal tariffs from inflicting needless chaos and costs on American families. We sued to block his first round of lawless tariffs and won 6-3…

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Sen. Tony Hwang Honored After Nearly Two Decades of Public Service

Sen. Hwang Bids Farewell to CT State Senate Following Nearly Two Decades of Public Service; Honored by Bipartisan Colleagues HARTFORD – State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) on Tuesday delivered an emotional farewell address in the State Senate circle as colleagues honored his nearly 20 years of service in the Connecticut General Assembly ahead of the close of the 2026 legislative session on May 6. Sen. Hwang served six years in the House of Representatives before joining the State Senate in 2014. Sen. Hwang, who historically became the first Asian American elected to the Senate, reflected on his American immigrant experience, the privilege of public service, and the responsibility of preserving the institution of integrity, civility and statesmanship. “We are truly…

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Sephora Agrees to Safeguards on Anti-Aging Products for Kids After CT Investigation

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES SEPHORA TO ADOPT SAFEGUARDS REGARDING MARKETING OF ANTI-AGING SKINCARE PRODUCTS TO KIDS FOLLOWING CONNECTICUT INVESTIGATION (Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today announced that Sephora has adopted new safeguards regarding marketing of anti-aging skincare products to kids, resolving an investigation by the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. In November 2024, Attorney General Tong sent a letter to beauty retailer Sephora regarding the company’s marketing and promotion of anti-aging products to children. The letter noted that many of these anti-aging products contain active ingredients, including retinol and other acids, that are often unsuitable for—and potentially even harmful—to children’s skin. Despite this, social media is rife with influencer content targeting young users suggesting such products will…

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Connecticut Attorney General Joins Multi-State Lawsuit Challenging Federal Election Order

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER UNLAWFUL EXECUTIVE ORDER ATTEMPTING TO EXERT FEDERAL CONTROL OVER ELECTIONS Executive Order Threatens to Disenfranchise Eligible Voters and Violates States’ Authority to Administer Elections (Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and one governor in suing President Trump in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenging his Executive Order that attempts to interfere with states’ authority to administer elections by restricting voter eligibility and mail voting to lists of voters pre-authorized by the federal government. On March 31, President Trump signed an Executive Order attempting to establish a national list of eligible voters and directing the U.S. Postal Service, an independent federal…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG CHALLENGES ROLLBACK OF LIMITS ON DANGEROUS EMISSIONS OF MERCURY AND OTHER HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FROM POWER PLANTS

(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of # states and local governments in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule and reversion to outdated standards that harm the environment and public health. The MATS Rule implements nationwide standards that limit emissions of toxic air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants, including mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxic metals, in addition to acid gases, such as hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde. In 2024, following significant developments in the technologies used to control pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the standards for emissions of these hazardous air pollutants from power plants. Last month, the Trump administration rolled back…

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