© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Connecticut lawmakers discuss legislative proposals surrounding health care access

HARTFORD, CT - February 22, 2021: Trinity Health RN Kayla Bennett gives Hartford resident James Watts his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a neighborhood vaccine clinic at the Parker Memorial Community Center. (Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public)
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public
Trinity Health RN Kayla Bennett gives Hartford resident James Watts his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a neighborhood vaccine clinic at the Parker Memorial Community Center, Feb. 22, 2021.

During this legislative session, Connecticut state lawmakers are tackling a number of proposals, including health care reform.

They met Wednesday at the state Capitol to discuss the proposed bills that would make changes to Medicaid and mental health care access for children in Connecticut.

Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney says the stress and anxiety that many consumers experience over rising health care costs while dealing with a preexisting illness is becoming a compounding problem.

“Everyone in Connecticut needs and deserves the confidence that when they need health care, they will be able to receive it in a way that’s not financially crushing,” Looney said.

Sen. Ceci Maher emphasized that mental health issues are taking the biggest toll on children.

“A lot of parents, families and communities think of mental health as being something that is not talked about,” Maher said. “We know that our children now, they talk about it, they’re aware. So if they’re aware and understand the needs that they have, we need to be sure that we are providing the care for them.”

Sen. Matt Lesser says he hopes 2023 is a “banner year” in Connecticut for health care reform.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.