Gov. Ned Lamont has pitched a plan to spend over $18 million more of the state's emergency response fund that was designed to counter funding cuts and delays from the Trump administration.
In a letter Thursday to legislative leaders the Democrat outlined his second round of plans for using the reserves, noting “additional funding needs may be identified” to assign more of the remaining $313 million before the Feb. 4 deadline.
“The emergency is not over, and we still have a three alarm fire, and every day there's more incoming,” Lamont said.
Lamont had first designated over $167 million from the $500 million fund, the bulk of which took the place of some of the expired Affordable Care Act subsidies to help people purchase health insurance. The money also bolstered funding for Connecticut Foodshare and United Way’s 211 Call Center, and funded the Continuum of Care program, along with Medicaid reimbursements Planned Parenthood lost under the federal tax and spending plan.
Here’s what’s included in the latest proposal:
- $11.4 million for the state share of system upgrades at the Department of Social Services to implement eligibility changes to SNAP and Medicaid
- $2 million through June 20, 2027 for community health workers helping residents navigate eligibility changes to SNAP and Medicaid
- $4,513,000 through June 30, 2027 to backfill community school grants that fund wraparound services for schools and community members in New Haven, Waterbury and Hartford
- $830,000 through June 30, 2027 for mental health counselors provided by EdAdvance to schools in the northwest region of Connecticut
The latest expenditures come out of the remaining balance left in a $500 million fund state lawmakers approved in the November special legislative session. If a majority of Connecticut’s six bipartisan legislative leaders don’t vote against the proposal, it will take effect.
Lamont also said he plans to issue another emergency declaration in February so lawmakers can continue to use the fund in cases such as a loss or delay in federal funds, or a government shutdown.
A partial shutdown is possible this week in the midst of negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding and Democrats’ demands for ICE reforms. This comes in the wake of Alex Pretti being shot and killed by a federal officer, the second shooting death at the hands of a federal immigration agent this month amid the ICE surge in Minneapolis.
“I don't know what's gonna come in tomorrow.” Lamont said. “We're doing the analysis just like we seem to do every two weeks: How will this impact us? Where do we have enough reserves so we know we can keep going for another month or three, and where do we have to respond?”
