Congregations Organized for a NEw CT
ISSUES & ACTIONS
August 2025
As St. Anthony’s moves forward with our engagement with Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT), we are looking to develop a simple periodic summary of what the organization has been up to and upcoming calls to action. We hope this will make it easy for our parish community to connect with CONECT!
Currently, CONECT has four “action teams”: criminal legal reform, gun safety, housing and immigration. Let’s see what CONECT’s Teams have been up to during the 2025 Legislative Session and how you, even as a beginner, can get involved.
Criminal Legal Reform (2 issues)
So, what’s the big deal about a driver’s license? Ever tried to prove your identity without one? Could you get to work, transport your kids or pick up groceries without illegally driving your car if your license was suspended? For those living paycheck to paycheck, missing a payment on a minor moving infraction could quickly compound into an insurmountable debt. Failure to pay and your license is gone.
CONECT took on this issue on behalf of folks on the margin with this situation and helped pass a law on July 1 prohibiting suspension of drivers’ licenses without allowing the opportunity for a payment plan. While this was not a problem for those who can promptly pay the whole fee, it can be devastating for some who cannot—leading to loss of jobs, income and sometimes incarceration. CONECT was a big part in fixing it.
However, there are still major issues with implementing “Clean Slate”, already-passed CT legislation to automatically erase criminal records for certain convictions after a set period of time for individuals who remain free of the criminal justice system upon release from incarceration. This issue impacts about 184,000 people in Connecticut whose visible records impede their ability to get a job, find housing or educational opportunities. A task force, answering to the Governor’s Office, has promised a solution to the software issues impeding this implementation (again) this fall. Stay tuned; this issue may need more work from CONECT.
Gun Safety
In connection with “Do Not Stand Idly By” (DNSIB) CONECT’s team collaborates with the National Gun Safety Consortium (NGSC) to work with law enforcement agencies to provide the latest safety devices to reduce accidental firearm injuries. Along with 13 CT police departments, CONECT was instrumental in advocating for participation with Fairfield PD.
The next step in this effort is for the DNSIB team to share the data and good news from this effort with the South Central Criminal Justice Administration to bring these improvements to all law enforcement agencies in our region.
Housing (2 issues)
“Yes In God’s Back Yard” (YIGBY) legislation promotes faith communities’ (such as churches with excess property) developing land they own for use as affordable housing. CONECT supports state-level legislation streamlining zoning laws with clear criteria to facilitate these endeavors.
However, its companion Work, Live, Ride bill, did not fare as well. It ended up incorporated in the omnibus Housing Bill (HB 5002), which was passed in the Legislature but vetoed by Governor Lamont. (The bill was designed to assist cities and towns in building more affordable housing near railroad and bus stations.) Revising this important Bill to meet the Governor’s objection is part of on-going negotiations as the legislators, Government officials and others continue to consider options to address important housing issues in Connecticut.
Immigration
CONECT was integral in passing legislation strengthening the TRUST Act in Connecticut. This prevents law enforcement in our state from cooperating with ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement), except with persons convicted of certain serious crimes or under a judicial arrest warrant.
This will become an issue again in the fall special legislative session as additional provisions are brought forward. Stay tuned for how you can advocate for this critical issue.