Connecticut
CT legislature OKs emergency heating funds: ‘People heating their homes with their ovens’
With temperatures plummeting across Connecticut, state lawmakers voted Wednesday for $17 million in emergency funding to keep residents warm during the coming cold weeks.
Lawmakers unanimously approved bipartisan legislation for $13.5 million for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program and another $3.5 million for Operation Fuel, a nonprofit that has been helping families with fuel bills for the past 46 years.
The state Senate voted 35-0 with one member absent, while the House of Representatives voted 147-0 with four members absent.
About 58,000 households have already exhausted their allotment this year, and they will be applying now to receive additional money, officials said. Gov. Ned Lamont immediately signed the bill before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the money will be allotted as quickly as possible.
While low-income customers who use electricity and natural gas cannot be shut off during the winter by the regulated utilities, those receiving fuel deliveries are not protected.
Using unspent federal COVID relief funds, lawmakers said they were stepping up to provide one-time money when the federal government did not provide supplemental funds.
“Due to a shortfall in federal funding, the funding has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the need out there has not,” said Sen. Matt Lesser, a Middletown Democrat who co-chairs the human services committee. “There are families out there who are trying to get through the entire winter on only $180 of heating assistance. It is 21 degrees outside in Hartford today, and $180 just does not go very far in terms of buying heating oil. There are people out there who are struggling.”
Lesser added, “We’re hearing lots of reports of people heating their homes with their ovens, running space heaters, and racking up major electric bills. The need out there is really great, and meanwhile, we had unspent [federal] funds that we’re going to be able to provide real relief starting immediately.”
The money will generally go to families who are already receiving benefits and who automatically qualify if they receive food stamps or other benefits, such as state supplements for the aged, blind and disabled. The maximum income allowed is 60% of the state’s median income, which is $54,338 per couple.
Cloe Poisson / Special to the Courant
State Sen. Matt Lesser, who co-chairs the legislature’s human services committee, says too many families have experienced the cold this year due to a lack of fuel assistance. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant
High needs in many districts
Sen. Jorge Cabrera, a Hamden Democrat, told the story of when he was young and his family had left the oven open in their home in the winter.
“I realized that we didn’t have the money to heat our home that particular week,” Cabrera said on the Senate floor. “It dawned on me that people are taking real risks.”
Decades later, Cabrera said Wednesday that he has heard similar instances and “heartbreaking stories” from senior citizens and others in his state Senate district in the Naugatuck Valley.
Sen. Herron Gaston, a Bridgeport Democrat, said he represents a district with many low-income residents who need financial assistance.
“I hear time and time again from constituents that they need help,” Gaston said.
A woman in his district had left her stove on for so long that the fire department told her that she could not stay in the home because the carbon monoxide levels were so high, Gaston said.
“On Valentine’s Day, this is an act of love,” Gaston said of the funding. “This is an act of compassion. … This is a moral call.”
Sen. Ceci Maher, a Wilton Democrat serving her first term, said some lawmakers might be surprised to learn that the needs are present even in affluent Fairfield County.
Sen. Jeff Gordon, a Woodstock Republican, said the money is important in his often-rural district that stretches to towns like Ashford, Chaplin and Eastford.
“More and more people are needing the help,” Gordon said, “especially for those who have any kind of medical condition.”
Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk said he personally had an oil delivery that was more than $4 per gallon.
“There are a lot of families who cannot pay that bill,” Duff said, adding that it is unhealthy for senior citizens to live in homes that are too cold. “My constituents say, ‘We need help.’ … That’s why we’re here today. … This is something that we have to do today because the need is greater than it had been before. It cannot wait until the budget is done in May. We have to do this today, which is why we have an emergency-certified bill.”
Senate Republican leader Kevin Kelly of Stratford, a major champion of increased fuel funding for years, joined in support. He has repeatedly called for increasing the benefit levels, not just the overall funding.
“I rise, grateful that we are going to do something,” Kelly said on the Senate floor. “Something is always better than nothing. … The people who are going to benefit from this are feeling the dysfunction of Washington, which has funded this in the past. … These families are having a tough time.”
With cold temperatures at times in an up-and-down winter, approved applications had increased by 8.6% over last year by mid-January, and nearly 60% of applicants had already exhausted their benefits. Due to the federal cuts, benefit levels were decreased at a time when demand for assistance increased.
“I understand Washington isn’t doing its job,” Kelly said. “We watch it on the nightly news. … This is a start – by no means, an end. … I wish and hope we can do more.”
Alison Cross
Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly has been pushing for years for increased home heating assistance. Here, he stands with colleagues Sens. Eric Berthel (left), Lisa Seminara and Tony Hwang of Fairfield at the state Capitol complex.
Democrats directly blamed the dysfunction on the U.S. House Republicans, but Republicans blamed both sides in Washington, D.C.
“When we speak of dysfunction at the federal level, I think we need to be more specific,” said Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, pointing directly at House Republicans.
But House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said there is enough blame to go around.
“Last I knew, we had a two-party system in the federal government,” Candelora said when asked by The Courant. “So, I wouldn’t deem it a Republican dysfunction. Clearly, it’s a Democrat and Republican dysfunction in Washington.”
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — The United States military carried out “large scale” strike inside Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday morning, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, according to President Donald Trump.
Leaders in Connecticut are responding to the military action.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shared the following statement.
“If we’re starting another endless war, with no clear national security strategy or need, count me out. Maduro is a cruel criminal dictator, but President Trump has never sought approval from Congress for war as the Constitution requires – and our military deserves. We’ve seen several Administrations lead us into conflicts without objectives or timelines and with disastrous consequences. President Trump has also articulated no clear end game to prevent further chaos, violence, and bloodshed in Venezuela. The American people deserve—and Congress should demand—facts and clarity.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the strike the start of an “illegal war” between the U.S. and Venezuela.
“President Trump thinks he is above the law. He steals from taxpayers. He thumbs his nose at the law. And now, he is starting an illegal war with Venezuela that Americans didn’t ask for and has nothing to do with our security. How does going to war in South America help regular Americans who are struggling? How does this do anything about drugs entering the U.S. when Venezuela produces no fentanyl? What is the actual security threat to the United States? And what happens next in Venezuela? He cannot answer these questions – and that’s why there was no briefing to Congress to explain this action, and no briefing scheduled. And Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable. This is about satisfying Trump’s vanity, making good on the long standing neocon grudge against Maduro, enriching Trump’s oil industry backers, and distracting voters from Epstein and rising costs.”
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said the Trump administration acted without congressional approval.
“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization, nor have I heard a strategy for the day after and how we will prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos. Secretary Rubio repeatedly denied to Congress that the Administration intended to force regime change in Venezuela. The Administration must immediately brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision.”
State Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding (R-Conn.) shared that he hopes Maduro is brought to justice, calling him an “integral culprit” in the “narcotic ring” in the United States.
“President Maduro has been an integral culprit in fostering the narcotic ring in our country which has killed far too many Americans. I hope he is brought to justice and we can continue to address the substance abuse crisis that our state and country continues to face.
The Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party Ben Proto shared the following statement.
“President Trump promised to stop the flow of drugs into the US that have been killing millions of Americans. Nicolas Maduro, who declared himself President, while getting about 30% of the vote in the last so called free election in Venezuela, was given multiple warnings to stop the flow of drugs from his country into America, was offered help by the Trump administration in stopping the flow, but he continued to, not only allow the flow of drugs, but condone it and profit from it. Presidents have long used their constitutional authority to intervene in other countries when those countries posed a danger to America and Americans. President Trump did just that. Unfortunately Democrats, particularly Jim Himes, Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal are more interested in playing politics than in protecting Americans. Nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents died from drug overdoses in 2024 and we have seen an increase in overdoses in 2025. If only Democrats cared as much about Americans as they do about a drug lord running another country who profits from the death of Americans.“
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) demanded that Congress must be briefed before further action.
“As information about U.S military strikes in Venezuela unfold, I have more questions than answers. Nicolas Maduro is a brutal dictator who caused so much harm to his people. However, as Americans we must seriously weigh the consequences of attacking a sovereign nation and committing to “run Venezuela.” Congress must be briefed immediately, before this situation continues to escalate. I will comment further as credible information becomes available to Members of Congress.“
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) shared the following statement, claiming that there could be “severe repercussions for American interests.”
“President Trump’s unilateral decision to attempt a regime change operation in Venezuela by using military force to capture Nicolas Maduro and declaring, ‘we will run the country’, threatens global order and is a fundamental violation of the Constitution, which gives Congress the responsibility of authorizing major military actions that could have severe repercussions for American interests.
“America’s unprecedented global strength and prosperity was built on this principle of restraining military force through democratic bodies like Congress. President Trump has shredded this principle, and along with it has destroyed American credibility and emboldened our adversaries to act with similar aggression. This new foreign policy that President Trump and his advisors have used to justify this act of war, including invoking the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine as a justification for America to do whatever it pleases in the Western Hemisphere, is the exact same reasoning that China would use to justify invading Taiwan, and which Russia has used to assault Ukraine.
“President Trump has also now threatened Cuba with similar language, and is preparing a giant corrupt giveaway to oil companies by claiming that the United States will acquire Venezuela’s oil. This is corruption of the highest order. Maduro was an authoritarian who stayed in power despite the will of the people, but that does not justify the United States in starting a war to benefit some of the world’s wealthiest corporations.
“President Trump did all of this without the consent of Congress, and without providing any details or day-after plans. The full consequences of this act of war will not be known for some time, and they may require putting American boots on the ground in Venezuela, as the President has said he was prepared to do. The American people do not want to be dragged into another endless conflict distracting from the rising cost of living and the affordability crisis. Whatever happens next, the responsibility will be squarely with President Trump and his contempt for the Constitution and for Congress.”
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) echoed the statements of his fellow Democrats.
“This is yet another authoritarian power grab by Donald Trump. As he indicated in his address, it’s clear it’s about the oil!!! And securing that oil!!! And securing it with the use of our brave men and women in the United States military!!! The Constitution entrusts Congress, not the President, with the power to declare war for a reason. It’s Congress’s responsibility to decide whether the nation goes to war or not! That’s why I’m joining with others in calling on the President to immediately brief Congress—and for Congress to assert its authority under the Constitution and the War Powers Act—to let this President know he does not have the authority to unilaterally commit our country to yet another endless war.“
This is a developing story. Stay with News 8 for updates.
ALLERTON, NY. (WFSB) – A Connecticut teenager has died and another is injured following a shooting in New York on Saturday night.
A 911 call reported shots were fired inside of a building located on Adee Avenue in Allerton at around 6 p.m., according to the New York Police Department.
When crews arrived, they found a male suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.
On scene officers also found a 14-year-old near Laconia Avenue that was also suffering from a gunshot wound to the left arm.
First responders quickly responded to the scene and transported both victims to nearby hospitals.
The male they initially located was in critical condition but later died due to the extent of his injuries.
Officials have now identified the victim as 15-year-old Eric Aitken of Waterbury.
The 14-year-old remains in stable condition.
Police said no arrests have been made at this time.
This incident remains under investigation.
No further details were released.
Eyewitness News will provide more details as soon as they become available.
Copyright 2025 WFSB. All rights reserved.
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