CONGREGATION ORGANIZED FOR A NEW CT

1)CONECTs Criminal Legal Reform Team went into action after it became clear in late 2022 that clarifying technical legislation would be required to help implement CTs Clean Slate automated criminal record expungement law. Team leaders negotiated with the Governors staff to craft the legislation and then worked with key legislators to see the bill passed and then signed into law by Gov. Lamont (HB 6918 of 2023); 2)CONECTs Education Team worked actively through the first half of the year with allies, such as FaithActs for Education and the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, to press for full and fair funding for K-12 schools around the state after years of CT underfunding or ignoring its own Educational Cost Sharing formula to support poorer school districts. CONECTs pressure, along with that of our many allies, resulted in a $150 million increase in K-12 funding in FY 2025 and an additional $122 million increase in FY 3)CONECTs Health / Mental Health Team pressed for action to pilot crisis receiving centers or crisis stabilization centers in CT to be a third place alternative to serve people in acute mental health crisis instead of in Emergency Rooms or in prisons / jails; 4)Organized two sets of Regional Gatherings in fall of 2023 to engage leaders from member congregations locally in the Greater New Haven, Greater Bridgeport, and Greater New Haven regions. The three held in October focused on rebuilding relationships in one-to-one conversations and the three in November focused on more House Meeting style small group discussions to spur story sharing around issues and concerns affecting individuals, families, and communities in each region; 5)Started laying the groundwork to organize a Housing Team based on the numerous stories shared at the Regional Gatherings about pressing issues of housing affordability; 6)Organized and supported local issue work in Hamden (home foundation repair, open space, affordable housing), in Trumbull (Policing & Eid holiday), in Meriden (schools), and more; 7)Continued work to develop a strategy for community education and buy in on sharing Race, Ethnicity, and Language (REaL) data with health care providers; 8)Continued to support the progress of the National Gun Safety Consortium in testing life-saving gun safety & locking devices; 9)Recruited one Congregational Church (United Church on the Green, New Haven) to join CONECT; 10)Trained roughly 50 leaders on organizing concepts, ideas, and tools.