The CSU-AAUP Legislative Committee worked hard to engage more members and students from all four CSU campuses in our fight this spring. We focused on three distinct areas of work this year:

1. Increased CSCU System funding
2. Extending the PACT/Mary Ann Handley Program into the CSUs
3. Advocating for Connecticut for All’s Equity Agenda

Central to all that work was a push to adjust the "fiscal guardrails," a set of rules that prohibited the use of state surpluses to address Connecticut’s unmet need.

Our union had numerous meetings with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the leadership of the Democratic caucuses within the Senate and the House, and the chairs of all the key legislative committees. CSU-AAUP members met with more legislators (both Democrats and Republicans) than ever before in our union's history. Our organization is building real and lasting relationships with a large number of legislators.

CSU-AAUP members advocated and lobbied for our membership, our students, and our institutions. And our inside game was matched by our presence at demonstrations, protests, press conferences, events, and picket lines across the state.

Against a backdrop of federal threats, CSU-AAUP’s legislative record saw some wins and losses. Although our system funding total was disappointing (largely due to system mismanagement and the system’s perverse accumulation of reserves), we won a big victory with the passage of PACT/Mary Ann Handley Award into the CSUs. Our work on the Equity Agenda also helped win several important victories, but there is more work to do on other issues.

CSU-AAUP members testified on a number of Equity Agenda issues. Below is a sample of some of members' work in front of legislative committees.

Appropriations Committee

• Once again CSSU-AAUP organized a large number of members and students to testify at the Appropriations Committee, urging it to amend and expand upon the Governor’s budget proposal for Public Higher Education in Connecticut (February 19, 2025).
• CSU-AAUP testified on the Governor’s proposed FY25 Budget on K-12 Funding. Members advocated for more K-12 funding and revision of the Educational Cost Sharing Formula (Feb 20, 2025).
• CSU-AAUP members testified in opposition to SB24, An Act Preventing Overtime Payments From Being Used to Calculate the Retirement Income From State Employees. This bill was an attack on public sector workers, denying the reality that for a lot of state agencies overtime work is necessary in order for state services to be provided (March 28, 2025).

Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee

• Supporting our colleagues in the 4Cs union, CSU-AAUP members testified in support of SB1414, an act that would require a phased-in reduction in the percentage of courses taught by part-time faculty at CT State Community College (March 4, 2025).
• CSU-AAUP members testified in strong opposition to SB980, An Act Improving Safety on the Campuses of Institutions Higher Education. This proposed bill did not solve the problem it purported to remedy (March 7, 2025).
• More than 100 members, students, community allies, campus presidents, union siblings, and the CSCU Chancellor testified in support of expanding the Debt-Free PACT/Mary Ann Handley program into the CSUs (HB6885). This legislation was the first that CSU-AAUP members developed and pushed from beginning to end, and we had support from across the state (March 7, 2025).

Human Services Committee

• CSU-AAUP members testified in support of HB6864, an expansion of HUSKY up to age 26 regardless of Immigration Status. Earlier expansions of HUSKY coverage have had a positive impact on our state, and members argued that expansion should continue. CSU-AAUP also advocated for in increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates (Feb 28, 2025).

Judiciary Committee

• CSU-AAUP joined many individuals and organizations from across the state to advocate for protecting Connecticut’s immigrant communities, as seen in HB7212, An Act Concerning the Trust Act. This bill would have ensured that our state’s resources and officials remain outside federal immigration enforcement matters (March 19, 2025).

Housing Committee

• CSU-AAUP testified in support of HB6889, An Act Concerning Evictions for Cause. This bill would help ensure that tenants are not arbitrarily displaced (Feb 18, 2025).

Education Committee

• CSU-AAUP members testified in support of Equitably Funded K-12 Public Schools and Special Education. These bills (SB1244 and HB6866) urged an additional $545 million increase to K-12 education and an update to Connecticut’s Educational Cost Share (ECS) formula to include Special Education students (Feb 19, 2025).
• CSU-AAUP testified in support of SB1511, a bill that would address the inequity that defines Connecticut’s K-12 schools. Members called for an increase to the ECS formula and questioned why students in our state that need the most support are getting the lowest level of funding (March 19, 2025).

Select Committee on Special Education

• CSU-AAUP testified in support of HB7277, An Act Concerning the Provision of Special Education in Connecticut. This bill addresses the special education crisis within our state, revising the Education Cost Sharing formula, as it creates caseload caps to prevent teacher burnout (April 21, 2025).

Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee

• CSU-AAUP members testified and submitted testimony in support of An Act Establishing a Capital Gains Surcharge. This capital gains surcharge would tax an individual’s unearned income (of the two highest income tax brackets). Members also supported a refundable Child Tax Credit (Feb 25, 2025; SB 742, SB 740 and HB 5986).
• In an attempt to get legislators to pass progressive revenue, CSU-AAUP testified in support of SB1528, An Act Concerning a Study of State Taxation. Our union asked the committee to pass a capital gains surtax, a mansion tax, a tax increase on the top tier of wage earners, and an increase in corporate taxes (March 24, 2025).