Supporting Hardworking Families
When Connecticut families need help, Kara Rochelle is there. From her working-class upbringing to now in her professional life organizing rank and file healthcare workers for better wages and working conditions, Kara understands the struggle families face to make ends meet. In Hartford, Kara fights to cut taxes, create good paying jobs, and to deliver affordable healthcare and childcare, ensuring a decent way of life for her neighbors.
Cutting Taxes and Making CT More Affordable
Kara has supported numerous bills and initiatives to lessen the tax burden on hard-working residents and will continue to do so. Since 2019, Kara has worked hard to:
Deliver $600 Million in middle and working class tax cuts statewide
Expand tax cuts on retirement income for seniors
Establish a CT Child Tax Credit of $250 for each child, up to 3 children, for middle and working class families
Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit from 30.5% to 41.5%, which helps return income to over 2,500 tax filers in Ansonia and Derby
Increased the property tax credit to $300 and expanded eligibility to middle- and working-class tax filers
Lowered property taxes on cars to 32.46 mils – meaning lower car taxes for you in Ansonia and Derby
In addition to this, Kara has worked to lessen exorbitant costs on working families, such as:
Increased education funding to local schools by over $6 Million
Supported CT’s debt-free community college initiative so more students can attain professional and technical job training
Expanded the student loan payment tax credit – allowing more employers to assist their workers with loan repayment
Expanded guaranteed healthcare coverage for all children under 13
Increased funding for Care4Kids, the Parent-Child Resource Center, Birth to Three, and other vital programs to support the care and wellbeing of our children locally
Secured 2.5% cost of living increases for our nonprofit providers
Delivered $50 Million in capital funding for nonprofits
These accomplishments build on work Kara did in her first term, including establishing the Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program in Connecticut. The program ensures that nobody has to choose between a paycheck and caring for a sick family member. In addition, Kara worked to secure increases to the minimum wage, directly impacting nearly 6,000 residents in Ansonia & Derby – providing higher pay, economic stability, and a better quality of life.