State Senator Stephen Harding
State Senator Stephen Harding
Senate Minority Leader
Stephen Harding, named Senate Minority Leader in 2024, represents Connecticut’s 30th Senate District. He was first elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving four terms in the 107th House District. A lawyer and Brookfield resident for nearly 30 years, Senator Harding has been involved with local boards and is a coach for youth sports. He serves as Ranking Member of the Environment Committee and Legislative Management Committee. He is also a member on the Education, Finance, and Judiciary Committees.
CT Dairy Farmers’ Day!🐄
Today at the Capitol, I had the chance to meet with Connecticut’s dairy farmers, including the team from Arethusa Farm. I also met Resilience, a young calf who made the trip to Hartford and held her own among the legislators.
The name is fitting. Connecticut’s dairy farmers have shown incredible resilience, but resilience alone cannot sustain an industry.
Connecticut’s 79 dairy farms support more than 2,600 jobs and contribute approximately $69 million in state taxes each year. They preserve the rural landscapes that define our state. They feed our families and anchor our local economies. And right now, they need more than appreciation. They need a legislature that is serious about making farming more affordable in Connecticut.
The people who grow our food should not be fighting this hard to stay in business. Rising costs, regulatory burdens, and taxes are pushing family farms to the brink. We can and should do better.
Great news! The Northwest Connecticut Food Hub in Torrington is receiving a $200,000 grant to purchase locally grown food and distribute it through schools, pantries, and community programs right here in our region. This means more Connecticut-grown produce reaching neighbors in need while supporting the hardworking farmers who grow it.
It was great meeting with the team at Education without Walls in New Milford. EWoW is built on the belief that every child deserves an education tailored to who they are, not a one-size-fits-all approach. They work with students individually to build confidence, foster independent thinking, and cultivate a genuine love of learning.
Every student learns differently, and parents deserve the right to choose the environment where their child will thrive. EWoW is living proof of what’s possible when families have that freedom.