Senator Ceci Maher, a Democrat, seeks reelection as state senator for the 26^th district, which encompasses Weston, Westport, Wilton, Redding, and parts of Ridgefield, Darien, New Canaan, and Stamford.

In an interview, Senator Maher said her most important role in office is “being responsive to the community and to help where help is needed.” She said she has been able to bring $10 million in state funds to towns in the district, including financial support for Weston’s emergency radio system, Westport’s Country Playhouse, and initial work to remediate the Gilbert & Bennett wire mill.

When Newtown Turnpike washed out in August’s torrential storm, Ms. Maher said she was “right on it with DOT.” She had high praise for the transportation department’s response to that emergency and for its speed to replace the I-95 bridge in Norwalk that was destroyed by fire in May.

Senator Maher chairs the legislature’s Children’s Committee, and much of her work is on children’s health and safety. She said she is pleased that a state Office of Behavioral Health Advocate has been established, that a gun violence prevention bill was enacted, and that a task force she championed has already started work to create a universal behavioral health intake process.

Ms. Maher said she is now focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence and cellphones on education. On the latter, she said she does not expect a state ban. “The state should provide support to school districts, who should be able to make their own decisions about appropriate use and grade levels. It’s important to give them flexibility. We are very aware that state actions can have unintended consequences.”

The environment

Senator Maher expressed disappointment that “important environmental bills” were not taken up in the last session. One, she said, provided support and information to towns about planning for roadway and infrastructure improvements to prepare for the effects of climate change.

She expects that measure and others, including one on emissions, will come forward in the next session. “I’m a glass half full type of person, positive but pragmatic. Government is a process. Nothing happens quickly. Legislation tends to be incremental.”

“For the most part,” she said, “I see that Republicans and Democrats work across the aisle to achieve what’s best for the state. We may not always agree on what is best for the state, but we do actually want to work together. It’s a very different environment than what goes on in D.C.”

Housing

“We can’t grow the economy of our state without sufficient housing,” said Senator Maher. She said the housing shortage complicates the task of attracting businesses to Connecticut. “Governor Lamont says the first question executives ask is: where would our people live if we located in Connecticut?”

“More business in Connecticut would mean more corporate tax revenue,” said Ms. Maher, “which would reduce the burden on individual taxpayers.”

She said, in Hartford, views about how to correct a shortfall of affordable housing are “growing toward a more realistic way of addressing it,” with a transit-oriented approach.

Choice, absentees, energy

On reproductive rights, Senator Maher said there has been “plenty of concern” since the Dobbs decision, but given existing Connecticut law she isn’t sure there is a need for the “difficult referendum process” of amending the State Constitution.

Ms. Maher said she is all for the amendment proposed on this year’s ballot to allow no-excuse absentee voting.

On electricity bills, Senator Maher said “I certainly recognize the impact” of the current spike caused by a PURA vote (over its chair’s objection) on the public benefits portion of bills to allow Eversource, over a period of only ten months, to recover costs from bills unpaid during the shutoff moratorium. Another portion goes back to a 2017 decision to continue operating the Millstone nuclear plant.

“Public benefits make sure seniors have electricity and that children are not living in a freezing home. And, a portion goes to clean energy,” said Ms. Maher.

She also took issue with a suggestion by Republican leaders in the legislature to take taxpayer money “and hand it to a corporation,” especially since doing so “would reduce electric bills for most people by $1 to $3.”

She noted that the unpaid bills are still due, and said it is not certain that collections will produce reductions in bills. “I don’t trust Eversource to do the right thing,” she said.