State Rep. Kathy Kennedy (R-119) joined fellow state House members on Jan. 26 in voting for a union contract for the State Police that would broadly raise their wages.
The contract includes several new approaches to encouraging State Police recruitment. The contract will implement roughly a 20 percent estimated salary increase for 888 employees over the next four years while also addressing meal reimbursements, health and wellness stipends, overtime compensation and trainee pay.
“With record numbers of law enforcement officers looking out-of-state for employment, we need to incentivize recruitment and attract officers to stay,” Kennedy, who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said. “There’s no question that we need to return trust and respect to our police, and through passing this agreement, we are supporting necessary salary increases, addressing overtime concerns, and enacting the first step in growing our state police force for a safer Connecticut.”
The final vote in the House was 142-1, with only Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco (R-Wolcott) voting against it for what she said were financial reasons. The legislation also passed the state Senate by a margin of 35-1.