Senator Timothy D. Larson
Deputy Majority Leader
Chair:Insurance & Real Estate; Public Safety & Security
Vice Chair:Commerce; General Law
Member:Transportation
Tim was elected in November 2014, and again in 2016, to serve the 3rd State Senatorial District communities of East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, and South Windsor.
Prior to his time in the Senate, Tim had served three terms as the state representative for the 11th Assembly District of East Hartford, South Windsor, and Manchester.
Spurring more economic development has been a top priority for Senator Larson. In 2014, he worked to help the United Technologies Corp. upgrade and expand its aerospace research and manufacturing facilities across the state.
Larson helped create the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund for targeted industries to expand facilities and develop new products, and allowed large manufacturers to convert unclaimed research and development tax credits into tax refunds or offsets for purchasing machinery and equipment.
In addition, Tim instituted the Manufacturing Reinvestment Account program to help small manufacturers fund capital investments and train their workforce.
Tim has also fought to increase funding for education and ensuring our children have access to a first-class education. In addition, as the chairman of the Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies (MORE) Commission, Tim worked in a bipartisan manner with legislators, mayors,
first selectmen and other municipal employees to find ways to reduce our
government’s reliance on local property taxes.
In 2014, the MORE Commission, led by Tim announced its decision to help cities and towns reduce costs and increase efficiencies through regional cooperation, by improving the use IT technology. Nearly $1.3 million was approved by the state legislature to support the MORE IT demonstration projects; a series of five IT capabilities to be demonstrated to local towns and cities including web hosting services, video streaming, voice-over-internet protocol telephony, electronic document management, and an HR portal through projects coordinated by the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CROG) and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT).
Tim is currently the Vice President of the Hartford Marathon Foundation and serves as board member of the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau. He has focused his charitable work on children, families, and the community by having served as President of the East Hartford Interfaith Ministries, a Director of Rebuilding East Hartford Together, and served as a member of the Rotary Club.
Prior to his election to state office, Senator Larson served eight years as mayor in the Town of East Hartford. In that role, Tim took steps to rebuild the Town’s infrastructure, and saw the development of Rentschler Field Stadium, and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Tim was also responsible for the consolidation of public safety facilities in East Hartford by combining police, fire, emergency management, and dispatch under one roof.
Tim also supported Redevelopment projects on Main Street and Burnside Avenue, and strengthened the town through tight fiscal policy which helped keep necessary services for town residents while building up the town’s rainy day fund.
During the 2015 legislative session, Tim led bipartisan support of landmark gaming legislation allowing for one additional casino to be owned and operated by two major Connecticut casinos. In March of the same year, Tim stood with Senate Democratic leadership and unveiled legislation to provide a major tax breaks for retired veterans. As of July 1, 2015, the law fully exempts taxable military retirement pay from the state income tax.
Senator Larson is a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in Sociology.
He is a successful businessman, having served as President of the Larson and Lysik Insurance Agency and he is currently the Executive Director of the Tweed New Haven Regional Airport Authority.
Tim, his wife Nancy and their children Matthew and Arianna are residents of East Hartford. Nancyis currently the principal of Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor, Connecticut. Both Matthew and Arianna are currently completing graduate work at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC.