Martin M. Looney (born July 23, 1948) is an American politician. Looney, a Democrat, has been a state senator from Connecticut since 1993. From 2003 to 2014, Looney served as Majority Leader of the Senate; in 2015 he became President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Looney, a resident of New Haven, represents the eastern half of the city as well as parts of Hamden in the Connecticut Senate. He is also a part-time professor at Quinnipiac University and the University of New Haven in Hamden, CT and West Haven, CT, respectively, where he teaches classes such as State and Local Governments.
Looney is a supporter of legislation strengthening gun safety measures. In 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook mass shooting, Looney introduced 17 bills that would change firearm control and rights in Connecticut.[3] He was instrumental in the eventual passage of legislation considered some of the strongest in the country.[4]
Looney led the creation of Connecticut’s Earned Income Tax Credit in 2011 and has been influential in ensuring it remains a part of the state’s budget. The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, is a state income tax credit supporting low-income working individuals and families.[5]
Looney led passage of legislation to cap the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs like insulin[6] and has introduced legislation to reduce the cost of pharmaceutical drugs in Connecticut through use of generic drug manufacturers.[7] He led the Senate during the passage of the legalization of marijuana[8] and was Senate Majority Leader during the abolition of the state’s death penalty.[9]
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