Month: May 2017

Statement of Senator Cathy Osten on Today’s Passage of S.B. 957, Casino Gaming in Connecticut

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Statement of Senator Cathy Osten on Today’s Passage of S.B. 957, Casino Gaming in Connecticut

State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague), who is Senate Co-Chair of the Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement following the final passage in the Appropriations Committee of Senate Bill 957, AN ACT CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF GAMING AND THE AUTHORIZATION OF A CASINO GAMING FACILITY IN THE STATE. The bill passed on a 33-13 bipartisan vote and now heads to the floor of the state Senate for consideration.

“This was an important vote today because the Appropriations Committee members clearly recognized the value of saving jobs in Connecticut, jobs that are in most every city and town in the state. There are 140 communities in Connecticut that send 12,000 employees to work in the gaming industry every day.

“MGM has said on the record that they will do whatever they can to destroy jobs in Connecticut with their new Springfield, Massachusetts casino. Today’s vote in the Appropriations Committee was a vote to stop MGM from destroying Connecticut jobs.

“I want to note that today’s vote was also a bipartisan vote, and I’m very pleased that legislators on both sides of the political aisle saw fit to stand up and protect Connecticut jobs.”

McCrory Welcomes State Aid for Hartford Housing

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McCrory Welcomes State Aid for Hartford Housing

State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford) today welcomed an announcement by Governor Dannel P. Malloy that nearly $11 million in state funding has been approved to support the development of seven affordable housing projects in the state, including Willow Creek Phase II in Hartford, which is the second redevelopment phase of Bowles Park, near the University of Hartford.

Willow Creek Phase II will consist of 43 new units: 38 units for households with incomes up to 60 percent of Area Median Income, with eleven units of project-based Section 8 rental subsidies, nine supportive units for homeless individuals and families with special needs, and five market-rate units.

The Willow Creek Phase II Bowles Park project is within walking distance of schools, retail establishments, and neighborhood recreation centers.

“I understand the funding mechanism involved here is attractive to developers, and that building these homes creates jobs and economic activity,” Sen. McCrory said. ‘I’m all for that. That’s all well and good. But the bottom line for me is that we’re building new, affordable homes for people who need them, who are going to use these new units as the centerpiece of their lives, to raise a family, to be a part of the community, to do good. That’s what we all want, a place to call home. To me that’s the best outcome from this announcement today.”

Funding for Willow Creek and the other projects comes through federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program, which is administered by Connecticut Housing Finance Authority.

This year marks the 30th year of the LIHTC program; it is one of the oldest public-private partnerships and has a long track record of success, delivering thousands of units of affordable housing. By selling their tax credits to investors, developers can obtain equity financing to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct new low- or moderate-income housing.

Overall, aid for the seven multifamily housing development announced today will create a total of 578 rental units, with 401 designated as affordable and 177 as market rate. The properties are projected to generate 964 jobs, $333.5 million in economic activity, and $18.92 million in net state revenue.

Senator Hartley E-News: Cutting the Ribbon on the Future of Bioscience in Connecticut

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Waterbury Legislators Announce Upcoming Office Hours

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Waterbury Legislators Announce Upcoming Office Hours

Event to be held Tuesday, May 16th

State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) and State Representative Anthony D’Amelio (R-Waterbury) have announced that they will hold an office hours meeting on Tuesday, May 16th in Waterbury. The meeting will take place from 8:00—10:00 a.m. at Monteiro’s, located on 161 Fairfield Ave. in Waterbury.

“District office hours are a great chance to hear directly from my constituents,” said Senator Hartley. “I look forward to hearing the thoughts and suggestions of my constituents on how we can best advocate for them. This feedback is invaluable in continuing my work to improve the quality of life and economic vitality in Waterbury and throughout Connecticut.”

“I encourage anyone with questions about state government or the current legislative session to stop by our coffee hour and join the conversation,” Representative D’Amelio said. “By hearing directly from our constituents Senator Hartley and I are able to bring local voices and perspectives to the legislative process.”

Senator Hartley’s upcoming office hours schedule is as follows. Additional dates will be announced as they are scheduled:

Waterbury
Tuesday, May 16th

8:00—10:00 a.m.
Monteiro’s

161 Fairfield Ave., Waterbury, CT

Senator Looney E-News: Growing our Bioscience Economy

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Senator Winfield E-News: Senate Passes Bill Protecting Electric Customers

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Senator Duff E-News: Growing our Bioscience Economy

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Sen. Moore Applauds Unanimous Passage Of Bill To Improve Education For Students With Dyslexia

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Sen. Moore Applauds Unanimous Passage Of Bill To Improve Education For Students With Dyslexia

Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) celebrated the unanimous, bipartisan passage of a bill on Wednesday that will ensure special education teachers are trained to identify and address dyslexia.

House Bill 7254 aims to improve the quality of education received by students with dyslexia by requiring special education teachers to complete a course of study and have supervised practicum hours in the detection and recognition of students who have dyslexia.

“Children with dyslexia deserve a proper education, but that can’t happen unless they are first properly diagnosed. There are too many cases where children in our school systems aren’t receiving the help they deserve because of misdiagnosis. It’s frustrating for the teacher, for the parent, and most importantly it’s frustrating and detrimental for the student,” Sen. Moore, a member of the legislature’s Education Committee, said. “I applaud my colleagues in the Education Committee for putting forth this important piece of legislation that will aid children in overcoming the hardships associated with dyslexia. Every student deserves a proper education and we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that all children with learning disabilities have the necessary resources to succeed.”

Dyslexia is defined as a learning disability that affects reading, specifically spelling and word recognition. Dyslexia is a neurobiological disorder and is often inconsistent with a student’s other cognitive abilities. It is estimated that 15-20 percent of children struggle with this condition.

Early detection of dyslexia allows children to receive proper treatment which in turn saves districts money in regards to their special education service costs. If dyslexia in a child is undiagnosed, a district may believe that the child is suffering from another disability and thus pay for unneeded or inapplicable treatment services.

This bill will ensure that special education teachers are equipped to identify students who are struggling with dyslexia, rather than another learning disability, and get them the help they need.

HB 7254 passed in the House 136-69 on April 19 and in the Senate on May 3. It will next go to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy for final consideration.

Senator Moore: “It’s a Really Sad Day for Health Care”

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Senator Moore: “It’s a Really Sad Day for Health Care”

Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) today released the following statement after House Republicans voted to repeal major parts of the Affordable Care Act by a narrow 217-213 vote.

“It is a really sad day for health care. This is going to affect over a half a million people in Connecticut. It’s going to be devastating, not only to our health, but to our budget,” Senator Moore said. “This is a very important issue that’s going to have great impact on people across the country. I want to thank Congressman Jim Himes, who cast his vote against the measure, for fighting to protect health care for millions of American families. I urge my constituents to follow this issue very closely and to call Congressman Himes to thank him for his vote.”

Call Congressman Himes: 203-333-6600 or 866-453-0028
https://himes.house.gov

Statement from Senate President Martin M. Looney on the United State Senates Repeal of State Retirement Security Savings Plans

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Statement from Senate President Martin M. Looney on the United State Senates Repeal of State Retirement Security Savings Plans

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) today released the following statement after the United States Senate voted (50-49) to roll back rules allowing states to create employee-sponsored, state-administered retirement plans:

“Republicans have once again turned their backs on the more than 600,000 private-sector workers in Connecticut who don’t have an employee-sponsored retirement savings plan,” said Senator Looney. “Republicans are standing directly in the way of financially secure futures for hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents. Helping private sector workers save their own money for retirement is a sustainable common-sense solution to people from falling into poverty once they reach retirement age and may be entirely reliant on social security benefits.”

Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation (Public Act 16-29) creating a voluntary retirement savings program for the estimated 600,000 Connecticut residents who don’t have a retirement savings plan available to them through their employer. Connecticut’s plan is slated to begin in less than a year—in January 2018—and it will save 3 percent of workers’ pay after they’ve been with a company for 120 days.

The legislation creates a program in which employees make voluntary contributions to be deposited into a professionally managed retirement fund; every employee would have the chance to enroll in the retirement savings program. Employers wouldn’t have any fiduciary responsibility and wouldn’t be required to pay any administrative fees. The program is designed to be self-sustaining and low-risk.

Last year, the AARP shared the results of its report, A Common-Sense Approach: The 2016 Connecticut Work and Save Plan, a survey of 1,000 Connecticut residents ages 35-64 which was conducted by the AARP Public Policy Institute. According to the survey:

  • 88 percent of Connecticut residents wish they had saved more for their retirement
  • Regardless of political affiliation, 79 percent of Connecticut residents agree that elected officials should support a state retirement savings plan
  • 65 percent of Connecticut residents are “anxious” about having enough money for retirement

More than 90 percent of Connecticut residents say a retirement savings plan should be easy to use, low-cost, and should follow workers from job to job
The 2016 retirement security legislation was enacted two years after Senator Looney and Speaker of the House (then House Majority Leader) Joe Aresimowicz led passage of a bill creating the Connecticut Retirement Security Board, which was tasked with conducting a market feasibility study and a comprehensive proposal for the creation of a retirement plan for private-sector Connecticut workers.