Month: June 2017

Senator Tim Larson Lauds House Passage of Critical Casino Jobs Bill

Senate Senator Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) hailed final legislative passage in the State House of Representatives of a critical piece of legislation to protect and grow casino and tourism jobs in Connecticut.

Senate Bill 957, An Act Concerning The Regulation Of Gaming And The Authorization Of A Casino Gaming Facility In The State, passed the House in a vote of 103 to 46. It earlier passed the Senate in a largely bipartisan vote of 24 to 12.

The bill authorizes MMCT, a joint venture between the Mohegan and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribes, to operate a third satellite casino in East Windsor.

“I’m pleased that my colleagues in the House of Representatives were able to see this legislation for what it is—a bill to protect jobs, revenue and the largest driver of our state’s tourism economy,” said Sen. Larson. “I have said time and again, because it’s true, that Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino are world class businesses, and it is imperative that we do not turn our backs on two of our best industry partners in the state or the people they employ. This is a big win for Connecticut’s economy and the thousands of employees who work in tourism, the service industry and gaming in our state. I’m proud that the legislature has shown strong support for workers in our state in these final hours of our legislative session.”

In addition to the retention of 9,300 existing jobs, the East Windsor casino is expected to create 1,700 construction jobs, and 1,700 casino facility operation jobs—1,275 of which will be permanent, full time positions—and generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue to the State of Connecticut.

The bill goes next to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his signature.

Senate Passes Bill Ensuring Consumer Protections for Ride Sharing Companies

Following its passage in the State House of Representatives in May, the Senate Tuesday approved a bill ensuring consumer protections for ride-sharing companies operating in Connecticut.

House Bill 7126, An Act Concerning Transportation Network Companies, passed the Senate in a largely bipartisan vote of 28 to 8. The bill goes next to the desk of Governor P. Malloy for his signature.

Senator Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) led the bill’s passage in the Senate, and said the measure would provide more safety requirements and consumer protections for customers using the ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft.

“After several years of work, I believe we have come to a firm agreement for putting in place regulations to protect consumers and even the playing field between companies like Uber and Lyft and the taxicab industry,” said Sen. Larson, the Democratic Senate Chairman of the General Assembly’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee. “This legislation is not perfect, but it’s a good start. Issues may crop up as we evaluate our regulations for Transportation Network Companies going forward, but this is a good place to begin and we can and will certainly revisit it in the future.”

“I’m grateful to my colleagues in the State Senate for passing our common sense consumer protections for ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft and thank my co-chairs Senator Larson and Senator [Kevin] Kelly for their help in crafting this important measure,” said State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Branford), the House co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee.

The bill requires transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft to carry insurance for their customers, perform background checks on drivers and pass vehicle safety checks. Regulations also apply to drivers working as contracted employees for ride-sharing companies related to past criminal convictions and zero tolerance policies on alcohol use, and limits the number of consecutive hours drivers can operate.

Additionally, the legislation eases some regulations on taxicab and livery companies.

Bye Makes Impassioned Plea For Paid Family & Medical Leave

State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) led a heartfelt and impassioned 90-minute Democratic discussion in the Senate chamber this evening on the need for a paid family and medical leave policy in Connecticut before the bill was tabled due to a lack of Republican support.

Sen. Bye debated the merits of Senate Bill 1, “An Act Concerning Earned Family and Medical Leave,” an issue which has been a priority for Sen. Bye and other Democrats for many years and which recent polls show has the support of a majority of small business owners in Connecticut.

“This bill provides paid medical leave for employees who must miss work due to a personal illness, to care for a newborn, or to care for a sick family member,” Sen. Bye told her fellow Democrats in the Senate chamber. “These are the family values that all of us share. But the question before us now is, do we value them enough to actually support a bill this year? What we do in the legislature is we translate our values into public policy to make people’s lives better. But will we actually vote for it?”

With no Republican support for the measure, the bill was eventually tabled after 90 minutes of Democratic debate that included personal stories by Democratic state senators stretching back decades recalling the need to take time off from work to care for family members.

“I’m disappointed that so many elected officials did not take a public position on this bill tonight, but at the same time I believe that the personal stories that were told provide some of the most compelling reasons for supporting paid family and medical leave in Connecticut’s very near future,” Sen. Bye said.

Though the bill is now dead for the 2017 legislative session, Senate Bill 1 offered:

• Eight weeks of PAID family and medical leave in 2020; 10 weeks in 2022; and 12 weeks in 2024
• Employees are eligible for paid FMLA immediately upon employment, contingent on certain past wage earnings
• Employees are eligible for job protection after six months of employment and 500 hours of work at that employer
• Payroll deduction must be less than one-half of 1 percent, to be paid for by the employee, not the employer
• The payroll deduction applies to a salary cap equal to the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cap (currently $127,000 per year)
• Paid FMLA varies depending on weekly pay: it would pay 100 percent first $385; 80 percent to $769; and 66 percent over $770
• Weekly payouts would not to exceed $1,000
• Employers cannot retaliate against those seeking paid FMLA
• Applies to businesses with two or more employees
• Employers with 50+ employees would offer a maximum of 8 weeks of paid leave and 12 weeks job protection in any 12-month period
• Employers with 2-49 employees would offer a maximum of 8 weeks paid leave and 8 weeks job protection in any 12-month period
• State and municipal employees could opt-in to the program via collective bargaining

Bye Joins Unanimous Senate Vote to Pass Strongest Hate Crimes Law in America

State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) joined a unanimous and bipartisan vote in the Senate today to approve a comprehensive bill aimed at strengthening Connecticut’s hate crime laws, making them the strongest in the nation.

“The history of protections under the law for violent acts against various groups goes back decades in America, from Lyndon Johnson’s Civil Rights Act of 1968 to Bill Clinton’s Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996,” Sen. Bye said. “Today, in the face of increasing acts of violence against Muslims, Indian-Americans, the homeless, transgender citizens and others, Connecticut is once again putting itself at the forefront of the national response to violent intolerance. Connecticut will always respect free speech, but we will never tolerate hate speech or hate crimes, and today’s bipartisan action in the Senate reflects our unified commitment to protect and value all our citizens.”

Over the last year, the United States has endured incidents of hate including murders, assaults, bomb threats and vandalism that have been directed against African-Americans, Hindu- Americans, Hispanics, Jews, Muslims, Sikh-Americans, transgender women and others.

The bill passed today in the state Senate:

• Strengthens hate crime laws by increasing penalties, making it a felony (instead of a misdemeanor) for committing a hate crime against a group of persons (instead of a specific individual.)
• Strengthens and modernizes Connecticut’s hate crime laws to include hate crimes based on gender (sex). Current law protects only “gender identity or expression,” not gender.
• Strengthens hate crime laws by increasing the penalty to a Class C felony (from a Class D felony) for making a bomb threat or other threat of violence against a house of worship, religious community center or other religious institution—or any daycare facility—if the threat is made with the intent to terrorize another person or to cause the evacuation of the building or grounds. This puts the penalty for such bomb threats on par with threats made against schools.
• Strengthens hate crime laws by increasing the penalty for desecrating any house of worship or any religious cemetery from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony if there is more than $10,000 in damage, or a Class D felony if there is less than $10,000 in damage.
• Strengthens hate crime laws by expanding the threshold for a 1st-degree hate crime from its current requirement of causing “serious physical injury” to instead causing “physical injury.”
• Establishes a court’s power to order extensive, relevant community service and/or restitution, in addition to any other penalties imposed for hate crime convictions.
• Establishes a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 for individuals convicted of hate crimes.
• Creates a state-wide Hate Crimes Advisory Council.

“On behalf of ADL leadership and supporters in Connecticut and across our nation, I wish to express profound gratitude to the Connecticut legislature,” said Steve Ginsburg, Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League—Connecticut Region. “ADL drafted the first-ever model hate crimes statute, and now welcomes the passage of this bill, with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses, which will set an example for how—when unified—we can protect minorities, ensure our freedoms and strengthen democracy. Our state already had relatively strong hate crimes protections, but today our leaders made clear that when incidents of bias and hate are on the rise, good enough isn’t good enough. Protecting community centers, including gender as a protected category, and enhancing penalties makes all Connecticut residents and their communities safer and sets a proud example for our children. ADL will keep pushing until all 50 states have hate crimes laws, and we look forward to being a part of our state’s new Hate Crimes Advisory Council.”

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his consideration.

Larson Lauds Final Passage of Comprehensive Opioid Legislation

The State Senate Tuesday gave final legislative approval to a comprehensive bill addressing the opioid and heroin epidemic in Connecticut.

House Bill 7052, An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion And Abuse, passed the Senate in a bipartisan, unanimous vote. It earlier passed the State House of Representatives in a vote of 146 to zero and goes next to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his signature.

“We have seen and heard so many horror stories about people of all ages continuing to fall victim to substance abuse, and I am proud that we are finally recognizing this epidemic for what it is—a public health crisis. I think we are all beginning to understand that you can’t solve a substance abuse problem by arresting a person, and sending a sick person to jail doesn’t help them get well,” said Senator Tim Larson (D-East Hartford). “That’s why I am proud that I’ve been able to make good on my promise to move toward partnering with law enforcement so that those seeking help for their addiction can go to the police without fear of being arrested.”

In Manchester, the local police department has been on the forefront of law-assisted drug intervention. The department launched the HOPE Initiative in 2016. Under the program, users who encounter law enforcement are not arrested, and are instead given assistance in accessing medical treatment, social services and pathways to treatment. Addicted persons can approach law enforcement seeking assistance, without fear of being arrested. It’s a model based on a successful program that began in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

“It’s worked in Gloucester, where hundreds have been helped through the police department’s Angel Program, and I commend the Manchester police for taking the initiative to start its own program here in Connecticut. It is critically important that we become one of the dozens of states to implement similar programs throughout the state to help give people back their lives,” said Sen. Larson.

Sen. Larson is the Democratic Senate Chairman of the General Assembly’s Public Safety and Security Committee, and the author of the portion of the bill that establishes a task force to study substance abuse treatment referral programs through municipal police departments.

From January 1, 2015 through August 2, 2016, Connecticut recorded 800 deaths due to overdose. Building upon legislation passed in 2016 and 2015, this bill:

• Instructs the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council to convene a working group to study substance abuse treatment referral programs that have been established by municipal police departments to refer persons with an opioid use disorder or who are seeking recovery from drug addiction to substance abuse treatment facilities;
• Reduces the maximum opioid drug prescription for minors from 7 days to 5 days and maintains current law that allows a prescribing practitioner to exceed the limit for chronic pain, palliative care or acute pain if necessary as long as it is documented in the medical record
• Requires individual and group health insurers to cover medically necessary detox treatment, as defined by American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) so that those looking for help cannot be turned away due to insurance issues;
• Increases data sharing between state agencies regarding opioid abuse or opioid overdose deaths;
• Increases security of controlled substances prescriptions by requiring scheduled drugs be electronically prescribed;
• Allows patients to file a voluntary non-opioid form in their medical records indicating that they do not want to be prescribed or administered opioid drugs.