Month: July 2017
Moore: Maryland officials visit CT to learn about 2Gen
Moore: Maryland officials visit CT to learn about 2Gen
This June, Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport), along with the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, hosted representatives from the office of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan who visited Connecticut to learn more about the state’s Two-Generational (2Gen) approach to combat intergenerational poverty.
Five municipalities in Connecticut currently offer 2Gen services. The Connecticut General Assembly’s statewide 2Gen initiative equips families with the tools and skills they need to get on the path to opportunity and self-sufficiency, by ensuring education and workforce development services for parents and high-quality early education for children. The two-generational approach recognizes that if any part of a family system is not getting the support it needs, the other parts suffer, too.
Maryland’s governor recently signed an executive order establishing a 2Gen Commission and pilot program.
During their visit to Connecticut, the Maryland group met with Zulianelis Rosario, of Meriden, who was a pregnant 18-year-old receiving prenatal care at the Community Health Center when she was referred to the 2Gen program. Her 5 month old son Gabriel now attends play dates at one of three family resource centers. Through 2Gen, Zulianelis received help getting her driver’s license and is enrolled in classes to get her high school diploma. She hopes to become a certified nurse’s aide.
Sen. Osten Applauds Signing of New ‘Derbygate’ Law She Helped Write and Pass
Sen. Osten Applauds Signing of New ‘Derbygate’ Law She Helped Write and Pass
NORWICH — State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed Governor Dannel Malloy’s signing into law of one of her hallmark bills from the 2017 legislative session, Senate Bill 4, the so-called “Derbygate” law which will help renew public confidence by preventing a reoccurrence of the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) trips to the Kentucky Derby.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that electric customers in greater Norwich would prefer to have their fees pay for infrastructure and service instead of trips to the Kentucky Derby for mint juleps and big hats. This new law will help prevent a recurrence of that,” Sen. Osten said. “I’m also very pleased that this law passed on a unanimous and bipartisan basis in both the House and the Senate. Every single legislator voted for it. I think that speaks to the necessity of the bill.”
Senate Bill 4, now Public Act 17-73, “AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC UTILITY COOPERATIVES,” prohibits municipal electric energy cooperatives like CMEEC from holding meetings, public hearings, strategic retreats, or similar activities outside of the state. The law requires CMEEC, its member utilities, and member utilities’ municipalities to post notices, agendas, and minutes for meetings and public hearings on their websites.
The law also requires CMEEC to have a forensic audit of its books and accounts conducted annually by an independent auditing firm and post the audit’s report on various websites, and that—for each of the CMEEC’s member utilities—the law requires the board to include one member, appointed by the legislative body of the member utility’s municipality, who is a commercial or residential ratepayer of the member utility operating in the legislative body’s municipality.
The CMEEC controversy began last year when news reports detailed how CMEEC board members, staff, guests and municipal officials took very expensive trips to the Kentucky Derby. The trips were not related to CMEEC’s main job, which is to negotiate wholesale power agreements for Norwich, Groton, Jewett City, and Norwalk.
The new law takes effect October 1.