Month: December 2017
Sen. Moore E-News: Thank You for Your Commitment to Our Community
Looney E-News: Holiday Giving; Access Health Deadline
Sen. Gerratana E-news: Consumer Protection Alert – Useful Gift Card Tips
Senator Duff E-News: Fighting for Net Neutrality; Remembering Those Who Served
Senate Majority Leader Duff Announces Plans to Introduce Connecticut Net Neutrality Legislation in 2018 Session
Senate Majority Leader Duff Announces Plans to Introduce Connecticut Net Neutrality Legislation in 2018 Session
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today announced that he will introduce legislation in the 2018 legislative session of the General Assembly aimed at protecting Connecticut businesses and consumers from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rollback of net neutrality rules.
“Small businesses and consumers will be the biggest losers as a result of the FCC’s damaging discarding of net neutrality rules,” said Senator Duff. “Preserving open internet is good for Connecticut’s businesses, startups, students and consumers.”
During the Obama administration, the FCC voted to adopt strong, open Internet rules to ensure that Americans reap the economic, social and civic benefits of an open Internet, including the preservation of net neutrality.
Senator Duff will seek to draft legislation to hold companies to their commitments not to block websites, throttle speeds, or impose prioritization pricing and to establish a process for internet service providers (ISPs) to certify that they will not engage in practices inconsistent with net neutrality principles.
Additionally, Senator Duff will seek to include language in his proposed legislation to hold companies accountable for warranties made to consumers as well as amend Connecticut’s consumer protection laws to include the principles of net neutrality.
Senator Duff continued, “It is disturbing but not all surprising that once again the Trump Administration appointees have voted against the interests of everyday Americans. You don’t need to be a psychic to predict that the cable giants will raise rates, block content and potentially slow down services for residents across Connecticut. While there is no substitute for federal regulation, we will work at the state level to try mitigate the consequences of this week’s decision.”
Senator Duff E-News: Richards Avenue Fire; Wreaths Across America; Smoke Alarms
Duff Appoints Former Norwalk Mayor Alex Knopp to Newly-Formed State Transportation Policy Advisory Council
Duff Appoints Former Norwalk Mayor Alex Knopp to Newly-Formed State Transportation Policy Advisory Council
NORWALK—State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today announced that he has appointed former Mayor Alex Knopp of Norwalk to the newly-created Transportation Policy Advisory Council that was created by the General Assembly in 2017 to advise the Connecticut Department of Transportation on improvements to transportation policy, the adoption of the DOT’s five-year capital plan and on select transportation projects.
Under Public Act 17-192, the Council is charged with developing and recommending policies to improve transportation planning; advising the DOT Commissioner on the promotion of economic and housing development, environmental protection and other priorities; and reviewing assessments of specific transportation projects.
“There is no more important issue facing Norwalk’s future economic development than improving transportation mobility on our state and local roads,” said Senator Duff. “I’m appointing Alex to this important new Council because he can apply his experience and policy background on transportation and fiscal issues as a former state, regional and local office holder to help improve our future transportation decisions.”
The Council will have 13 voting members, including two appointed by the Governor and one by each of the six legislative leaders, including Senator Duff. The other voting members are the state treasurer, the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and the commissioners of the departments of Economic and Community Development, Energy and Environmental Protection, and Housing. Its first meeting must be held by February 1, 2018. Members are not paid for their service.
“Sen. Duff and his colleagues deserve high grades for establishing this new Council to improve the assessment of the state’s long-range transportation plans and to upgrade the review of major transportation projects,” said Knopp. “I thank him for this appointment because it will give me an opportunity to contribute to progress on some of the most important transportation issues confronting our city and region.”
In addition to his two terms as Norwalk’s mayor, Knopp served on the Transportation Committee during his eight terms in the General Assembly. He has been a Visiting Clinical Lecturer at Yale Law School since 2006 and is a member of the Connecticut Advisory Committee of the Regional Plan Association
Flexer Calls for Immediate Rollback of Cuts to Medicare Savings Program
Flexer Calls for Immediate Rollback of Cuts to Medicare Savings Program
Senator Mae Flexer (D-Danielson) rallied today alongside advocates, seniors, people with disabilities and their families in support of the immediate restoration of the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). Cuts made to the program threaten to impact the healthcare of over 110,000 people in Connecticut. Flexer has also signed a petition calling on the Secretary of the State to bring the legislature back into special session so that this issue can be dealt with.
“I have spoken with dozens, if not hundreds of people over the past few weeks who are worried about the cuts to the Medicare Savings Program. I am happy to say that thanks to their advocacy, these cuts have been delayed by several months and there is momentum to completely roll them back,” said Senator Flexer. “Connecticut is supposed to be a place where when you struggle, we wrap our arms around you and we lift you up. Thirty years ago, although I was blissfully unaware of it at the time, my family was homeless. My parents struggled to find housing, and were finally able to put a roof over our heads only because state and federal supports were available to help us.
“Too many people in our government do not know what it’s like to live on the poverty line, like my parents had to live when I was a child, and like the people in need of the Medicare Savings Program live today. They do not know what it’s like to live on just $1,500 a month when a fee increase like the one caused by these cuts could be crippling.
“Our role is to look out for the most vulnerable amongst us, not the loud, well-funded special interests have succeeded in advocating for harmful policies like these cuts to the Medicare Savings Program. We are at a crossroads. We need to decide what Connecticut’s values. Are we going to be a state that lifts everyone up, or are we going to turn our backs on our most vulnerable and instead give our support to millionaires, to billionaires, and to corporations. I believe in a Connecticut that is committed to the well-being of all its residents. If that is the Connecticut we want to be, our first step must be to reaffirm our commitment to seniors and people with disabilities by repealing these cuts to the Medicare Savings Program.”
The Medicare Savings Program offers financial assistance to eligible Medicare enrollees. Connecticut had paid into the Medicare Savings Program to extend its eligibility to more people than almost every other state. The bipartisan budget reduced the income eligibility requirements from a range of 211 percent-246 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent-135 percent of the federal poverty level. The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis has projected that this change in eligibility requirements could impact over 110,000 people through loss of coverage or transition to a different coverage program.