Statement from Senator Looney on Trump’s Declaration of a National Emergency

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Webmaster

Statement from Senator Looney on Trump’s Declaration of a National Emergency

Statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) regarding President Trump signing a Declaration for a National Emergency:

“Declaring a national emergency for one party’s pet project to satisfy the far right is a dangerous precedent that not only undermines the United States Constitution but also raises serious questions for Connecticut. The raid of federal funding from the Pentagon and the Treasury Department to pay for the Republican’s wall should have all Connecticut state officials concerned on how this will impact Eastern Connecticut and our submarine base, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, and funding for Medicare and Medicaid. President Trump has mortgaged his Presidency to his vanity and created peril for our democracy in doing so.”

Senator Abrams Announces “Coffee Hours” Events

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Abrams Announces “Coffee Hours” Events

State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire) today announced the first of four “coffee hours” events she will hold through mid-March.

Sen. Abrams will meet with constituents Tuesday, February 19 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Cheshire Coffee, located at 210 Old Towne Road.

Additional events, to be held from 8 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, include:

February 26: Huxley’s Bookmark Café, 1333 East Main St., Meriden
March 5: Athenian Diner, 864 Washington St., Middletown
March 12: Trackside Deli, 108 Main St., Middlefield

“Coffee hours events like these allow me to hear directly from the public on issues that directly impact them,” said Sen. Abrams. “There’s no better way for me to learn from them about how I can work to fix those problems.”

Senator Abrams Supports Testimony For Key Healthcare Bills Benefitting Women And Families

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Abrams Supports Testimony For Key Healthcare Bills Benefitting Women And Families

HARTFORD, CT –State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire) on Thursday supported testimony heard in front of the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee for key healthcare bills that would benefit women and families.

Sen. Abrams supported testimony on the positive impacts of Senate Bill No. 1, “An Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave,” a bill she introduced to the General Assembly along with a Democratic coalition of Representatives and Senators. Dozens of individuals signed up to testify on this and other legislation. She additionally signed on to written testimony submitted by the Senate Democrats.

If approved, this legislation would create a state fund, to go into effect in 2021, that would supply up to twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave to employees who are welcoming a new child into their family, are caring for a family member with a serious health condition, or themselves are dealing with a serious health condition.

“All too often, we hear stories about people forced to return to work just after the birth of their child, or while they’re grappling with the challenges of caring for a sick loved one, or even returning to work themselves while fighting a serious illness,” said Sen. Abrams. “This legislation, which would cost just one penny out of every $2 an individual makes, would provide up to three months of paid leave, helping to give young families the time they need to bond with their children, and give workers of all ages more time to focus on helping their loved ones, or even themselves, recover from illness. This is legislation that would help fight for the working family and our state’s workforce as a whole.”

Sen. Abrams additionally provided joint testimony alongside Sen. Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), Sen. Mae Flexer (D-Killingly) and Sen. Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) in support of House Bill No. 7043, “An Act Concerning Breastfeeding in the Workplace.” All four Senators introduced that bill, which would amend state statutes and require employers to provide a reasonable effort to provide a private space in which women can breastfeed or expel breastmilk, to the General Assembly. That bill is intended to support working families and mothers who wish to breastfeed up to the first three years of their child’s life.

“This bill is intended to support parents and children alike across Connecticut, making it easier to be a productive worker and have a healthy family,” said Sen. Abrams.

About Mary Daugherty Abrams: State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams was first elected in 2018 to represent the thirteenth Senate District which consists of Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall and parts of Middletown and Cheshire. Before being elected to the Senate in her first-ever political race, Abrams taught special education for 25 years before transitioning to administration, where she worked as director of special education and as high school assistant principal.

Statement From Maroney Regarding Tolls In Connecticut

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Webmaster

Statement From Maroney Regarding Tolls In Connecticut

Today, State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) released the following statement in regards to the implementation of tolls in Connecticut:

“I don’t support tolls for passenger vehicles,” said Sen. Maroney. “However, I realize we have significant transportation needs in our state and we must modernize our transportation infrastructure. Depending on what happens with the court case in Rhode Island, I’m willing to support tolls for big rig trucks.”

Senator Haskell E-News: Improving Our Transportation Infrastructure

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Kushner Stands For Paid Family Leave in Connecticut

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Kushner Stands For Paid Family Leave in Connecticut

Pictured left to right: Carolina Bortoletto, Sen. Kushner, Darcy Curillo, Camila Bortoletto

State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) today reiterated her support for paid family and medical leave legislation in Connecticut, declaring, “We have to make sure paid family and medical leave passes this year, because it’s something that’s so important to so many people.”

“When I was campaigning to be a state senator, I went door to door, I went to grocery stores, I went to polling sites—and the number one issue I talked about was paid family and medical leave,” Sen. Kushner said. “One thing I learned was that this is not a partisan issue. This doesn’t just affect Democratic families or Republican families—this affects all of us. And when you ask people about whether they want to have a state program like the one we are proposing today, the response is an overwhelming ‘yes.’”

Sen. Kushner’s remarks came at a press conference in support of paid family leave that took place less than one hour before the public hearing on Senate Bill 1, which seeks to establish a paid family and medical leave system in Connecticut. Sen. Kushner is a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 1 and is the Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, where the family leave bill was heard.

More than six dozen people signed up to testify on Senate Bill 1 and other proposed legislation.

According to an October poll conducted by the AARP, 85 percent of Connecticut residents support providing paid leave to employees who take time off for family caregiving. Half of the poll respondents said they had provided unpaid care for an adult loved one, and nearly 60 percent said they believe that taking unpaid time off from work had impacted their ability to save for retirement. The poll surveyed 807 registered Connecticut voters age 50 and older and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

Senate Bill 1 calls for the creation of a Family and Medical Leave insurance program in Connecticut offering up to 12 weeks of paid leave at a maximum of $1,000 per week per employee. The program would be funded by an employee payroll tax not exceeding one-half of one percent.

The committee deadline for action on the bill is March 26.

Cohen Voices Support For Pro-Business, Pro-Employee Legislation

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Webmaster

Cohen Voices Support For Pro-Business, Pro-Employee Legislation

Today, State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) joined her colleagues in the House and Senate in support of two business-friendly, employee-friendly bills.

PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE

If enacted, Senate Bill No. 1, “AN ACT CONCERNING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE,” will ensure employees will not have to choose between their health, family and receiving a paycheck.

“It is vital that we provide an environment where our employees feel protected and valued and not fearful of losing their job in order to care for themselves or a loved one,” said Sen. Cohen. “As a business owner, I want to retain the team members that I’ve taken the time to get to know and train, however, the prospect of me providing this type of leave has been dim from a fiscal standpoint. Earned paid leave enables small businesses like mine to provide time off. We are talking about taking care of humankind and just doing the right thing—everyone can get behind that.”

The proposed legislation would establish the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program and Paid Family and Medical Leave Trust Fund. As part of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, the Labor Department will offer up to 12 workweeks of family and medical leave compensation to employees with insurance for any 12-month period.

As part of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Trust Fund, employees can contribute to the Labor Department for the aforementioned trust fund on or before July 1, 2020. Employees will get compensated by the Labor Department on and after July 1, 2021.

Under the proposed legislation, paid family and medical leave can be taken for the following reasons:

The birth of a child.
Placing a child in foster care, adopting a child or putting a child up for adoption.
Caring for a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, any other blood-related family or someone whose relationship is consistent with that of a family member.
The employees own serious health condition, which requires said employee to be hospitalized, in hospice care, a nursing home, a residential medical care facility or continue outpatient treatment.
Saving or donating an organ or bone marrow.
Any qualifying urgent need or demand determined by the United States Secretary of Labor, like a blood-related family member reporting to active duty in the armed forces.

Providing employees with paid family and medical leave has been linked to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention. The following states have some form of paid leave for familial and medical reasons: California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, the state of Washington, Washington D.C, Wisconsin and Hawaii.

“Connecticut can seize the opportunity to be a leader here and everyone benefits,” said Sen. Cohen. “We become a people-friendly, business-friendly state that talent can flock to. This legislation will help to make Connecticut an attractive destination for business and employees.”

BREASTFEEDING IN THE WORKPLACE

If enacted, House Bill 7043, “AN ACT CONCERNING BREASTFEEDING IN THE WORKPLACE, will require employers to make reasonable efforts to provide a lactation room in the workplace that is private, has a refrigerator nearby or one included inside of the lactation room, include access to an electrical outlet and provide breastfeeding support for up to three years.

Sen. Cohen said she has experienced both as a small business owner and someone who has worked in corporate spaces the challenges of finding areas to express breast milk. She said this legislation will benefit female employees by mitigating those challenges and will in turn also positively impact employee retention for businesses.

“As somebody who experienced going back to a corporate work environment and finding it very difficult to find the time and the space to express breastmilk, I think this legislation is easily implemented, reasonable and quite frankly necessary for nursing mothers,” said Sen. Cohen. “It is also important to recognize this legislation’s ability to bolster employee retention.”

Lesser Continues to Voice Support for Paid Family And Medical Leave

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Webmaster

Lesser Continues to Voice Support for Paid Family And Medical Leave

Today, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) joined his colleagues in the House and Senate in support of Paid Family and Medical Leave at a subject matter public hearing.

“As a cancer survivor, I am aware of the mental and physical hardships that come with dealing with a medical emergency,” said Sen. Lesser. “In times like those, a person should not have to rush back to work because they need a source of income. This legislation will close the book on that story by providing our residents with their paycheck so they are able to focus all of their attention on what matters most: their health and the health of their loved ones.”

If enacted, Senate Bill No. 1, “AN ACT CONCERNING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE,” will ensure employees will not have to choose between their health, family and receiving a paycheck.

Under the proposed legislation, paid family and medical leave can be taken for the following reasons:

The birth of a child.
Placing a child in foster care, adopting a child or putting a child up for adoption.
Caring for a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, any other blood-related family or someone whose relationship is consistent with that of a family member.
The employees own serious health condition, which requires said employee to be hospitalized, in hospice care, a nursing home, a residential medical care facility or continue outpatient treatment.
Saving or donating an organ or bone marrow.
Any qualifying urgent need or demand determined by the United States Secretary of Labor, like a blood-related family member reporting to active duty in the armed forces.

“We are at a competitive disadvantage when states around us are enacting this legislation,” said Sen. Lesser. “This will assist businesses in the ninth district and across the state and keep our economy strong.”

About Matt Lesser: Sen. Lesser was first elected in 2018 to represent the ninth Senate District which consists of Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, he was a State Representative for the city of Middletown. He has been a principle author of Connecticut’s Student Loan Bill of Rights, the first in the nation, a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing waste and a major workplace safety law later adapted as a national standard. He has been honored by the Connecticut chapter of the AARP and has been named a champion by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters.

Senator Needleman Encouraged By Key Healthcare Bills Moving Forward

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Needleman Encouraged By Key Healthcare Bills Moving Forward

State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) today endorsed the advancement of two bills he introduced to the General Assembly this week. On Feb. 13, the Public Health Committee voted to draft two healthcare bills, Senate Bill No. 4, “An Act Concerning the Affordability and Accessibility of Prescription Drugs,” and Senate Bill No. 394, “An Act Concerning Quality Health Care for Women.”

“I’m encouraged to see these bills moving forward,” said Sen. Needleman. “Everyone deserves the same level of healthcare, no matter your gender, your race, your income. These bills help bring us closer to that reality.”

Senate Bill No. 4 is intended to make prescription medications more affordable for Connecticut consumers. According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which focuses on fiscal and economic challenges in the United States, prescription drug spending has grown from $12 billion and 5 percent of total healthcare costs in 1980 to $330 billion and 10 percent of healthcare costs by 2016, and that amount is expected to nearly double in the next decade. This rise is poised to hurt everyone needing medication.

“The ever-rising increase in prescription drug costs hurts everyone, creating a financial drain that negatively impacts the young and old alike,” said Sen. Needleman. “We need to push for a solution to this problem, and this legislation will be the first step toward that. By making prescription medication more affordable for everyone, we can preserve not only our physical health, but our economic health as well.”

Senate Bill No. 394 is designed to give women additional protections against unfair health and wellness mandates. Harvard Medical School said in 2017 that many health and wellness mandates are still lacking for women compared to men, with examples including that 70 percent of chronic pain patients are women, yet 80 percent of pain studies are conducted on men, and that women are seven times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and discharged in the event they have a heart attack.

“If we believe in fairness, we believe in equal treatment, and yet all too often women don’t receive the same treatment,” said Sen. Needleman. “With this legislation, we counteract these flaws and move closer toward the equality we deserve.”

About Norm Needleman: State Senator Norm Needleman was first elected in 2018 to represent the thirty-third Senate District which consists of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Portland, Westbrook and part of Old Saybrook. Norm is also the First Selectman of Essex, a role he has held for four terms, and the founder of Tower Laboratories, an Essex manufacturing company that employs over 250 people.

Senator Haskell Fighting for Legislation Banning Gasoline Zone Pricing

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Webmaster

Senator Haskell Fighting for Legislation Banning Gasoline Zone Pricing

State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) this week gave support to legislation he introduced to the General Assembly to eliminate gasoline zone pricing, a system of gasoline sales that requires standard prices in certain locations that can often cost consumers simply because of the town in which they live.

Senate Bill No. 419, “An Act Prohibiting Gasoline Zone Pricing,” is a bi-partisan proposal introduced by Sen. Haskell, Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) and Rep. Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport). The Transportation Committee heard arguments for and against the legislation at a public hearing this week.

“Every day, when I drive to work, I notice gas prices steadily decline as I travel north,” said Sen. Haskell. “In Westport, drivers can pay up to $2.90 per gallon, while drivers in Rocky Hill pay closer to $2.20 per gallon. That’s because of gas zone pricing, which allows gas distributors to charge more in certain areas. It doesn’t cost them more to bring that gas to other locations, but that doesn’t stop them from driving the price up anyway. That increases the cost of gas for everyone in those towns—students, retirees, and working people alike. Our bill would allow for greater competition in the market, leading to fairer prices.”

These pricing zones have been in place for decades, with a Mobil Oil spokesman telling the General Law Committee in 1997 that they were designed to make sure the company’s stations “did not compete significantly with each other.” In the 22 years since, Fairfield County has been negatively impacted by this anti-competitive practice. This kind of legislation has been proposed time and time again over the last few decades. In fact, a similar bill was endorsed by the Hartford Courant in 2006.

“This legislation is pro-consumer and helps put money in the pockets of Connecticut residents,” said Sen. Haskell. “There’s a reason why it’s a bi-partisan bill—we’re fighting for our community. Gas stations should be free to set competitive rates, not have prices dictated to them. It’s been more than 20 years since the Task Force on Gasoline Pricing in Connecticut recommended banning zone pricing. While legislators haven’t been able to get this bill passed in past years, I’m going to continue to fight to even the playing field.”