Month: March 2019

Senators Anwar and Cassano Applaud Passage Of Crumbling Foundations Bills

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Senators Anwar and Cassano Applaud Passage Of Crumbling Foundations Bills

HARTFORD, CT – On Tuesday March 19, the Insurance and Real Estate Committee passed Senate Bill 907 and House Bill 7179 – two key pieces of legislation that would address deteriorated concrete foundations caused by pyrrhotite – advancing them in the legislative process and bringing them closer to potentially becoming law. Senator Steve Cassano (D-Manchester) and Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) are members of the committee.

Senate Bill 907, “An Act Concerning the Residential Disclosure Report and Crumbling Concrete Foundations,” seeks to ensure that sellers disclose to purchasers any knowledge of the presence of pyrrhotite – a mineral that can cause structural damage to a building – located on the seller’s property. Additional information such as if there has been any testing or inspection done to determine the existence of pyrrhotite, any settling or deterioration problems caused by it, or any repairs done to remedy the damage, must be included in the “Residential Condition Report.”

House Bill 7179, “An Act Concerning Crumbling Concrete Foundations,” aims to establish a grant program to support and address the repairing and replacing of concrete foundations that have been impacted by pyrrhotite. The program would award $1 to $5 million per grant if the methods and technology proposed by the applicant would reduce repair costs by 70%. $8 million from the general fund for FY19 would be appropriated to the Department of Housing to fund the program.

Additionally, the bill provides support for condominium owners by expanding the definition of “residential building,” allowing for certain statutes to include single-family units within a condominium. Assistance from the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company (CFSIC) is also extended to condominium owners in residential buildings with more than 4 units.

“The impact that this damage has on people’s homes and livelihood is irreversible,” said Senator Cassano. “Last year the legislature took great strides in addressing this issue but there is still more to be done. We have to make sure that people are taken care of and that the state is doing its part to lift people up and assist in the repair and replacement of these deficient structures.”

In 2017, the bipartisan budget approved $100 million in bonding for grants to homes affected by pyrrhotite. It also created the CFSIC which will oversee and administer the grant program.

Last session, the legislature passed House Bill 5209, “An Act Imposing a Surcharge on Certain Insurance Policies and Establishing the Healthy Homes Fund,” which put a $12 surcharge on a homeowner’s insurance policy, beginning earlier this year on January 1, 2019. 85% of the funds generated goes to the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company and is used to fix homes that are crumbling. $10.2 million will be raised every year for 11 years through the surcharge. The remaining 15% of the funds will be used to address lead abatement in homes and $1 million of that 15% will go towards repairing homes in New Haven and Woodbridge that are sinking.

“The epidemic of crumbling foundations has harmed far too many homeowners and families in Connecticut,” said Senator Anwar. “I am thankful to be a member of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and to have an opportunity to give my support to this legislation. By putting steps in place to bring relief to those affected, we move forward toward a solution that can help thousands.”

The bill now awaits a vote by the Senate.

Lesser, Scanlon Applaud Committee for Advancing Public Option, Mental Health Parity

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Lesser, Scanlon Applaud Committee for Advancing Public Option, Mental Health Parity

HARTFORD, CT – Less than a week after major health insurance reform legislation was advanced by the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, another group of transformative, important reform bills advanced. Committee co-chairs State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford) were thrilled with the advancement of bills to establish a public option for Connecticut individuals, families, small businesses and nonprofits, mental health parity for those battling mental health illnesses or substance abuse, and coverage of breast ultrasounds to help with early detection of breast cancer. Separate legislation would protect victims of domestic violence, establish reinsurance pools and subsidies for the purchase of health insurance, and establish an individual mandate to purchase coverage.

“Today’s historic health insurance votes are a critical step along the path to reform for families and businesses,” said Sen. Lesser. “Connecticut is now perched at the forefront of the national fight for healthcare reform. Today’s vote to move forward the two bills establishing a public option gives us momentum as we work to provide more options, more competition and lower prices for Connecticut families, small business, and nonprofits. We don’t have to wait for Washington to get its act together – Connecticut can and will lead.”

Rep. Scanlon said the work the committee is doing is solidifying a promise to voters to bring down the cost of care in Connecticut.

“The people of Connecticut are sick and tired of the quality of their insurance going down at the same time the cost of insurance is going up,” said Rep. Scanlon. “Last year, we made a promise to the voters that we would take action to lower costs and improve quality and I’m proud that our committee put together and passed a bold agenda this session to do just that. By passing over fifty bills including creating a public option for health insurance for small businesses and individuals to lowering the cost of prescription drugs to ensuring mental health parity, we are one step closer to creating a more affordable Connecticut when it comes to health care.”

Last week, legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and deal with the problem of high deductible plans advanced out of committee. On Tuesday, the Insurance and Real Estate committee advanced the following bills to the House and Senate.

A Public Option for Connecticut: Two public option bills, House Bill 7267 and Senate Bill 134, will provide a public option to Connecticut. House Bill 7267 takes a three-pronged approach at providing a public option to individuals, and small businesses and nonprofits, rolling it out over the course of three years. It has been endorsed by the Connecticut State Medical Society, the Connecticut Association of Realtors and has a fiscal note of under $1 million. This public option will create competition in the insurance marketplace, which will mean better prices and care for Connecticut families. It will also make our state an even more attractive destination for small businesses, which make up a large portion of our state’s economy.

Mental Health Parity: House Bill 7125 will establish the strongest and most effective mental health parity laws in the nation. This legislation will require insurance companies to submit yearly reports concerning parity for mental health and substance use disorders, require health insurance coverage for prescription medication prescribed for treating substance use disorders and require health insurance coverage for substance abuse treatment regardless of whether such services were provided due to a court order. This legislation will ensure fair, equitable treatment for individuals battling addiction or living with mental health illnesses and work to end the stigma around substance abuse and mental health related illnesses.

Covering Breast Ultrasounds: Senate Bill 838 and House Bill 7124 will make important breast ultrasounds affordable. The Senate Bill will do away with cost-sharing for certain mammograms and breast ultrasounds. The House bill will require health insurance coverage for mammograms and comprehensive breast ultrasounds screening. Breast ultrasounds are necessary to detect dense breast tissue, tissue a mammogram may not detect, which can cover signs of breast cancer. High deductible health plans put breast ultrasounds out of reach for many, and if the results of a mammogram are encouraging, an individual might bypass the breast ultrasound. This legislation will ensure individuals are fully and thoroughly examined.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence: Senate Bill 977, An Act Concerning Explanation of Benefits will allow people with insurance to keep information about the healthcare they’ve consumed, a document called an “Explanation of Benefits” confidential in certain circumstances. This bill is supported by a wide coalition including the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) which sees this as a vital tool to allow victims of violence to seek care without fear of retaliation.

Addressing the State’s Crumbling Foundations: Senate Bill 907 will require anyone selling property to provide a “Residential Condition Report,” with any facts about the property, to the seller’s knowledge, about the presence of the harmful iron sulfide pyrrhotite in concrete foundations, if any testing was done to locate pyrrhotite, any degradation caused by pyrrhotite and any repairs due to deterioration. When these iron sulfides are exposed to water and oxygen, they swell causing cracks and structural damage. According to the Department of Housing, more than 35,000 homes in Eastern, Northern and Central Connecticut are facing a potentially disastrous issue due to the presence of this iron sulfide.

Senator Slap, Labor Committee Take Aim at Age Discrimination

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Sen. Slap, Labor Committee Take Aim at Age Discrimination

Bill to prohibit date of birth & graduation questions on job applications passes committee

HARTFORD – A bill that would eliminate questions about a job applicant’s date of birth or high school or college graduation date was voted out of the Labor Committee today, and that’s good news for older Connecticut residents who are looking for work in a competitive and sometimes ageist job market, says state Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford).

Sen. Slap is the main proponent behind House Bill 6113, “AN ACT PROHIBITING EMPLOYERS FROM INQUIRING ABOUT DATE OF BIRTH OR DATE OF GRADUATION ON EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS,” which seeks to restrict employers from requiring an applicant’s date of birth or date of graduation on an initial employment application.

The bill was voted out of the Labor Committee today on a near-unanimous and bipartisan basis and now heads to the House floor for further consideration.

“There’s a loophole in current employment law where employers can’t ask about age in an interview, but they can demand that information on an application. Both approaches are imprudent if employers are looking for an experienced, steady, efficient workforce,” Sen. Slap said. “The bill approved today in the Labor Committee will take age as a disqualifier out of the early stages of the job application process, and will hopefully lead to more residents in Connecticut age 55-plus getting a foot in the door for their next job. It’s not only the fair thing to do, it makes economic sense and it could help close some of the pay equity gap between men and women in the all-important decades leading up to retirement.”

“I’m so pleased that the bill passed the Labor Committee,” said Sheila Diamond, Executive Director of the Seniors Job Bank who testified in favor of the bill with Sen. Slap. “Age discrimination is such a pervasive problem. This bill will help encourage employers to choose candidates based on their skills and experience, which is what most job candidates of any age want.”

The Connecticut chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons – the AARP – also testified in support of HB 6113 at its February 14 public hearing, saying the issue of discrimination against older people in the job market “never fails to be raised as a concern” among some of Connecticut’s 600,000 AARP members.

“Age discrimination is illegal and shortsighted. No matter sex, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or national origin, we all have in common the reality of aging and the need for financial security,” said Nora L. Duncan, State Director for AARP Connecticut. “A 2009 Supreme Court Decision resulted in age discrimination requiring a higher burden of proof than other illegal discrimination and signaled to employers that some level of age discrimination is allowable when, in fact, it is not. AARP Connecticut has supported the language voted out of the Labor Committee for three years and we are confident that 2019 is year we will pass it and help level the playing field for age 50-plus job seekers.”

Sen. Slap has noted previously that 61 percent of AARP members had seen or experienced some form of age discrimination, and that 40 percent of citizens age 55 or older are actively looking for employment.

Sen. Osten’s East Windsor Casino Bill Approved By Public Safety Committee

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Sen. Osten’s East Windsor Casino Bill Approved By Public Safety Committee

HARTFORD – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today hailed the Public Safety Committee passage of her bipartisan bill that removes the federal Department of the Interior’s role in approving minor changes to the existing Tribal-State Compact between the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes and the State of Connecticut – changes that are needed in order for the tribes to operate a new casino in East Windsor.

Senate Bill 11 passed the Public Safety Committee today on a bipartisan 19-5 vote and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

The legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in order to secure quicker approval of the agreement between the state and the tribes to jointly operate the new East Windsor casino, which is being built to compete with the new MGM-owned casino in Springfield, Mass.

Legislators believe the federal government’s foot-dragging in approving a minor amendment to the Tribal-State Compact is negatively impeding business development, job retention and economic growth in Connecticut.

“I think legislators on the committee were persuaded that the federal review process of the East Windsor application was at the very least unfair, and perhaps even criminal, considering that the Justice Department is now reportedly investigating Ryan Zinke, the former Interior Department secretary who was in charge of reviewing that application,” said Sen. Osten, who is vice-chair of the Public Safety Committee. “It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that something was terribly amiss with that process. That investigation gave our bill a boost of relevance. Now it’s up to the full General Assembly to push it over the finish line so we can get to work on a new building and more jobs.”

The terms of original 1994 Tribal-State Compact were effective only “upon publication of notice of approval of this Compact by the Secretary of the Interior of the United States in the Federal Register,” according to federal law. That occurred.

But that 1994 Tribal-State Compact also stated that “the terms and conditions of this Compact shall not be modified, amended or otherwise altered except by written agreement of both parties” and with the afore-mentioned approval by the Interior Department.

In September 2017, U.S. Interior Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Michael S. Black wrote the tribes and Governor Malloy to say that Interior Department action on the amended Tribal-State Compact to operate the East Windsor casino “is unnecessary at this time” because “the tribes have entered an agreement with the state whereby they have agreed that the exclusivity provisions” of the original 1994 Tribal-State Compact “will not be breached by this arrangement.”

Then, in May, the Interior Department approved changes to the state’s compact with the Mohegans. But the Interior Department has not yet approved the changes to the Pequots’ compact: approval of both changes is necessary to begin operation of the East Windsor casino.

Since then, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has resigned in disgrace amid multiple investigations into wrongdoing, including a recent news report that Zinke is facing a new federal inquiry into his involvement in reviewing the proposed East Windsor casino.

Senator Needleman, District Leaders Advocate for School Cooperation Strategies

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Senator Needleman, District Leaders Advocate for School Cooperation Strategies

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State Senator Norm Needleman, center, speaks at a Tuesday press conference regarding school collaboration and cooperation strategies, standing among leaders in his district. From left: Deep River First Selectman Angus McDonald, Region 4 Superintendent Dr. Ruth Levy and Clinton First Selectman Christine Goupil.

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) joined a coalition of district leaders to advocate for strategies and legislation that would allow municipalities and school districts to develop and collaborate together. These new strategies would cut through red tape in current systems, allowing for eased cooperation, while preventing any requirements or mandates from the state.

Joining Sen. Needleman were East Haddam Selectman Robert Smith, Chester First Selectman Lauren Gister, Deep River First Selectman Angus McDonald, Essex Board of Education Chairman Lon Seidman, Clinton First Selectman Christine Goupil, Portland First Selectman Susan Bransfield, Region 4 Superintendent Dr. Ruth Levy, and Connecticut Association Board of Education Deputy Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy.

“To improve services across the whole platform of state government, we need to empower state employees to feel they’re comfortable making decisions and work with municipalities making sure the decisions that are rendered are correct for those towns,” said Sen. Needleman. “This is a solution that would begin to allow for more collaboration in education and with special education costs. We want to open up and provide creativity and incentive, allowing people to think for themselves as long as the outcomes are correct.”

The Education Committee’s Bill No. 1069, “An Act Concerning Various Revisions and Additions to the Education Statutes,” adopts language from proposed legislation introduced by Sen. Needleman. It would allow the Department of Education to study the effects of towns working together as Local Education Agencies, intended to allow voluntary regional cooperation and to maximize efficiencies and cost savings without being mandated to become regional school districts. Additionally, Raised Bill No. 7353, “An Act Concerning Various Issues Relating to Special Education,” would add language allowing parents to maintain a child’s enrollment at their current school if they are found to need special education services.

Sen. Needleman said the legislation is intended to allow “people who already do a good job running municipalities to help figure out ways to save money and improve services while, at the same time, comply with regulations that are out there.”

“We’ve discovered over the years, the more money we put into our shared services budget, the more complicated it gets,” said Seidman. Seidman said while Essex, Deep River and Chester have a regional school district, state mandates require them to operate five separate boards of education. “The result has been, every time we try to put more into this, it’s becoming more and more complicated to translate what we’re doing back to the state. What we’re asking for is to allow these entities to be considered as local education agencies, allowing them to be recognized as school districts that these local boards are creating and operating together. Right now, no one is doing sizeable regionalism because of these restrictions. We feel this is a good first step for small towns struggling to meet their obligations.”

“I love all of my five boards of education and 33 board members, but it does get complicated,” said Dr. Levy. Between payroll issues – operating five separate payrolls every two weeks – cost issues and students needing out-of-district placements, operating the district can be challenging. “With Senator Needleman’s bill, we would be able to open up and have all of our students who need a program in one school be able to get the services they need by creating a program and having it under one LEA. This would be a tremendous asset for us and our neighboring towns. We still need more options that are open, and I believe through passing these bills, it will open the door for many more cooperative alternatives outside of forced regionalization.”

“As the statewide organization representing boards across the state, CABE applauds the initiative these local officials have taken already to cooperate and share services and create models that could be replicated in other parts of the state, and we particularly support these legislative initiatives that will break down some of the barriers,” said McCarthy. “This is the way to make opportunities available, to further pursue efficiencies and further maintain a high-quality public education.”

Sen. Needleman and the assembled town officials highlighted that Governor Ned Lamont’s office has been helpful and responsive to the issue of school cooperation and look forward to continuing their work together.

Senator Bradley’s E-news: Legislative Update for March

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Senator Hartley Testifies to Support Review of Environmental Justice Law

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Senator Hartley Testifies to Support Review of Environmental Justice Law

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State Senator Joan Hartley testifies Monday in front of the Environment Committee in support of legislation that would refine environmental justice law.

HARTFORD, CT – This week, State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) testified before the Environment Committee at public hearing in support of legislation aiming to evaluate, review and revise the state’s environmental justice law to better support municipalities and communities affected by it, including her own.

Sen. Hartley testified Monday afternoon that new language would require communities with five or more permitted waste facilities to enter environmental benefit agreements, negotiated between municipalities and developers, before any expansion or new facility siting. She, on behalf of the Waterbury delegation, asked the Committee to add a quantifiable metric to the Environment Justice statute, “recognizing there’s a point where a community can no longer absorb an expansion or additional facility and maintain a quality of life.”

Environment Committee Bill No. 5395 would require the state’s environmental justice law, which was enacted in 2008, to be expanded to consider the additional factors of asthma rates, effects on any water course, and air quality.

Sen. Hartley’s testimony referenced a recent situation in the 15th District. A portion of the city which is predominantly Hispanic and has a very unemployment rate, five schools, a multitude of churches and the highest asthma average in the state and is host to at least 10 permitted facilities. A recent proposal expanded a transfer station to allow a municipal solid waste facility which would accept 80 trucks per day on a six-day-per-week basis.

“Our question is, how much is enough,” said Sen. Hartley. “In a community, when does this stop? What is the saturation point? We’re asking that you consider adopting a metric that would simply say a certain number of permits in a particular area would represent a saturation point, beyond which the community cannot absorb anymore.”

Sen. Hartley proposed using Census blocks to identify specific areas. She noted her disappointment with the law’s current standing, as it puts more power in the hands of the municipality working with the developer than the community possibly impacted by the final development.

“What’s being asked is to simply establish a threshold, a number which says ‘beyond this, a community cannot absorb anymore.’ We’re talking about a simple number. We have over 12 permitted facilities in this particular Census track. The change can easily be done with no fiscal impact.”

Representative Geraldo Reyes Jr. (D-Waterbury), who sits on the Environment Committee, asked Sen. Hartley how the state can protect other towns from similar issues.

“This would establish a statewide high-water mark that says there is no ability to absorb additional permitted facilities and maintain a decent quality of life,” Sen. Hartley said.

Senator Haskell, Representative Hughes Join the Future Leaders of Weston’s Ms President

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Senator Haskell, Representative Hughes Join the Future Leaders of Weston’s Ms President

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State Senator Will Haskell and State Representative Anne Hughes join the young women of Weston’s Ms. President.

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Weston) and State Representative Anne Hughes (D-Weston) joined the future leaders of Weston’s Ms. President during their day-long tour of the State Capitol. Sen. Haskell and Rep. Hughes joined the young women to discuss important bills and encourage them to pursue public service.

With the women of Weston Ms. President sitting in legislators’ chairs, Sen. Haskell and Rep. Hughes sat opposite them as if testifying at a public hearing while the girls discussed legislation they find important. Several girls emphasized their interest in proposed legislation that would reduce the pollution of plastic bags, as they are concerned about protecting the environment. They also discussed a bill to ban single-use plastic straws in an effort to reduce waste in the Long Island Sound.

“These girls have done such an incredible job at advocating for the issues important to them. They truly are the future leaders of Connecticut,” said Gayle Weinstein, the former first selectman of Weston and co-facilitator of Weston Ms. President with Elise Major.

“I ran because I believe every generation deserves a seat at the table and representative democracy should be representative,” said Sen. Haskell. “I mean it when I say I will join these girls door-knocking and I hope all of them decide to run for office. I read once that a woman has to be asked eight times to run for office, while a man only has to be asked once. When I meet politically active, smart women like these students, I make it my mission to be one of those eight. I want to be a voice of encouragement from an early age and let them know it’s possible to be involved at a young age. In fact, it’s not only possible, it’s desperately needed. When we start electing younger people and a more diverse caucus, we’ll focus on inequality in pay, student loan debt and passing paid family leave.”

“The young women from Weston’s Ms. President US are bold vocal advocates,” said Rep. Hughes. “They urged our commitment to protecting the environment and I am proud to support legislation that addresses the crisis of plastic pollution especially in our oceans. These are the leaders of today and they are the key stakeholders in an inhabitable planet. Our job is to make those changes now, in our consumption behavior and how we amplify these young voices of urgency.”

Ms. President is a nonprofit, community-based initiative focused on civic engagement and leadership for girls in the fourth through eighth grades, all in an effort to inspire them to becoming active in politics and spark interest in the opportunity and value political service represents.

Sen. Needleman Enews: Energy & Technology Committee Update; Live on iCRV Radio; Hemp Legislation Progresses

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Senator Abrams Supports Legislation Providing Aid in Dying

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Senator Abrams Supports Legislation Providing Aid in Dying

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire) voiced her support for legislation discussed at public hearing today in the Public Health Committee that would provide aid in dying to terminally ill patients. This legislation would allow qualified patients to seek and obtain medication that they could self-administer for aid in dying, providing options to patients who are suffering and in pain.

Under the language of Committee Bill No. 5898, “An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients,” a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness with less than six months to live, and who has expressed their wish to receive aid in dying, can do so by making two written requests to their doctor after being proven to be in sound mind.

“I have been honored to hear the poignant testimony of the individuals and families who would be affected by this bill,” said Sen. Abrams. “It is a personal decision for an individual to wish to receive aid in dying, and it’s a decision that is not taken lightly. For so many, control over death can lead to a higher quality of life.”

Middletown resident Sharon Hines testified Monday in support of Committee Bill 5898. Hines, a nurse practitioner with more than 30 years’ experience working with people with cancer, has stage IV lung cancer and was told she has a prognosis of six to nine months left to live.

“The pain and suffering that often accompanies an advanced cancer diagnosis is frequently unavoidable,” Hines said. “I have been at the bedside of enough dying patients including members of my own family, to know that despite the best hospice care, not all pain can be controlled, nor will every patient have a peaceful end to their life.”

“There is so much fear and worry that comes with a terminal illness,” Hines said. “It’s not only about how will I die or when will I die but how much suffering will I have to endure. Having MAID as an option would relieve so much of the anxiety and fear and give me the peace of mind I so deserve. My experience working with cancer patients and having thoughtful discussions with my family, medical team, and more recently, my palliative care team, continue to validate my belief that Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) should be an option for those of us with terminal illness.”