Looney and Duff Statement on Revenue Estimates
“Connecticut is in a stronger position than most states thanks to our fiscal prudence and the safeguarding of our budget reserve.”
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193
HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement regarding revenue estimates released by the Office of Fiscal Analysis:
“Today’s revenue estimates should come as a surprise to no one: American states will lose two-thirds of a trillion dollars in tax revenue over the next three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office – and those states have just $75 billion combined in their rainy day funds. Connecticut is just one of those states.
“Fortunately, due to foresight and smart fiscal policy, Connecticut is in a much better position than most other American states to weather this fiscal downturn, at least in the short term. Connecticut has 47.4 days’ worth of daily expenses in our $2.5 billion Rainy Day Fund; the national average is about half that, or just 28 days, according to the Pew Trusts. For contrast, Massachusetts has 31 days of budget reserves, South Carolina has 24 days, Florida 16 days, Kentucky four days, and Kansas has no budget reserve at all.
“Connecticut’s Rainy Day Fund was created expressly for times like this, and with an eye on the painful memory of 2011, when after the Recession of 2008-2010, Governor Rell left incoming Governor Dannel Malloy with a $3.7 billion budget deficit and not a single penny in savings. Now we are coming up on the three-year anniversary of the Senate Democrats’ announcement of a budget predictability plan, which was spearheaded by Senator John Fonfara, which brought real structural change and stability to our state budgeting process, and which has resulted in the historically high budget reserve fund we have today.
“And at this time of great national health and fiscal emergencies, it is worth remembering that just a few months ago, Democrats had to fight off a plot by Connecticut Republicans to raid two-thirds of our Rainy Day Fund to spend on transportation projects. We believed then, and have been vindicated now, that our national economy was more precarious than it appeared, and that our budget reserve was best kept for real emergencies, and not to be used for mere political expediency.
“We still face many difficult months ahead as the tendrils of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to infect our economy and our recovery, but for the time being, Connecticut is in a stronger position than most states thanks to our fiscal prudence and the safeguarding of our budget reserve.”
Citations:
Looney and Duff Statement on Revenue Estimates
Looney and Duff Statement on Revenue Estimates
“Connecticut is in a stronger position than most states thanks to our fiscal prudence and the safeguarding of our budget reserve.”
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193
HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement regarding revenue estimates released by the Office of Fiscal Analysis:
“Today’s revenue estimates should come as a surprise to no one: American states will lose two-thirds of a trillion dollars in tax revenue over the next three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office – and those states have just $75 billion combined in their rainy day funds. Connecticut is just one of those states.
“Fortunately, due to foresight and smart fiscal policy, Connecticut is in a much better position than most other American states to weather this fiscal downturn, at least in the short term. Connecticut has 47.4 days’ worth of daily expenses in our $2.5 billion Rainy Day Fund; the national average is about half that, or just 28 days, according to the Pew Trusts. For contrast, Massachusetts has 31 days of budget reserves, South Carolina has 24 days, Florida 16 days, Kentucky four days, and Kansas has no budget reserve at all.
“Connecticut’s Rainy Day Fund was created expressly for times like this, and with an eye on the painful memory of 2011, when after the Recession of 2008-2010, Governor Rell left incoming Governor Dannel Malloy with a $3.7 billion budget deficit and not a single penny in savings. Now we are coming up on the three-year anniversary of the Senate Democrats’ announcement of a budget predictability plan, which was spearheaded by Senator John Fonfara, which brought real structural change and stability to our state budgeting process, and which has resulted in the historically high budget reserve fund we have today.
“And at this time of great national health and fiscal emergencies, it is worth remembering that just a few months ago, Democrats had to fight off a plot by Connecticut Republicans to raid two-thirds of our Rainy Day Fund to spend on transportation projects. We believed then, and have been vindicated now, that our national economy was more precarious than it appeared, and that our budget reserve was best kept for real emergencies, and not to be used for mere political expediency.
“We still face many difficult months ahead as the tendrils of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to infect our economy and our recovery, but for the time being, Connecticut is in a stronger position than most states thanks to our fiscal prudence and the safeguarding of our budget reserve.”
Citations:
Senator Anwar Named To Connecticut Advisory Committee To U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Senator Anwar Named To Connecticut Advisory Committee To U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) announced he has been appointed to join the Connecticut Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Under this important and meaningful distinction, Sen. Anwar will help Connecticut advise and respond to the Commission about civil rights matters happening in Connecticut and regionally.
“It is a great honor to be named to this important committee, and to have an opportunity to assist our state and our nation’s civil rights response,” said Sen. Anwar. “This commission has served to ensure and strengthen the rights of everyone in this country and I am looking forward to further working toward that goal.”
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights informs the development of national civil rights policy and enhances enforcement of federal civil rights laws, with jurisdiction over voting rights and discrimination and focuses on education funding, students with disabilities, women’s prisons and immigrations issues, to name a few.
Commission State Advisory Committees hold briefings with expert and public testimony and produce reports and advisory memoranda for the national committee. In Connecticut, reports concerning solitary confinement policies in Connecticut helped change those policies nationwide; in New Hampshire, that state’s committee spurred change in conditions in women’s prisons, while Kansas’s committee led to changes in seclusion and restraint policies of students with disabilities.
Sen. Anwar’s appointment to this committee will last for a four-year term.
Senator McCrory Joins U.S. Small Business Administration For Small Business COVID-19 Relief Programs Webinar for Minority Owned Businesses
Senator McCrory Joins U.S. Small Business Administration For Small Business COVID-19 Relief Programs Webinar for Minority Owned Businesses
Today, State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford) co-hosted a webinar to share information on how minority-owned businesses in Connecticut can access financial relief available under the federal CARES Act, through the U.S. Small Business Administration, and at the state level.
“We cannot neglect small businesses in our community that have faced challenges in receiving federal and state assistance in the past and, now, due to COVID-19,” said Sen. McCrory, who is a Connecticut Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board member. “We must make every effort to inform business owners of color about relief programs available to them and how to access them.”
Joining Sen. McCrory on the webinar to discuss minority-owned business financial relief were Julio Casiano and William C. Tierney from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Connecticut District Office; Glendowlyn Thames, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD); Kim Hawkins, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for HEDCO, Inc. and Howard K Hill, a Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board member.
Sen. McCrory worked with Governor Ned Lamont, DECD, the Connecticut Minority Business Initiative, and HEDCO, Inc. to launch the COVID -19 Business Response Program. As discussed on the webinar, the program allows for minority-owned and women-owned small businesses to apply for a forgivable zero-interest line of credit for up to $20,000.
To be eligible for the program:
- Be a for-profit business with 20 or less full-time and/or part-time employees
- A minimum 51% minority/women ownership required
- In good standing with the Department of Revenue services
- Operating for at least six months
The line of credit is eligible for forgiveness if the company can demonstrate the funds went toward covering the first three months of expenditures as a result of COVID-19. Interested small businesses can learn more at www.hedcoinc.com. The application deadline is April 30.
The webinar was held at the same time that the latest COVID-19 relief bill, passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives this week, directs $310 billion in additional lending authority for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $60 billion reserved for loans issued by smaller lenders. In addition, $60 billion for separate disaster loans to small businesses.
Senator Lesser Announces Nighttime Road Construction In Cromwell Beginning Sunday
Senator Lesser Announces Nighttime Road Construction In Cromwell Beginning Sunday
State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) announced today that the Department of Transportation will conduct a nighttime milling and resurfacing project on I-91 northbound and southbound in Cromwell beginning Sunday, April 26. Detours will be required.
“This important work will ensure our roadways are in peak condition,” said Sen. Lesser. “This is not only beneficial for our local community but for travelers statewide using I-91.”
The project will consist of milling and resurfacing a 0.66-mile segment of I-91 northbound and southbound in Cromwell. Milling will begin on Sunday, April 26 and continue to Tuesday, May 5. Resurfacing will follow on Wednesday, May 6, continuing to Friday, May 22.
Motorists can expect I-91 northbound and southbound lane closures and short-term on-and-off ramp detours at Exit 21, with changes occurring from the Middletown town line to the North Road Overpass. Traffic control personnel, including state police and signing patterns, will guide motorists through the work zone and detours, with regular work expected from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight Sunday through Thursday.
Detours will occur northbound along I-91 to Exit 22S, south onto Route 9 to Exit 19, then back on the interchange. Motorists on Route 372 driving north will be directed west along Route 372 to Route 9 north to I-91 north. Detours will occur southbound to Exist 23, onto Middle Street, Smith Street and Industrial Park Road back to the interchange, with Route 372 motorists destined south driving those roads in reverse order to reach I-91 south.
Senator Haskell Names Winners of District-Wide High School Essay Contest
Senator Haskell Names Winners of District-Wide High School Essay Contest
Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) announced the winners of a high school essay contest he organized for students living and learning in the 26th Senate District. Earlier this year, Sen. Haskell asked high school students to write essays based on the prompt “As an elected official, I would fight for…” Students submitted short pieces describing what they would focus on if they were elected to office, discussing both the civic benefits they could provide to their communities and the issues that matter most in their lives.
- Audrey Keener of Bethel High School won first place, writing about changes she would make to improve educational inequality.
- Chloe Ashton of Staples High School won second place, writing about changes she would make to the electoral college.
- Sean Donohue of Bethel High School won third place, writing about changes he would make to protect the environment.
“I decided to launch this essay contest to help give young people a voice in the political process” said Sen. Haskell. “I wanted to hear directly from them about how I could best serve our community in the State Senate. I learned a lot from all of their essays, and I’m feeling more optimistic than ever about Connecticut’s future. I have no doubt that I’ll see some of these young leaders in Hartford soon.”
The essays are available to read online.
Senator Slap Asks Lamont Administration to Extend I/DD Assistance During COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Senator Slap Asks Lamont Administration to Extend I/DD Assistance During COVID-19 Hospitalizations
HARTFORD – State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) has joined with other members of the Senate Democrats Caucus in asking the Lamont administration and the state Department of Public Health to create a more “uniform and compassionate” policy permitting the loved ones and caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to accompany them into a hospital in the event of their hospitalization during the current COVID-19 crisis.
“As a member of the legislature’s I/DD Caucus, and as a longtime advocate for the opportunities and rights of people with disabilities, this is a policy change that is considerate and makes sense,” Sen. Slap said.
One month ago, the state Department of Social Services directed state hospitals to allow caregivers to accompany people with I/DD into a hospital — but only for people with I/DD who reside in group homes or other residential facilities supported by DDS.
Sen. Slap and Senate Democrats are now asking the Lamont administration to extend that policy to include persons with I/DD who also may reside in private homes or other community settings.
“The hospitalization of many people with I/DD – even in less trying times – can create problems that quickly spiral out of control, leading to the sedation and restraint of that person with I/DD. This is difficult for everyone involved as it imposes huge burdens on hospital staff that, in the current crisis, are already stretched to the breaking point,” Sen. Slap and Senate Democrats wrote. “Permitting someone to accompany the person with I/DD will make treatment far easier and more efficient, while at the same time being more compassionate for the person needing treatment… Accordingly, we respectfully request that you direct the Department of Public Health to implement one consistent patient support policy for all people with I/DD who might require hospitalization during this crisis.
Sen. Slap and Senate Democrats note that two weeks ago, New York State issued its own updated guidance policy on hospital visitation, requiring hospitals to permit a patient-support person at the patient bedside for several populations, including those for whom “a support person has been determined to be essential to the care of the patient, including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities…”.
The letter is available online.
Senator Anwar Encouraged By Assistance Package Passed by U.S. Senate Tuesday Night
Senator Anwar Encouraged By Assistance Package Passed by U.S. Senate Tuesday Night
After its passing Tuesday by the United States Senate, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) is encouraged by the projected $484 billion in aid that the latest COVID-19 relief bill will provide to small businesses and hospitals. Sen. Anwar released several statements about the legislation, which includes:
- $310 billion in additional lending authority for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $60 billion reserved for loans issued by smaller lenders.
- $60 billion for separate disaster loans to small businesses.
- $75 billion for hospitals.
- $25 billion for virus testing, supporting states, the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, community health centers, rural health clinics and the Food and Drug Administration.
The legislation still needs to pass through federal Congress and be approved by President Trump before funding can be released.
“I am thankful for the support and funding for small businesses included in this legislation,” said Sen. Anwar. “Previous amounts were not enough and many businesses in our community did not receive funds through the Payroll Protection Program. We are hoping more businesses will get assistance and help in a timely fashion to protect local jobs.”
“I also welcome increased funding for tests. While we are somewhat late on this, we should still move forward on having as many tests as possible so we can have a safe plan for reopening parts of the state with appropriate and reliable data.”
“We are hopeful that the federal government will provide support for towns and municipalities who are struggling and school systems needing help with technology and advancement in their communities. This is something the federal government needs to support moving forward. State support is crucial as spikes in unemployment will negatively impact state and municipal budgets.”
Senator Hartley To Join Women’s Business Development Council for Digital Town Hall on Manufacturing in Connecticut During the COVID-19 Crisis
Senator Hartley To Join Women’s Business Development Council for Digital Town Hall on Manufacturing in Connecticut During the COVID-19 Crisis
On Friday, April 24 at 2 p.m., State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) will join members of the Women’s Development Business Council for a digital town hall on manufacturing in Connecticut during the COVID-19 crisis. Many industries have seen significant disruption during the pandemic currently impacting the world on a global scale. Sen. Hartley will join state leaders including State Representative Caroline Simmons (D-Stamford), her fellow chair on the Commerce Committee and fellow leader on the Manufacturing Caucus, and Colin Cooper, Connecticut’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, to discuss Connecticut manufacturing.
The town hall will be held on the platform Zoom. It will be accessible at this link or by phone at 646-558-8656, webinar ID 951-4421-5092.
Regular Legislative Session Will Not Reconvene
Regular Legislative Session Will Not Reconvene
Leaders Intend to Hold Future Special Session for Any Necessary Legislative Action
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193
Democratic and Republican legislative leaders announced that the regular 2020 session will not reconvene before the May 6 constitutional adjournment date.
In a joint statement, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, Senate President Martin M. Looney, House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano said,
“The 2020 regular legislative session will adjourn without any further action, and we are already working on a plan to convene a special session in the coming months to ensure the continuity of government functions and that any necessary legislative action can be taken. Our top priority is the health and safety of the public, and we are committed to continue working in unison to stem this health crisis and do everything possible to protect the Connecticut residents we all represent.”