Legislative Leaders Postpone Legislative Business Until April 23
Today, Democratic and Republican legislative leaders announced that legislative business including committee meetings and public hearings will be postponed until April 23. The Legislative Office Building, State Capitol, and the Old State House will be closed during that time.
Legislative leaders will meet the week of April 13 to determine if further action needs to be taken.
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:
“All Connecticut residents have been advised to stay home and stay safe. As a result, all committee meetings, public hearings, and other legislative business will be postponed until April 20. We will continue to take all necessary steps in order to protect the health and safety of Connecticut residents during this emergency.”
Sen. Slap, Rep. Lopes Call For Suspension of Low Balance Banking Fees
Sen. Slap, Rep. Lopes Call For Suspension of Low Balance Banking Fees
WEST HARTFORD – Acting on the suggestion of a constituent, state Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) and state Representative Rick Lopes (D-New Britain) have asked the Lamont administration to work with Connecticut’s banking industry to suspend minimum or low balance fees and assess what other banking fees can be reduced to help Connecticut residents affected by the COVID-19 economic crisis.
“The COVID-19 virus is wreaking havoc on the state and national economies. Connecticut has seen a year’s worth of unemployment claims in just the past few weeks, and they’re running five weeks behind writing checks. It’s completely understandable that some people might be draining their checking and savings accounts just to get by, and they really shouldn’t be hit with low balance fees because they’re in desperate straits,” Sen. Slap said. “So many Connecticut industries have come together for the sake of our residents; I think this is an issue that Connecticut banks can help with on a temporary basis until we get over this hump of unemployment and people can get back to making a living.”
“During this time of economic uncertainty, I am hoping that banks will consider not charging fees on accounts with low balances,” said Rep. Lopes, who is House Chair of the legislature’s Banking Committee. “This step will be necessary until unemployment benefits and stimulus checks catch up to the spike in demand.”
Last week, Sen. Slap received an email from a West Hartford resident stating that for the first time ever he had been charged a low balance fee by a Connecticut-based bank because his checking account balance fell below $1,000 – after he wrote a check to a local charity.
“In this time of great financial stress, folks are struggling, dipping into savings. Please advise on what we can do to get these banks to suspend low balance fees,” the constituent wrote.
Sen. Slap and Rep. Lopes note that national banks and Connecticut’s banking industry have already aided consumers in a variety of ways: for instance, 50 Connecticut banks and credit unions are working with Gov. Lamont to offer a 90-day grace period for all mortgage payments: waiving or refunding mortgage-related late fees and other fees, including early CD withdrawals; they won’t start any foreclosure sales or eviction; and late or missed payments will not be shared with credit reporting agencies.
Sen. Slap and state Rep. Lopes have also reached out to the Connecticut Bankers Association with this idea.
The legislators note that the issue of access to personal savings is a national one, and that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has created a Frequently Asked Questions web site to address common consumer concerns, such as ATM fees and withdrawing money from Certificates of Deposit.
The site can be accessed at: https://www.fdic.gov/coronavirus/faq-customer.pdf
Statement From Senators Kasser and Kushner Re: New Safe Store Rules
Statement From Senators Kasser and Kushner Re: New Safe Store Rules
Starting tomorrow, Friday April 3, all retail stores now open in Connecticut will be required to adopt “Safe Store Rules.” These rules were issued Wednesday, April 1 by Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7S and are intended to increase and standardize safety precautions for employees and customers across the state.
The Safe Store Rules stem from an ongoing discussion with the Lamont administration originated in March by Senators Kasser (D-Greenwich) and Kushner (D-Danbury), when they sent the administration a list of best practices from other states to prevent exposure to the COVID-19 virus in retail settings.
“We are grateful to Governor Lamont and DECD Commissioner Lehman for listening to us and developing and implementing this set of protocols that will protect people’s safety during this COVID-19 crisis,” they said.
Sen. Kasser, who is a doctoral candidate at Yale in Environmental Health Law and Policy, said as soon as the governor issued his “Stay Safe, Stay Home” policy on March 20, she began thinking about how to minimize peoples’ exposure to virus molecules in the stores that remain open.
“This is a strong and comprehensive set of safety protocols that take effect tomorrow, at a time when being extra cautious is the smart thing for businesses as well as the general public,” Sen. Kasser said.
She recommends additional safety tips for consumers that include: limiting trips to the store to just once or twice a week; wearing gloves and covering eyes/nose/mouth to limit exposure to virus molecules; and sanitizing all surfaces touched either by gloves or shopping bags, including car door handles, steering wheels, and kitchen counters.
“As I drove around my district, I could see that stores varied widely in what they were doing – some were limiting customers inside and sanitizing cart handles, others were not. Workers in essential businesses that remain open are now on the front lines of this crisis, and they deserve protection,” said Sen. Kushner, who is the former Director of United Auto Workers Union, Region 9A. “When I read the governor’s executive order last night about new retail store precautions, I felt so encouraged that we are moving in the right direction. While the virus continues to plague us, we are fighting back and we will get through this together.”
“Our message to the public is simple: stay home!” Sens. Kasser and Kushner said. “But when you do have to go shopping, following the Safe Store Rules will protect you, your family, and the people who are going to work every day to provide you with essential services.”
The new rules, which are effective at the open of business tomorrow, Friday April 3, include:
- Occupancy is capped at 50% of actual store capacity. At entrances, staff will maintain a count of the number of customers entering and exiting stores.
- Clearly mark six-foot spacing in lines on floor at checkout lines and other high-traffic areas and, as much as practicable, provide ways to encourage six feet of social distance spacing in lines outside the store.
- Post conspicuous signage and floor markings to direct customers and limit bottlenecks and/or encourage spacing and flow in high-density areas.
- Have one-way traffic aisles in stores where practicable to maximize spacing between customers. Identify the one-way aisles with conspicuous signage and/or floor markings.
- Maximize space between customers and employees at checkout lines, including, but not limited to, only using every other checkout line, where and when possible.
- Install Plexiglas shields to separate employees from customers at checkout lines and other areas in the store where practicable.
- Communicate with customers that there should only be one person per household during shopping trips, whenever possible.
- Discontinue all self-serve foods (i.e. salad bar, hot foods bar) and product sampling.
- Allow “touchless” credit card transactions. If not possible, sanitize credit card machines (including pen) regularly and consistently.
- Cart and basket handles should be sanitized between uses by staff.
- Wherever possible, employees will wear gloves and face masks at all times that they are interacting with customers and/or handling products.
Statement From Senators Kasser and Kushner Re: New Safe Store Rules
Statement From Senators Kasser and Kushner Re: New Safe Store Rules
Starting tomorrow, Friday April 3, all retail stores now open in Connecticut will be required to adopt “Safe Store Rules.” These rules were issued Wednesday, April 1 by Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7S and are intended to increase and standardize safety precautions for employees and customers across the state.
The Safe Store Rules stem from an ongoing discussion with the Lamont administration originated in March by Senators Kasser (D-Greenwich) and Kushner (D-Danbury), when they sent the administration a list of best practices from other states to prevent exposure to the COVID-19 virus in retail settings.
“We are grateful to Governor Lamont and DECD Commissioner Lehman for listening to us and developing and implementing this set of protocols that will protect people’s safety during this COVID-19 crisis,” they said.
Sen. Kasser, who is a doctoral candidate at Yale in Environmental Health Law and Policy, said as soon as the governor issued his “Stay Safe, Stay Home” policy on March 20, she began thinking about how to minimize peoples’ exposure to virus molecules in the stores that remain open.
“This is a strong and comprehensive set of safety protocols that take effect tomorrow, at a time when being extra cautious is the smart thing for businesses as well as the general public,” Sen. Kasser said.
She recommends additional safety tips for consumers that include: limiting trips to the store to just once or twice a week; wearing gloves and covering eyes/nose/mouth to limit exposure to virus molecules; and sanitizing all surfaces touched either by gloves or shopping bags, including car door handles, steering wheels, and kitchen counters.
“As I drove around my district, I could see that stores varied widely in what they were doing – some were limiting customers inside and sanitizing cart handles, others were not. Workers in essential businesses that remain open are now on the front lines of this crisis, and they deserve protection,” said Sen. Kushner, who is the former Director of United Auto Workers Union, Region 9A. “When I read the governor’s executive order last night about new retail store precautions, I felt so encouraged that we are moving in the right direction. While the virus continues to plague us, we are fighting back and we will get through this together.”
“Our message to the public is simple: stay home!” Sens. Kasser and Kushner said. “But when you do have to go shopping, following the Safe Store Rules will protect you, your family, and the people who are going to work every day to provide you with essential services.”
The new rules, which are effective at the open of business tomorrow, Friday April 3, include:
- Occupancy is capped at 50% of actual store capacity. At entrances, staff will maintain a count of the number of customers entering and exiting stores.
- Clearly mark six-foot spacing in lines on floor at checkout lines and other high-traffic areas and, as much as practicable, provide ways to encourage six feet of social distance spacing in lines outside the store.
- Post conspicuous signage and floor markings to direct customers and limit bottlenecks and/or encourage spacing and flow in high-density areas.
- Have one-way traffic aisles in stores where practicable to maximize spacing between customers. Identify the one-way aisles with conspicuous signage and/or floor markings.
- Maximize space between customers and employees at checkout lines, including, but not limited to, only using every other checkout line, where and when possible.
- Install Plexiglas shields to separate employees from customers at checkout lines and other areas in the store where practicable.
- Communicate with customers that there should only be one person per household during shopping trips, whenever possible.
- Discontinue all self-serve foods (i.e. salad bar, hot foods bar) and product sampling.
- Allow “touchless” credit card transactions. If not possible, sanitize credit card machines (including pen) regularly and consistently.
- Cart and basket handles should be sanitized between uses by staff.
- Wherever possible, employees will wear gloves and face masks at all times that they are interacting with customers and/or handling products.
Senator Anwar Addresses Letter to Insurance Department Commissioner Mais Encouraging Workers’ Compensation for Medical Workers Who Contract COVID-19
Senator Anwar Addresses Letter to Insurance Department Commissioner Mais Encouraging Workers’ Compensation for Medical Workers Who Contract COVID-19
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) addressed a letter to Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew N. Mais encouraging him to allow health care workers in Connecticut who contract COVID-19 to be able to receive workers’ compensation insurance. In addition to serving as State Senator, Sen. Anwar is a medical doctor working in Intensive Care. He said he has heard from colleagues they may not be eligible for workers’ compensation unless they can prove they contracted COVID-19 in the medical setting.
“Because we are dealing with a highly contagious virus, it is nearly impossible to prove where an individual contracted the illness,” said Sen. Anwar. “Health care workers are putting their own, and their families’, well-being on the line every time they go to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We need to show frontline health care workers that we have their back if they get sick,” Sen. Anwar said. “It should be assumed a health care worker has obtained COVID-19 on the job if they test positive for COVID-19.”
The full text of the letter is included below.
April 2, 2020
Commissioner Andrew N. Mais
Connecticut Insurance Department
153 Market Street, 7th Floor
Hartford CT 06103
RE: Workers’ Compensation for medical professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Commissioner Mais,
I am writing to encourage you to assure healthcare workers in Connecticut will be covered by workers’ compensation insurance if they become unable to work due to contracting COVID-19.
Recently I have heard from many of my colleagues in the medical field that workers’ compensation insurance will not cover them unless they can prove that they contracted COVID 19 on the job. Because we are dealing with a highly contagious virus, it is nearly impossible to prove where an individual contracted the illness. Healthcare workers are putting their own, and their families’, wellbeing on the line every time they go to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are they faced with contracting a potentially life-threatening illness, but also with the possibility of losing their source of income.
We need to show frontline healthcare workers that we have their back if they get sick. Please use your oversight authority to ensure workers’ compensation insurance companies do not require healthcare workers to prove they contacted COVID-19 on the job. For purposes of coverage, it should be assumed a healthcare worker has obtained COVID-19 on the job if they test positive for COVID-19, or if a medical provider believes, based on exhibited symptoms, that the worker has contracted COVID-19.
Respectfully,
Saud Anwar, M.D.
Senator Osten Welcomes State Funding for Norwich Police Body Cameras
Senator Osten Welcomes State Funding for Norwich Police Body Cameras
NORWICH – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) announced today that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve $146,653 in state funding for body-worn cameras for Norwich police officers when the Commission meets on April 8 in Hartford.
In March 2019, the Norwich City Council voted unanimously to approve $300,000 for 80 body-worn cameras and 25 cruiser dashboard-mounted cameras, with the expectation that the state would reimburse the city 50% of the cost.
Norwich Police Chief Patrick Daley reportedly said at the time that the cameras “provide indisputable evidence of an incident” and are “good for everybody.”
State funding for the police cameras was included in bipartisan votes of the legislature in 2015 and 2017.
“Police body cameras and dash cameras are good policy for police and the public alike, and the State of Connecticut helping local cities and towns purchase this public safety equipment is another good public policy. I was glad to support it and I’m happy to see the state live up to its promise of a 50 percent reimbursement,” said Sen. Osten, who is Senate Chair of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee and Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Committee.