Sens. Kushner, Lesser Seek Workers’ Comp Protections For COVID-Affected Workers
HARTFORD – State Senators Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and Matthew Lesser (D-Middletown) today called on Governor Ned Lamont to work with them on legislation ensuring that Connecticut’s essential workers – many of them people of color – qualify for workers’ compensation insurance coverage in Connecticut if they contract COVID-19 while on the job and suffer health or financial consequences as a result of that infection.
Sens. Kushner and Lesser – who are the Senate chairs of the Labor and Public Employees and the Insurance committees, respectively – said they were pleased that, in the midst of their press conference today, Gov. Lamont issued a public statement vowing to issue an executive order that will provide “a timely, straightforward opportunity to claim any benefits they are due through the workers’ compensation system” if they contracted COVID-19 on the job.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic began four months ago, we made a promise to our first responders and to our essential workers that we would be there for them because they were there for us: working in our hospitals and nursing homes, cleaning our places of work, working at roadside plazas, stocking our shelves, and essentially allowing us to stay at home and stay healthy while they provided us with some semblance of a normal life. Now we need to repay the debt for those who became ill because of their sacrifice for us,” Sen. Kushner said. “This is not only a matter of living up to our promises, it’s also a matter of racial equity, since so many of the people working in these jobs are Black and brown, and they have been affected by this virus disproportionately.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, while most workers were able to stay home, essential workers showed up, putting their lives and health on the line. Cops, firefighters, nursing home workers, grocery store workers and so many others. We promised those workers that they were essential, now it’s up to Governor Lamont to show them that they are,” Sen. Lesser said. “Across the country, red states and blue states have found ways to allow essential workers to get the workers’ compensation they are entitled to under the law. It’s beyond time for Connecticut to do the same.
Essential workers had our backs – now let’s have their backs.”
“We’re happy to hear the governor is going to issue an executive order on this matter, and we look forward to seeing the exact language and impact of that order,” they said.
Sens. Kushner and Lesser were joined at today’s press conference on the steps pf the State Capitol by labor leaders, other legislators, and by Sandra Palomino, who contracted COVID-19 while working for a subcontractor for Pratt & Whitney.
Sandra – who lives alone — was in the hospital for eight days, and it took her a month and a half to fully recover before she could go back to work on June 1. She believes she contracted the virus at work while cleaning.
The Insurance and Labor committees held a joint informational hearing on June 17 on the issue of expanding workers’ compensation coverage to employees who have been hurt on the job by COVID-19 infections; at that hearing, they heard testimony from a female employee of ProPark who came down with COVID-19 while operating as shuttle for doctors and nurses. Her husband, a CT Public Transit bus cleaner, also contracted COVID-19 – both, they believe, while on the job.
A link to that June 17 meeting agenda, testimony, and a video of the proceeding can be found at: https://cga.ct.gov/ins/.
Sens. Kushner, Lesser Seek Workers’ Comp Protections For COVID-Affected Workers
Sens. Kushner, Lesser Seek Workers’ Comp Protections For COVID-Affected Workers
HARTFORD – State Senators Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and Matthew Lesser (D-Middletown) today called on Governor Ned Lamont to work with them on legislation ensuring that Connecticut’s essential workers – many of them people of color – qualify for workers’ compensation insurance coverage in Connecticut if they contract COVID-19 while on the job and suffer health or financial consequences as a result of that infection.
Sens. Kushner and Lesser – who are the Senate chairs of the Labor and Public Employees and the Insurance committees, respectively – said they were pleased that, in the midst of their press conference today, Gov. Lamont issued a public statement vowing to issue an executive order that will provide “a timely, straightforward opportunity to claim any benefits they are due through the workers’ compensation system” if they contracted COVID-19 on the job.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic began four months ago, we made a promise to our first responders and to our essential workers that we would be there for them because they were there for us: working in our hospitals and nursing homes, cleaning our places of work, working at roadside plazas, stocking our shelves, and essentially allowing us to stay at home and stay healthy while they provided us with some semblance of a normal life. Now we need to repay the debt for those who became ill because of their sacrifice for us,” Sen. Kushner said. “This is not only a matter of living up to our promises, it’s also a matter of racial equity, since so many of the people working in these jobs are Black and brown, and they have been affected by this virus disproportionately.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, while most workers were able to stay home, essential workers showed up, putting their lives and health on the line. Cops, firefighters, nursing home workers, grocery store workers and so many others. We promised those workers that they were essential, now it’s up to Governor Lamont to show them that they are,” Sen. Lesser said. “Across the country, red states and blue states have found ways to allow essential workers to get the workers’ compensation they are entitled to under the law. It’s beyond time for Connecticut to do the same.
Essential workers had our backs – now let’s have their backs.”
“We’re happy to hear the governor is going to issue an executive order on this matter, and we look forward to seeing the exact language and impact of that order,” they said.
Sens. Kushner and Lesser were joined at today’s press conference on the steps pf the State Capitol by labor leaders, other legislators, and by Sandra Palomino, who contracted COVID-19 while working for a subcontractor for Pratt & Whitney.
Sandra – who lives alone — was in the hospital for eight days, and it took her a month and a half to fully recover before she could go back to work on June 1. She believes she contracted the virus at work while cleaning.
The Insurance and Labor committees held a joint informational hearing on June 17 on the issue of expanding workers’ compensation coverage to employees who have been hurt on the job by COVID-19 infections; at that hearing, they heard testimony from a female employee of ProPark who came down with COVID-19 while operating as shuttle for doctors and nurses. Her husband, a CT Public Transit bus cleaner, also contracted COVID-19 – both, they believe, while on the job.
A link to that June 17 meeting agenda, testimony, and a video of the proceeding can be found at: https://cga.ct.gov/ins/.
Senator Needleman Welcomes Grant Funding To Support Alternative Water Source Plan in East Hampton
Senator Needleman Welcomes Grant Funding To Support Alternative Water Source Plan in East Hampton
Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) welcomed a planned release of $250,000 in grant funding to the town of East Hampton from the State Bond Commission. At its scheduled July 21 meeting, the Bond Commission plans to approve the grant-in-aid to finance a plan for alternative water sources in the town.
“For years, the town of East Hampton has worked to find new solutions for water sources to improve upon current ones,” said Sen. Needleman. “I’d like to thank Governor Lamont and the Bond Commission for their recognizance of this important issue. With this grant, East Hampton will be able to determine the best way forward to ensure its residents and employees have ready access to clean water.”
The funding for an alternative water sources plan comes as East Hampton continues to struggle with acquiring clean water. Current supplies are not enough for the town’s residents and many water sources are contaminated by chemicals or iron. Town officials have said in the past this issue has harmed business development and has impacted East Hampton dating back to the 1960s. A new water plan would allow the town to supply clean water to all of its residents and businesses.
Senator Matt Lesser Welcomes State Bonding to Newington
Senator Matt Lesser Welcomes State Bonding to Newington
State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) is welcoming $500,000 in state bonding to the town of Newington to finance Phase VII of the long-term Newington Town Center Streetscape program, which began in 2000. These funds will be used to complete the streetscape improvements to Constance Leigh Drive in Newington Town Center.
“I’m thrilled to announce this critical funding for Newington,” said Sen. Lesser. “Our delegation has worked effectively with the Governor to deliver investments in infrastructure and relieve the burden on local taxpayers.”
The project in the town center will maintain a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and stay compatible with the Center’s compact size and sensitive to adjacent resident neighborhoods.
Over the years, existing buildings have been remodeled to keep the original character of the façade and improvements have been made for pedestrians including sidewalks, lighting, street trees, and streets / curbing signage.
The State Bond Commission is expected to meet via teleconference on July 21, 2020 at 11 a.m. in the Old Judiciary Room at the State Capitol in Hartford.
Senators Anwar, McCrory Join Advocates to Introduce, Discuss Legislation Seeking to Desegregate Housing
Senators Anwar, McCrory Join Advocates to Introduce, Discuss Legislation Seeking to Desegregate Housing
Senators Anwar and McCrory address an assembled crowd in front of the State Capitol Tuesday, July 14.
HARTFORD – Today, State Senators Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) and Douglas McCrory (D-Hartford) joined speakers in front of the State Capitol including House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, UConn Law Real Property Law Chair Sara Bronin, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Executive Director and CEO Joe DeLong, Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association Treasurer Khara Dodds, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving President Jay Williams and Urban Hope Refuge Church Senior Pastor A.J. Johnson to advocate for legislation that would seek to desegregate housing policy in Connecticut. Citing stringent, unnecessary zoning and housing regulations existing today that forcibly segregate communities around the state, the legislators discussed means to improve upon them, including a draft bill they hope to see discussed and passed in an upcoming special session.
“This is an issue that’s not new to the state of Connecticut. People have been working on and championing this legislation for some time. But when people bring up bills to change this, those bills die,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’ve seen these issues die. This is proactive legislation because we have all heard the challenges our communities face. Connecticut is one of the most segregated states in this region where 50 percent of all African American and 50 percent of all Hispanic community members live on 2 percent of the land in this state. You don’t sustain a community that way. Two-thirds of them live in low-opportunity areas, and the probability of them coming out of a low-opportunity area into a high-opportunity area is the lowest in the region. Housing is the center of all issues. If you are looking at comprehensive reform, just police reform will be symptomatic treatment. We need a therapeutic strategy to undo 400 years of challenges and strategic decisions to segregate communities by design.”
“I’ve lived in Hartford, grew up in Hartford, and at one point, my parents talked about moving to a suburban community,” said Sen. McCrory. “The reality was, they were not going to be able to move to that community even if they wanted to. These policies are systematic not only in Connecticut but all around the United States. They were done by government officials; they’re government policies. If we want to change them, we need government officials to change government policies. Some of the policies we are working on address what needs to be changed, and I look forward to working on these policies in future sessions.”
Senators Anwar and McCrory spoke today as a working draft of “An Act Concerning Legislation for Special Session Concerning Zoning and Affordable Housing” was released, the result of efforts to improve housing opportunities for all Connecticut residents. Among many other parts of the extensive 49-page bill, it seeks to reduce zoning regulations to encourage more development of multi-family homes and buildings, combat regulations that reinforce patterns of segregation, create more inclusive communities across the state and promote and allow housing that can be occupied by all residents. By addressing zoning and planning regulations in a means to improve development opportunities across the state, this legislation seeks to provide more equal opportunities for all people in Connecticut.
A full copy of the drafted legislation can be accessed at this link.
Senators Anwar and McCrory address an assembled crowd in front of the State Capitol Tuesday, July 14.
Senators Anwar, McCrory Join Advocates to Introduce, Discuss Legislation Seeking to Desegregate Housing
Senators Anwar, McCrory Join Advocates to Introduce, Discuss Legislation Seeking to Desegregate Housing
Senators Anwar and McCrory address an assembled crowd in front of the State Capitol Tuesday, July 14.
HARTFORD – Today, State Senators Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) and Douglas McCrory (D-Hartford) joined speakers in front of the State Capitol including House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, UConn Law Real Property Law Chair Sara Bronin, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Executive Director and CEO Joe DeLong, Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association Treasurer Khara Dodds, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving President Jay Williams and Urban Hope Refuge Church Senior Pastor A.J. Johnson to advocate for legislation that would seek to desegregate housing policy in Connecticut. Citing stringent, unnecessary zoning and housing regulations existing today that forcibly segregate communities around the state, the legislators discussed means to improve upon them, including a draft bill they hope to see discussed and passed in an upcoming special session.
“This is an issue that’s not new to the state of Connecticut. People have been working on and championing this legislation for some time. But when people bring up bills to change this, those bills die,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’ve seen these issues die. This is proactive legislation because we have all heard the challenges our communities face. Connecticut is one of the most segregated states in this region where 50 percent of all African American and 50 percent of all Hispanic community members live on 2 percent of the land in this state. You don’t sustain a community that way. Two-thirds of them live in low-opportunity areas, and the probability of them coming out of a low-opportunity area into a high-opportunity area is the lowest in the region. Housing is the center of all issues. If you are looking at comprehensive reform, just police reform will be symptomatic treatment. We need a therapeutic strategy to undo 400 years of challenges and strategic decisions to segregate communities by design.”
“I’ve lived in Hartford, grew up in Hartford, and at one point, my parents talked about moving to a suburban community,” said Sen. McCrory. “The reality was, they were not going to be able to move to that community even if they wanted to. These policies are systematic not only in Connecticut but all around the United States. They were done by government officials; they’re government policies. If we want to change them, we need government officials to change government policies. Some of the policies we are working on address what needs to be changed, and I look forward to working on these policies in future sessions.”
Senators Anwar and McCrory spoke today as a working draft of “An Act Concerning Legislation for Special Session Concerning Zoning and Affordable Housing” was released, the result of efforts to improve housing opportunities for all Connecticut residents. Among many other parts of the extensive 49-page bill, it seeks to reduce zoning regulations to encourage more development of multi-family homes and buildings, combat regulations that reinforce patterns of segregation, create more inclusive communities across the state and promote and allow housing that can be occupied by all residents. By addressing zoning and planning regulations in a means to improve development opportunities across the state, this legislation seeks to provide more equal opportunities for all people in Connecticut.
A full copy of the drafted legislation can be accessed at this link.
Senators Anwar and McCrory address an assembled crowd in front of the State Capitol Tuesday, July 14.
Sen. Osten Welcomes State Bonding to Remediate Former Norwich State Hospital Brownfield, Kick-Start Economic Development
Sen. Osten Welcomes State Bonding to Remediate Former Norwich State Hospital Brownfield, Kick-Start Economic Development
EASTERN CONNECTICUT – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed her long-sought release of $7 million in state bonding for the Town of Preston to finance environmental remediation on the site of the former Norwich State Hospital – a site which Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has proposed developing into a 393-acre, non-gaming regional tourist attraction.
The grant, released through the state Department of Economic and Community Development, will be held in escrow and will only be utilized for any pending remediation work after a cost-efficient remediation plan is instituted. The property is contaminated with asbestos and ash from a coal-fired heating plant at the former state hospital.
In May 2016, the Mohegan Tribe reached an historic agreement with the Preston Redevelopment Agency to purchase and develop the 393-acre riverfront site into “Preston Riverwalk,” a non-gaming destination including outdoor and indoor attractions, hotel and retail space, restaurants, housing, a marina, an RV park, and more.
“This bonding could not come at a better time. The region’s economy has been battered with unemployment, and tourism is at a standstill thanks to the coronavirus. This funding, which I have been seeking for more than a year, is the lynchpin to private-sector development which is going to grow jobs and will be a regional engine for the economy once this pandemic has passed,” Sen. Osten said. “I want to thank the Mohegan Tribe for its vision and commitment and patience, and I want to thank the governor and the bond commission for recognizing the value of this project, and for recognizing the state’s responsibility to cleaning up this site. It’s always a win-win when we can clean up the environment and get a valuable, unused piece of land back on the local tax rolls, and back into private-sector development, with the ultimate benefit of more jobs for eastern Connecticut.”
The State Bond Commission is expected to meet via teleconference at 11 a.m. on July 21, 2020, in the Old Judiciary Rom of the State Capitol in Hartford.
State Senator Matt Lesser Backs Governor Ned Lamont’s Decision of Certification Implementation for Travelers Entering Connecticut
State Senator Matt Lesser Backs Governor Ned Lamont’s Decision of Certification Implementation for Travelers Entering Connecticut
State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) is backing Governor Ned Lamont’s decision he made today that will implement a certification process for air travelers entering Connecticut. Now, travelers who come from states with high infection rates will be required to complete a form telling officials where they are coming from and where they plan to quarantine.
“Governor Lamont is making the right call here,” said Sen. Lesser. “Our progress in Connecticut has been hard-won, but domestic travel poses a major threat. At a time when other states are posting record infection totals, I hope Connecticut is able to roll this policy out swiftly.”
Since June 29, 2020, Senator Lesser has urged Bradley Airport to work with Governor Lamont to screen passengers arriving from hotspots for COVID-19 following the travel advisory in the state. The process will be formally announced by the end of this week.
Statement Of State Senator Mae Flexer In Response to CT GOP Chairman J.R. Romano’s Allegations Of Voter Fraud
Statement Of State Senator Mae Flexer In Response to CT GOP Chairman J.R. Romano’s Allegations Of Voter Fraud
“Despite the Republican Party chairman’s claims to the contrary, the last 30 years of voting statistics in Connecticut prove that voting by absentee ballot is not a problem, and has never been a problem, in Connecticut. The Connecticut Republican Party has got to stop parroting President Trump’s lies about voter fraud, and it has to stand up for democracy and individual rights. That’s what Americans have fought and died for for nearly 250 years in this country. Democrats understand and appreciate and support that. The minority party in Connecticut needs to evolve on this issue and tell voters the truth, not lies.
“There have been 22 million ballots cast in Connecticut in the past 30 years, 1.5 million by absentee. In that time, it’s estimated that there have been less than 20 convictions for absentee ballot fraud – 0.0000875%, or less than nine hundred thousandths of 1 percent, of all votes cast – and even those violations were mostly elderly citizens who were encouraged to vote by mail when they could have physically voted in-person at a polling place, which is against the law right now in Connecticut.
“We need more participation in our democracy in America and in Connecticut, not less. We need Connecticut citizens to have the same absentee ballot privileges that have been taken advantage of by President Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Vice-President Pence, Kellyanne Conway, William Barr, Betsy DeVos, Wilbur Ross, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, and many, many others.
“We need Connecticut to rise above its 30-year historic average of just seven percent of its citizens voting by mail. In 2018, the national average was 23 percent. In 2018, only 60 percent of Americans physically voted in person at polling locations – in Connecticut, it was 94 percent.
“The time is now. We are at a historic intersection in American history of simultaneous economic, social and medical upheaval. The decisions made by elected officials on these matters will affect millions of lives right here in Connecticut. The voice of every resident in our state must be heard, and must be counted. Lying about absentee ballots to defend a president who said, “for whatever reason, (absentee voting) doesn’t work out well for Republicans” is not an excuse for disenfranchising Connecticut residents in 2020. We must ensure that no voter in Connecticut will have to choose between their health and safety and exercising their right to vote.”
“We can pass an expanded absentee voter law in Connecticut, and we will – despite the Republican lies.”
Sen. Kushner Urges Stop & Shop To Continue Hazard Pay For Store Employees
Sen. Kushner Urges Stop & Shop To Continue Hazard Pay For Store Employees
DANBURY – Citing the ongoing nature of the coronavirus pandemic and the mandated public health guidelines still in place across the state, state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) today joined her Senate Democratic Caucus leadership in urging the Stop & Shop chain of grocery stores to continue the COVID-19 hazard pay it had been providing its frontline workers since April, but which Stop & Shop just cancelled on Independence Day, July 4.
“There are Stop & Shops in Danbury, New Fairfield, Ridgefield, New Milford and Newtown that still require shoppers and employees to wear face masks, to maintain six feet of space between each other, to travel one-way down aisles, and that have large plexiglass dividers between customers and checkout clerks. Why? Because the coronavirus is still a threat in Connecticut. And if it’s still a threat, then these essential frontline workers still deserve hazard pay for putting themselves at risk,” Sen. Kushner said. “Just a few weeks ago, Stop & Shop corporate officials were demanding that federal and state governments declare their employees as ‘extended first responders’ or ‘emergency personnel’ so they could have priority access to COVID-19 testing and emergency childcare. That was the right thing to do, but their status as essential frontline workers hasn’t changed. So this hazard pay program should continue.”
Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today took issue with Stop & Shop’s corporate decision to prematurely end the surplus pay program for its employees, which was implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They said while transmission of the coronavirus has declined in Connecticut, COVID-19 transmissions continue across the state to this day, and that puts grocery store workers on the pandemic front line.
In April, Stop & Shop implemented a 10 percent “appreciation pay” increase for employees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island; that program ended on July 4.
Last year, Sen. Kushner joined striking Stop & Shop workers on the picket line when Stop & Shop proposed a new labor contract requiring greater employee contributions to healthcare, changes to Sunday premium pay, and a reduction in pension benefits for new employees.
Earlier this year, after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Sen. Kushner promoted Stop & Shop’s new store policy of opening from 6 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. exclusively for people age 60 and over, who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, has $13 billion in annual sales and employs 170,000 people in more than 400 stores throughout New York, New England and New Jersey. Stop & Shop controls 21% of the grocery store market in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Sen. Kushner urged individuals who believe that the Stop & Shop employee appreciation pay program should continue to speak with their local Stop & Shop store manager, or to call Stop & Shop’s corporate customer relations department at 1-800-767-7772, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.