Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus called on the utilities in Connecticut to better prepare for increased cybersecurity threats. In a letter to utilities operating in the state, the Democratic Senators highlighted how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against the increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
The Senators warned about the potential damage of a successful attack which “could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.”
Furthermore, the Senators called on the need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyberattack.
“We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage? We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern.”
The warning was sent to the major utilities in the state including Eversource, United Illuminating Company, ISO New England, Aquarion Water Company, Regional Water Authority, The Connecticut Water Company, Southern Connecticut Gas Company, and Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation. In addition the letter was sent to local utilities including Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Heritage Village Water Company, Norwich Public Utilities, Old Newgate Ridge Water Company, Preston Plains Water Company, South Norwalk Electric and Water, Avon Water Company, Berkshire Gas Company, Hazardville Water Company, Jewett City Water Company, Torrington Water Company, Valley Water Systems, and Wallingford Department of Public Utilities.
In addition to Senator Looney and Senator Duff, the letter was signed by Senator Norm Needleman, Senator Will Haskell, Senator James Maroney, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Marilyn Moore, Senator Patricia Billie Miller, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Steve Cassano, Senator Dennis Bradley, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Cathy Osten, Senator Gary Winfield, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Derek Slap, Senator John Fonfara, Senator Jorge Cabrera, Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams, Senator Doug McCrory, Senator Rick Lopes, and Senator Joan Hartley.
The full text of the letter is below and a copy of the letter can be found here:
In 2013 the Connecticut General Assembly initiated a first in the nation study by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to examine the cyber security vulnerabilities of our state’s public utilities. It was so successful a number of states and countries followed our lead.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
Since our 2013 initiative, the array of potential cyber-attacks against Connecticut public utilities has grown both in sophistication and means of delivery, including nation-state cyber weaponry detected by our Intelligence Community but in many cases beyond the detection capabilities of private utilities.
On March 15 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (Alert A22-074A) warning that “Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have gained network access through exploitation of default Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protocols and a known vulnerability.”
The FBI has now added greater certainty to the fact of critical infrastructure compromise by indicting four Russian individuals for their efforts to execute critical infrastructure penetration.
Moreover, President Biden on March 21 underscored previous warnings about the potential for Russia conducting malicious cyber activity against the United States by stating that “evolving intelligence” indicates that “the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.” He specifically stated his administration’s intention to “use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.” He called on “the private sector and critical infrastructure owners” to “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors” to strengthen “the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services on which Americans rely.”
A successful attack on one of your companies could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.
We also need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyber-attack. We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage?
We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern. We are here to be your partners for the people and businesses of the State of Connecticut. We need to ensure that our goals are closely aligned during these unprecedented times so that we can cooperatively fight back against any threats directed toward our state. Connecticut has been a national leader in this changing arena, and we should offer leadership again.
You are our first line of defense. We would deeply appreciate your assessment of how we can most effectively strengthen our cyber defenses, improve our resilience and prepare to counter and rehearse our response to cyber-attacks should they occur. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you as we confront these new cyber threats and address the warnings we are receiving from our national leaders.
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Looney, Duff, Senate Democrats Call on CT Utilities to Better Prepare for Cybersecurity Threats
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus called on the utilities in Connecticut to better prepare for increased cybersecurity threats. In a letter to utilities operating in the state, the Democratic Senators highlighted how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against the increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
The Senators warned about the potential damage of a successful attack which “could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.”
Furthermore, the Senators called on the need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyberattack.
“We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage? We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern.”
The warning was sent to the major utilities in the state including Eversource, United Illuminating Company, ISO New England, Aquarion Water Company, Regional Water Authority, The Connecticut Water Company, Southern Connecticut Gas Company, and Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation. In addition the letter was sent to local utilities including Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Heritage Village Water Company, Norwich Public Utilities, Old Newgate Ridge Water Company, Preston Plains Water Company, South Norwalk Electric and Water, Avon Water Company, Berkshire Gas Company, Hazardville Water Company, Jewett City Water Company, Torrington Water Company, Valley Water Systems, and Wallingford Department of Public Utilities.
In addition to Senator Looney and Senator Duff, the letter was signed by Senator Norm Needleman, Senator Will Haskell, Senator James Maroney, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Marilyn Moore, Senator Patricia Billie Miller, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Steve Cassano, Senator Dennis Bradley, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Cathy Osten, Senator Gary Winfield, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Derek Slap, Senator John Fonfara, Senator Jorge Cabrera, Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams, Senator Doug McCrory, Senator Rick Lopes, and Senator Joan Hartley.
The full text of the letter is below and a copy of the letter can be found here:
In 2013 the Connecticut General Assembly initiated a first in the nation study by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to examine the cyber security vulnerabilities of our state’s public utilities. It was so successful a number of states and countries followed our lead.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the need for heightened vigilance to protect our cyber systems and infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated form of nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks.
Since our 2013 initiative, the array of potential cyber-attacks against Connecticut public utilities has grown both in sophistication and means of delivery, including nation-state cyber weaponry detected by our Intelligence Community but in many cases beyond the detection capabilities of private utilities.
On March 15 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (Alert A22-074A) warning that “Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have gained network access through exploitation of default Multifactor Authentication (MFA) protocols and a known vulnerability.”
The FBI has now added greater certainty to the fact of critical infrastructure compromise by indicting four Russian individuals for their efforts to execute critical infrastructure penetration.
Moreover, President Biden on March 21 underscored previous warnings about the potential for Russia conducting malicious cyber activity against the United States by stating that “evolving intelligence” indicates that “the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.” He specifically stated his administration’s intention to “use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.” He called on “the private sector and critical infrastructure owners” to “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors” to strengthen “the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services on which Americans rely.”
A successful attack on one of your companies could place Connecticut residents in life threatening situations. From the resident who is dependent on electricity for oxygen to live to the dependence all of us have on our water supply, your companies’ cyber security preparations are of the utmost importance to our state. We need to do all we can to strengthen our defenses in light of these more powerful and possibly more imminent threats.
We also need to anticipate and prepare for a critical infrastructure cyber-attack. We need emergency management exercises whose central premise is such an attack. How would we handle the unprecedented effects of electricity and natural gas outages lasting more than two weeks, and the concurrent and extremely serious demands created by the inability to provide potable water and processed sewage?
We want to be assured you are taking all precautions, monitoring the situation, acting to anticipate challenges, and addressing all potential threats with the urgent concern. We are here to be your partners for the people and businesses of the State of Connecticut. We need to ensure that our goals are closely aligned during these unprecedented times so that we can cooperatively fight back against any threats directed toward our state. Connecticut has been a national leader in this changing arena, and we should offer leadership again.
You are our first line of defense. We would deeply appreciate your assessment of how we can most effectively strengthen our cyber defenses, improve our resilience and prepare to counter and rehearse our response to cyber-attacks should they occur. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you as we confront these new cyber threats and address the warnings we are receiving from our national leaders.
Waterbury Legislators Welcome Advancement of Legislation Supporting Education for In-Demand Job Fields
Waterbury Legislators Welcome Advancement of Legislation Supporting Education for In-Demand Job Fields
State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck and Middlebury), Senate Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and State Representative Ron Napoli (D-Waterbury), a member of the Education Committee, welcomed both the Appropriations and Education committees unanimously voting to advance Senate Bill 273 out of their respective committees during the 2022 legislative session. The legislation now awaits a vote by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
If approved into law, the bill would expand the ability of public schools and regional educational service centers to employ professionals experienced in several in-demand job fields – manufacturing, allied health, computer technology, engineering, or construction trades – to teach a class in their applicable field of expertise.
Senate Bill 273’s focus of providing greater student exposure to instruction based around real-world work experience is coupled with directing the Connecticut Department of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of current teacher certification statutes and regulations. Also, the department would study if any such regulations create barriers in recruiting and retaining teachers.
“Building up opportunities for young people to explore potential career paths and gain the foundational skills necessary before graduating high school is a win-win for both students and Connecticut’s economy,” said Sen. Hartley. “This bill would help students get started on the right footing toward a career in a growing job sector by learning from professionals with real-world, current experience.”
“By unanimously voting this out of the Appropriations and Education Committees we have sent a clear bipartisan message that we need to expand the roster of professionals capable of educating our children for the ever-evolving economy of the present and the to-be-determined future,” said Rep. Napoli, who is a high school social studies teacher at Waterbury Adult Education. “Whether it is advanced manufacturing, computer technology, construction or several other in-demand fields, we need people with professional expertise who are willing to share their vast real-world experience that will help students gain practical knowledge.”
Upon request by a school district or regional educational service center, the state Department of Education can issue a “career and technical pathways permit” to an individual with specialized training, experience or expertise in manufacturing, allied health, computer technology, engineering, or any of the construction trades. The permit valid for both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years would allow an individual to be employed part-time by the learning institution to teach a class in their field of expertise.
The employed individual would need to have a credential, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree in one of the several job fields outlined and at least two years of work experience in that field.
This new initiative would provide a stronger introduction to students of several career paths in job fields that are growing or facing labor shortages:
- 55% of Connecticut manufacturers surveyed said they experienced difficulty finding workers in 2021, according to a same-year report produced by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. The same reported cited that 36% of manufacturers said a lack of necessary skills or experience among applicants contributed to hiring difficulties
- At least 6 out of 10 health professionals are in an allied health field, according to UConn, which offers a bachelor’s degree program in Allied Health Sciences at their UConn Waterbury campus. Careers in the allied health field include anesthesia technologist or technicians, nutritionists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists
- Computer and information technology jobs are projected to increase 13% between 2020 and 2030, according to September 2021 updated data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labor Committee Co-Chairs Kushner & Porter Stand in Support of Fair Work Week Scheduling Bill
Labor Committee Co-Chairs Kushner & Porter Stand in Support of Fair Work Week Scheduling Bill
Thousands of low-wage workers struggle to maintain stable income due to unpredictable work schedules
HARTFORD — Labor and Public Employee Committee Co-Chairs Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and state Representative Robyn Porter (D- New Haven) today urged other state lawmakers to help them pass House Bill 5353, An Act Concerning a Fair Work Week Schedule,
The Fair Work Week bill will ensure that workers have access to a stable job that treats them and their families with respect by ensuring retail, food service and hospitality workers have their schedules set in advance, which allows for more predictable schedules and paychecks and gives part-time workers the opportunity to work more hours if they so choose.
“The pandemic has only increased the already high number of workers who work multiple jobs. Without fair work week legislation, it’s impossible for workers holding multiple jobs to manage their schedule in a way to keep working,” Sen. Kushner said. “Advanced notice of the schedule benefits both the employer and the workers in managing their schedule so they don’t have to call out because of last-minute changes. If we’re basing our economy and our recovery on part-time work, then we have to commit ourselves to making it work. That requires advanced notice, incentivizing workers who can pick up shifts and paying a nominal amount for workers who are called in and then sent home. It’s clear that work volume and weather conditions have an impact on an employer’s need for workers at any given time, but workers shouldn’t bear the entire cost of this; it should be shared with employers.”
“Two-thirds of Connecticut workers have unpredictable work schedules ,and most of them are women and Black and brown workers. Yet over seventy percent want a predictable work schedule,” Rep. Porter said. “Therefore, we continue to demand a fair work week schedule because it’s not just about a predictable schedule but a predictable paycheck. It is long overdue for Connecticut workers to have the sustainability that they need and deserve, and House Bill 5353 will provide them with the necessary tools to assist with things like housing and food security and help to level the playing field at its most vulnerable intersections for these undervalued low-wage workers.”
Sen. Kushner and Rep. Porter were joined by a variety of Fair Work Week Schedule supporters, including Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), Representatives Bob Godfrey (D-Danbury) and Gary Turco (D-Newington), and AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne, President, CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund Executive Director Janée Woods Weber, CT Working Families Party State Director Sarah Ganong, and Cristher Estrada, an impacted worker.
“I worked part-time at the Clinique counter at Macy’s while I was attending college full-time,” Estrada told reporters today as Sen. Kushner and Rep. Porter looked on. “I loved the work, but they made it so hard for me – last-minute schedule changes, they’d dock you points if you were even five minutes late, and one time I showed up for my shift and they told me it had been canceled and they didn’t want to pay me. Everyone deserves a good, steady job that pays a living wage and treats them with respect. Legislators must support the Fair Work Week bill.”
“All workers have a right to a good, stable job that pays a living wage and treats them respectfully. In Connecticut, hundreds of thousands of low wage hourly workers, many earning poverty wages, struggle to earn a stable income because of unpredictable work schedules,” Ganong said. “After several years, it is long past time for legislators to pass House Bill 5353 and ensure Connecticut workers have access to a stable job that respects them, their time, and their families, and gives them a path to prosperity.”
“If we are serious about creating more equity in our state and in our economy, then passing fair work week legislation is mandatory,” Woods Weber said. “Women and people of color are over-represented in jobs with unpredictable scheduling and low wages. If we don’t put basic protocols like fair and predictable scheduling into place, then as a state we cannot claim to value women in the workplace or people of color in the workplace. We need to pass this bill this session, without any more excuses that value business profits over people’s lives.”
Senator Matt Lesser Leads Passage of Bill Extending Four Executive Orders
Senator Matt Lesser Leads Passage of Bill Extending Four Executive Orders
Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), led passage of Senate Bill 493 that extends four executive orders including the extension of non-congregate housing, the accessibility of the Connecticut vaccination datable, the extension of eviction protection, and the extension of the Temporary Nurse Aide Program. These executive orders were extended by the General Assembly in February of this year, were set to expire on April 15, and will now be extended to June 30.
“Earlier this year, the legislature chose to codify 14 executive orders, we have seen several of them expire, but extending these four orders will help allow our state to stay safe and healthy,” said Sen. Lesser. These orders are critical in keeping vulnerable people safe and helping to alleviate staff shortages in many state staffing homes and facilities. The small scope of this bill reflects the fact that the state has been managing the COVID pandemic successfully and we are moving toward normalcy. ”
This bill:
- Allows Connecticut to move folks into congregate living to safer and less crowded setting
- Allows temporary nurse aides to continue to fill a nursing shortage
- Allows the CT vaccine database to continue
- Gives more time to give rent-relief payments to people in the UniteCT program
Consumption Advisory for Fish in Hockanum River; Elevated Levels of PFAS Found in Samples
Consumption Advisory for Fish in Hockanum River; Elevated Levels of PFAS Found in Samples
The Department of Public Health and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection today issued a consumption advisory for fish caught in the Hockanum River, specifically a stretch of the river starting below the Shenipsit Lake dam in Vernon through to the Connecticut River. Sections of the river flowing through Ellington, Vernon, Manchester and East Hartford are included in the consumption advisory.
“Studies on PFAS substances find that they can negatively impact human health,” said Sen. Anwar. “In recent years, the General Assembly has taken action to restrict potential PFAS pollution because of potential circumstances like this. I join the Department of Public Health and DEEP in asking residents who fish in the Hockanum River to avoid eating any fish they catch until it can be confirmed they are safe to consume.”
DEEP reported locations along the Hockanum River from Vernon to the Connecticut River will likely have elevated levels of PFAS in fish, with the advisory including Union Pond in Manchester, several small ponds on the Hockanum River in East Hartford and the Tankerhoosen River.
DEEP tested 30 samples of fish, and those tissue samples showed PFAS above levels considered safe for human consumption.
While fish are not safe for consumption in these areas, fishing and boating remain safe, DPH and DEEP said. Signs will be posted at affected areas.
Long-term exposure to PFAS can lead to increased cholesterol, increased liver enzymes, change in immune response, increases in high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and increased chance of thyroid disease, developmental defects and cancers, including kidney and testicular cancers, according to DPH.
Duff, Rilling Applaud $6 Million in State Funding for Norwalk Infrastructure and Transit-Oriented Development
Duff, Rilling Applaud $6 Million in State Funding for Norwalk Infrastructure and Transit-Oriented Development
Today, State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling applauded the announcement of a $6 million state grant for the city of Norwalk and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency to make infrastructure upgrades to facilitate the construction of new residential and commercial development near the South Norwalk train station.
The announcement was a part of $45 million awarded to twelve cities and towns under Governor Lamont’s newly established Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program. The grants are leveraging approximately $74 million in non-state and private dollars and will support projects that improve the livability and vibrancy of communities throughout the state.
This is the first round of funding under the program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The second round is expected to launch in the fall of 2022, and DECD is expected to award up to $100 million in grants over the next several years.
Norwalk will receive $6 million for 30 Monroe Street from 15 to 17 Chestnut Street. The Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, in partnership with the city and Spinnaker Real Estate Partners LLC, will provide and expand critical infrastructure that will enable the development of vacant and underutilized sites for a mixed-use/transit-oriented development adjacent to the train station. It will include a minimum of 200 mixed-income residential, 10,000 square feet of commercial, a public plaza, and 60 off-street public parking spaces. The infrastructure upgrades will help support the potential development of an additional 500 new residential units in the area.
“I want to thank Governor Lamont and DECD Commissioner David Lehman for selecting Norwalk for this important grant,” said Senator Duff. “Transit-oriented development projects like this one in South Norwalk are critical to growing Connecticut’s population and economy. More housing near train stations means more jobs, plain and simple. This funding is a win for Norwalk and the entire state.”
“I want to profusely thank the State of Connecticut, including Governor Lamont and Senate Majority Leader, Bob Duff, for their leadership in helping to deliver $6 million to this project through the Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “Obtaining this grant was made possible due to collaboration between the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, the City, and vital public-private partnerships. By investing in infrastructure and streetscape, such as enhancing traffic safety through new sidewalks, mitigating stormwater runoff to prevent flooding, and planting more trees, this critical infrastructure project will increase livability and add to the vibrancy of our City. This initiative also allocates funds towards the preservation of existing affordable housing, supporting our vision of making the City a more accessible and equitable place to work and live.”
“This $6 million grant from the State of Connecticut will provide funding for critical infrastructure upgrades that will help balance the impacts of development with meaningful reinvestment into the community,” said Brian Bidolli, Executive Director of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. “The development of additional commercial space, transit-oriented and parking amenities, a public plaza, and mixed-income residential units will enhance South Norwalk’s redevelopment and revitalization. My thanks to the Governor’s Office, DECD, Sen. Duff, Mayor Rilling, the Norwalk Common Council, and the various other city staff and community stakeholders, for all of their support in obtaining this Challenge Grant.”
The Connecticut Communities Challenge program was created last year to fund a wide range of revitalization projects with the goal of creating approximately 3,000 new jobs. The program is an important component of Governor Lamont’s Economic Action Plan – a strategic package of initiatives that totals more than $750 million over five years, matched approximately dollar-for-dollar by private and other non-state funding that will result in a projected 80,000 new jobs.
Additional details on the Connecticut Communities Challenge program can be found online at portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Business-Development/05_Funding_Opportunities/CT-Communities-Challenge-Grant.
Sen. Haskell Co-Sponsors Legislation Requiring Reasonable Terms for E-Book Publishers Licensing to Libraries
Sen. Haskell Co-Sponsors Legislation Requiring Reasonable Terms for E-Book Publishers Licensing to Libraries
Highlights bill during National Library Week
Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) that recently passed the Planning and Development Committee would, if made law, make electronic books more easily licensed to local libraries, increasing access for library users while reducing costs for libraries in acquiring digital content.
“It was quite surprising to learn libraries often have to pay significantly more for ebook titles than physical ones. Even more so to learn that the higher cost for ebooks often comes with an expiration date,” said Sen. Haskell. “Libraries are designed to make entertainment, education and new knowledge available to the public at a low cost. When librarians are forced to agree to predatory terms to license out some ebooks, that needs to change. I’m proud of my colleagues for developing legislation that will ease this burden for libraries statewide.”
Senate Bill 131, “An Act Concerning Electronic Book Licensing,” would require e-book publishers to license those books to public libraries on “reasonable terms” considering libraries’ efficient use of funds to provide library services. Such licensing agreements are expected to allow limitations on simultaneous users of an ebook, days a reader can access ebooks, and technological protections preventing replication of the ebook.
Lauren Phillips, Collections Manager for the New Canaan Library, testified in public hearing that her library has dealt with “exorbitant pricing and restrictive licensing terms” imposed by publishers of digital media in the past. She said one book in high demand cost the library $16.50 per copy in physical format, but in ebook form, it costs $63.99 and must be repurchased every other year. Other comparable books in high demand cost the library reasonable costs for physical books, but the cost ranged from three to five times as much for ebook copies.
“When titles expire, we often can’t afford to repurchase them, so we just have to let them go, diminishing the size, quality and diversity of our digital offerings,” Phillips said.
Senate Bill 131 will head to the Senate floor for further consideration.
Senator Lesser Issues Statement on Decision of Treasurer Shawn Wooden not Seeking a Second Term
Senator Lesser Issues Statement on Decision of Treasurer Shawn Wooden not Seeking a Second Term
Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) is releasing the following statement after Treasurer Shawn Wooden announced he would not seek re-election:
“I want to wish Treasurer Wooden and his family the best moving forward. His announcement was a surprise to me as it was to many people. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Office of the Treasurer as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee with oversight over the Office.”
Looney, Duff, Maroney & Winfield Statement on West Haven Audit
Looney, Duff, Maroney & Winfield Statement on West Haven Audit
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford, Orange, West Haven, and Woodbridge), and State Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven and West Haven) released the following statement in response to the recently released audit of federal CARES Act spending in the city of West Haven.
“We are outraged by the findings of the recent audit of West Haven’s spending of federal CARES Act funding. We expect that increased oversight by the state’s Municipal Accountability Review Board will significantly limit local spending discretion and provide much-needed change and accountability. Mayor Rossi and West Haven city government must ensure that those responsible for fiscal mismanagement are held accountable. The hard-working people of West Haven deserve better.”