SENS. MARX, NEEDLEMAN JOIN LT. GOV. BYSIEWICZ IN OLD LYME TO CELEBRATE $12.009 MILLION TO IMPROVE SCHOOL AIR QUALITY THROUGH GRANT PROGRAM
Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) and State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) joined Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Region 18 Superintendent Ian Neviaser and Lyme and Old Lyme local leaders at Center School in Old Lyme to celebrate the state’s approved release of $12.009 million in grant funding to support improved air quality in Region 18 schools.
Region 18 Schools, located in Lyme and Old Lyme, will receive three grants, each supporting air quality improvements and upgrades in local schools, through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grant Program for Public Schools. The Consolidated School will receive $3.051 million, the Center School will receive $2.719 million and the Middle School will receive $6.24 million. These funds can be used to replace, upgrade, or repair boilers and other heating and ventilation components; replacing controls and technology systems related to HVAC operations; installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems; and other similar work approved by the Department of Administrative Services.
“It is very exciting that Region 18 is one of the first districts to get this grant funding,” said Sen. Marx. “I still remember the stories of the challenges educators and parents faced and fought through during COVID, and that hard work cannot be forgotten. So let’s try and do this for a lot of schools and bring positive change to our classrooms. The kids, educators and staff deserve this; everyone deserves a safe working and learning environment,”
“We learned firsthand through the school of hard knocks the importance of air quality,” said Sen. Needleman. “It was a hard way to learn, but I’m glad we’re on track, and I think we need to upgrade all of our schools throughout the state to make sure our kids and our teachers have a safe environment to work and learn.”
“This is a major investment in school infrastructure, in the health of our children and students and in the health of our teachers and staff who work there,” said Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz. “This is a really big and important investment. It’s also an investment in job creation; Our friends in the building trades such as plumbers and pipefitters will be on site working at schools across our state. There will be a lot of folks in Lyme and Old Lyme doing this important work.”
“This is a project we hope to begin construction on in the next several months and hope to complete it within the next year or two,” said Superintendent Neviaser. “This is not just for one school, it’s for four schools, and we’re appreciative of the hard work put in. We look forward to completing this project on time and under budget.”
In 2022, the General Assembly voted to create the Indoor Air Quality Grant Program, as part of an effort to improve ventilation and air conditions in schools statewide. Local and regional boards of education and regional education service centers can use those funds to make valuable improvements. Municipalities are responsible to provide matching grants to fund work not covered by grants. Eligible schools and districts are those found to have the greatest need for indoor air quality improvements; factors considered include school HVAC system age, air quality issues at the school and overall school building age and condition. Along with creating that program, the state additionally invested in a pipeline training system for HVAC work and strict standards for inspection and evaluation of HVAC on an accelerated schedule compared to previous state law.
In November 2022, Old Lyme voters approved $57.5 million in bonding for renovations and updates to local schools, with projects including updates to HVAC, air conditioning and ventilation at four Lyme regional schools that had last been renovated roughly two decades prior. In past interviews, Neviaser said these projects included applying for the state grant program for air quality improvements as a significant issue was their age; some Region 18 schools have systems dating back to the 1960s, he said.
Fasten Your Seat Belts. It’s Going to be a Bumpy Ride.
Fasten Your Seat Belts. It’s Going to be a Bumpy Ride.
By State Senator Cathy Osten, D-Sprague
On the first weekend of spring, when temperatures reached into the mid-50’s at my home in Sprague, I spent the day working outside, filling a roll-off container with yard waste. I’m on a bit of a spring-cleaning streak, having also recently gone through my closet and donated several dozen bags of clothes to charity.
All this trimming and paring down reminded me of the state budget. As Senate Chair of the legislature’s budget-making Appropriations Committee, we’ve spent the past two months holding public hearings on Governor Lamont’s proposed state budget. Now various Appropriations subcommittees are taking that public input and blending it with our own legislative priorities to come up with a co-equal budget proposal from the General Assembly that will form the basis for budget talks throughout May and maybe even into the first week of June.
Here’s the problem: We don’t have enough room in the budget for everything that everybody wants. Like fallen branches and old clothes, a lot of things are going to have to be thrown out.
“But wait!” I can hear you say –”Isn’t Connecticut flush with cash? Don’t we have a huge, projected year-end budget surplus? Isn’t our Rainy Day Fund stuffed full of money? Aren’t we paying off decades of old pension debt? Aren’t state revenues supposed to grow in the coming years? ”
The answer to all these questions is “Yes.” But that’s not the problem. The problem is those three little words that everyone loves to hear: “Budget Spending Cap.”
Because of the much-praised bipartisan budget deal of 2017, the State of Connecticut has a budget spending cap this year that increased by $1 billion, of which Governor Lamont has already spent all but $57 million of in the first year of his budget plan.
Meanwhile, my Co-Chair Rep. Toni Walker and I have begun adding up some of the spending requests that have flooded into the Appropriations Committee. About a dozen of the best-known legislative proposals (free school lunches, ECS phase-in, money for UConn, PILOT, etc.) add up to $1.3 billion. There’s another $1.85 billion in labor union requests. Bills that have passed out of other committees are
just now having their “fiscal notes” determined (exact cost TBD, but it will be in the hundreds of millions). And then there’s the governor’s $1 billion in spending priorities and whatever Connecticut Republicans want on their spending list.
In short, Connecticut is way, way, way over its head in spending ideas, with very little room in the budget for new spending.
Think of it this way: the State of Connecticut is an ATM machine. The line of shoppers wanting to use it is hundreds of people long. Rumor has it that the state bank account is full of cash. But – and here’s the important part – the monthly withdrawal limit is a mere $100. That’s going to create a lot of angry people, all with very high expectations and most of whom will be severely disappointed.
This scenario has been a concern of mine since before the session began in January, and now we’ve about reached the point where it’s time to disappoint. It’s too bad, because as well-intentioned people have pointed out, there are many needs facing Connecticut, especially in a post-pandemic landscape where temporary federal funding has dried up, leaving funding gaps where new and helpful public policies used to be. Nonprofit agencies and education advocates and health care supporters and municipal activists have all flooded the Legislative Office Building and the media with good arguments based on sound public policy. It all makes sense, and it seems that for state government to do anything less would be a monstrous abdication of responsibility.
But, again, we’re confronted by those three little words: Budget Spending Cap. And so, my budget advice over the next few weeks and months to my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and to those who are doing God’s work in the nonprofit sector is this: Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Sen. Moore Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
Sen. Moore Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
HARTFORD – State Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan voted of 32-3.
“The covid-19 pandemic placed a fear upon thousands of people across our state but that did not deter those who knew there was a critical need for their services by protecting vulnerable populations,” said Sen. Moore. “These essential workers risked their lives and the lives of their families and are deserving of this recognition. I voted to thank them for facing the unknown and making the sacrifices they did in order to take care of others. It is the right thing to do.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
Senator Hochadel Leads Passage of Bill Protecting Future Rights Of Residents In Connecticut Nursing Homes
Senator Hochadel Leads Passage of Bill Protecting Future Rights Of Residents In Connecticut Nursing Homes
Today, state Senator Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden), Senate Chair of the Aging Committee, led state Senate passage of two bills that will increase communication efforts in nursing homes between patient, families, and caretakers.
Senate Bill 930, ‘An Act Requiring Notice Of A Proposed Involuntary Transfer Or Discharge Of A Nursing Facility Resident To The State Ombudsman,” will give a voice to those who reside in long-term care facilities.
“I have seen first-hand the amount of distress having a loved one in a nursing home can place upon a a family,” said Senator Hochadel. “As Chair of the Aging Committee, I am proud to be an advocate and fight for legislation that will improve the quality of life for our residents in long term care facilities. Everybody deserves for their voice to be heard especially when it directly impacts their quality of care.”
SB 930 will require nursing homes to notify the long-term care ombudsman of a resident’s involuntarily transfer or discharge on the same day the nursing home notifies the resident. The ombudsman must prescribe how to provide the notification. Under the bill, nursing homes must also notify the ombudsman on the same date if the transfer or discharge is involuntary. If a nursing home fails to do so, the involuntary transfer or discharge is invalidated and cannot go forward.
The Ombudsman’s office is the agency that helps families navigate the long-term care system. They look out for the rights of residents that they represent. They must be informed of these important decisions. With notification to the State Ombudsperson on the same day notice is given to the residents, it will protect the rights of nursing home residents and ensure they have access to resources to advocate for themselves during the transfer or discharge process. This will help streamline the process and allow accountability.
SB 930 will also require managed residential communities that provide assisted living services to encourage and support the establishment of family councils. The councils are self-determined and advocate for residents’ needs and interests and facilitate open communication between the parties. A resident’s family member cannot participate in the council without the resident’s consent unless the resident is in a dementia special care center.
Family councils can play a crucial role in voicing concerns, requesting improvements, supporting new family members and residents, and supporting facility efforts to make care and life in the facility the best it can be. Family Councils not only work to support resident life but become a second family to the members who have similar shared experiences. Family councils can provide vital data, accounts of experiences, and knowledge of daily operations occurring in a facility.
Residents of long-term facilities should have the opportunity to advocate for themselves. They should be invited to participate in conversations about their own health, safety, and futures. They deserve the opportunity to discuss how policy proposals will impact their daily lives and to share their ideas for how policies can best meet their needs.
With support from the CT Statewide Family Council, this bill will offer a necessary policy change. While the right to a family council is afforded to all residents of long-term care facilities, there is a big gap when it comes to managed residential communities providing assisted living services. Recognizing family members as care partners in both long-term care and assisted living provides a vital connection for the resident, family members and facilities.
Sen. Gaston Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
Sen. Gaston Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
HARTFORD – State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan voted of 32-3.
“I am proud to support this piece of legislation that recognizes those who were brave and sacrificed their lives during a frightening time caused by the covid-19 pandemic,” said Sen. Gaston. “With today’s ‘yes’ vote, I join my colleagues in not only expressing our gratitude, but displaying it through action to help better the lives of those who worked tirelessly to improve ours.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
Sen. Hochadel Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
Sen. Hochadel Joins In Bipartisan Senate Approval Of Arbitrated Pandemic Payments For State Employees Working During Covid Crisis
HARTFORD – State Senator Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
“Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan voted of 32-3.
“These essential workers risked their lives and the lives of their families in order to save others,” said Sen. Hochadel. “If we can do something to say thank you for their service, we should. They continued to persevere through a period of time without knowing what the outcome would be and they deserve this recognition.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
SEN. MARX JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
SEN. MARX JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
HARTFORD – State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan vote of 32-3.
“In the early days of the pandemic, no one knew what to expect. The men and women who were willing to put themselves in harm’s way at times when many worked from home deserve acknowledgement of their bravery,” said Sen. Marx. “This is a way for Connecticut to show its essential employees the respect and recognition they deserve.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
SEN. ANWAR JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
SEN. ANWAR JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
HARTFORD – State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan vote of 32-3.
“Three years ago, tens of thousands of brave men and women – first responders, health care workers and essential workers – braved the worst of the pandemic to keep our state operating,” said Sen. Anwar. “The results of this arbitration award will repay them for the hard work and risk they took on for the good of all of Connecticut.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
SEN. RAHMAN JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
SEN. RAHMAN JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
HARTFORD – State Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan vote of 32-3.
“The men and women who will benefit from this award worked tirelessly during a fraught time in roles vitally important to keeping our state operational,” said Sen. Rahman. “The first responders, health care workers and prison guards, among many others, who continued to report to work during the worst period of the pandemic, risking themselves and their families, deserve acknowledgement and appreciation of their efforts.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).
SEN. COHEN JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
SEN. COHEN JOINS IN BIPARTISAN SENATE APPROVAL OF ARBITRATED PANDEMIC PAYMENTS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING DURING COVID CRISIS
HARTFORD – State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) joined a bipartisan vote in the state Senate today to approve an arbitrated award granting 35,500 state employees an average of $25 a week for the year they spent working closely with others at a time when there was no COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 infection process was largely a mystery.
Senate Resolution 26 passed today on a bipartisan vote of 32-3.
“These state employees not only kept us safe, but they kept our schools, hospitals, and essential services moving while the world stopped for many of us,” said Sen. Cohen. “These essential workers put themselves and their loved ones at risk of a deadly virus that we are still to this day learning the effects of. This bonus payment is an important message to these hard working residents – your sacrifice does not go unnoticed.”
The pandemic payments were ordered by a neutral third-party arbitrator who noted that in March 2020, when Governor Lamont declared an emergency and urged people in Connecticut to “stay safe and stay home,” that did not apply to nearly 36,000 essential state employees who continued to report to their workplaces from March 20, 2020, through March 27, 2021. These employees enforced law and order, cared for the sick, the disabled, responded to emergencies and maintained the equipment and infrastructure that allowed state services to continue during a year in which there were 7,832 COVID deaths and 29,916 COVID hospitalizations.
The average award per-person is $1,333 for the year – about 62 cents an hour – though payments vary widely by position.
Other New England states providing similar pandemic pay stipends to their state employees include New Hampshire ($2,400 to $6,300 per-person), Massachusetts ($1,500 to $2,000 lump-sum payments per-person), Maine (hourly pay increases which exceed the Connecticut arbitration award) and Vermont (premium pay for corrections officers only).