Sen. Lesser and Rep. Carpino Welcomes $16,800 for Body Worn Recording Equipment for Cromwell Police Department
HARTFORD, CT – State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and state Representative Christie Carpino (R-Cromwell/Portland) applaud $16,800 reimbursement to the Cromwell Police Department for recording equipment approved by the State Bond Commission today. The bonding item reimburses 14 police departments across the state for the purchase of body cameras, dashboard cameras, and video storage devices.
“Thank you to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for their dedication to public safety,” said Sen. Lesser. “Body worn and dash cameras are important tools that keep both our police officers and our communities safe and I welcome this investment, which will help improve safety in the town of Cromwell.”
“The Cromwell Police Department keeps our community safe every hour of every day. Video technology has added a new layer of security and transparency to their encounters-which benefits both the community and the officers. This bonding allocation will support the town in their efforts to provide the required technology,” said Rep. Carpino.
“Body cameras have been proven to provide both police and civilians with a valuable resource that benefits public safety, and I am glad that the state could partner with the Town of Cromwell to get this funding approved,” Governor Ned Lamont, who serves as chairman of the State Bond Commission, said.
This funding was authorized by Public Act 20-1 which passed on a bipartisan vote and allows municipalities to apply for reimbursement for the purchase of body-worn cameras, dashboard cameras, and video storage devices to archive footage.
SEN. KUSHNER WELCOMES FIRST ROUND OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY SCHOOL GRANTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday April 5, 2023
SEN. KUSHNER WELCOMES FIRST ROUND OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY SCHOOL GRANTS
The day after speaking at a day-long forum in the Legislative Office Building to promote clean air in every school, state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Co-Chair of Connecticut’s School Indoor Air Quality working group, today welcomed news that 50 Connecticut schools in19 different towns and regional school districts will receive $56 million in state grants under a new program designed to improve air quality in local schools.
The grants, ranging from $632 to $6.6 million, were announced today by Governor Ned Lamont at an event in Waterbury. Cities and towns are required to provide matching grants to fund the project costs. Examples of eligible projects include replacing, upgrading, or repairing boilers and other heating and ventilation components; replacing controls and technology systems related to HVAC operations; or installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems.
“There is a clear and provable need for better air conditioning and ventilation in our public schools, many of which were built decades ago before the effects of poor air and climate change had been studied and understood,” Sen. Kushner said. “Now we know how to keep students and teachers healthier in schools, not absent and at home fighting asthma or some other respiratory disease. The benefits of these investments will pass on to future generations, and I’m happy to have been part of the solution to this longstanding problem.”
The clean air grants vary widely, depending on the size of the school and the exact project.
Locally, Ridgefield received $21,000 in state grants to help cover the cost of $50,700 worth of clean air projects at Barlow Mountain, Veterans Park, Ridgefield High School, East Ridgefield Middle School, Brachville, and Farmingville schools.
The grants are being awarded through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools, a newly established state program that is administered by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. Sen. Kushner helped create the program last year, as part of the Democrat’s budget adjustment bill that Governor Lamont signed into law in 2022 (Public Act 22-118). The program has been allocated $150 million through two revenue streams, including $75 million from state bond funding and $75 million from the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which were also approved by Democrats.
In addition to the funding, the 2022 law requires school districts to conduct a uniform inspection and evaluation of their school HVAC systems every five years, requires HVAC inspection reports to be made public at board of education meetings, and to report any corrective action taken.
Meanwhile, the working group Sen. Kushner co-chairs is studying the issue and will make recommendations related to indoor air quality in schools.
On Tuesday, Sen. Kushner took part in the “Breathing Better: Healthy Schools Forum” in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford as part of National Healthy Schools Day, which promoted clean air in every school and the need to urgently address the problem of unsafe air caused by poor heating and ventilations systems. The forum also commemorated the 20th anniversary of Connecticut’s landmark 2003 School Indoor Air Quality legislation, highlighting the importance of clean indoor school environments to children’s health and ability to learn.
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SEN. OSTEN WELCOMES $10,000 IN STATE GRANTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF NEGLECTED CEMETERIES IN COLUMBIA AND MARLBOROUGH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 3, 2023
SEN. OSTEN WELCOMES $10,000 IN STATE GRANTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF NEGLECTED CEMETERIES IN COLUMBIA AND MARLBOROUGH
State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed state grants totaling $10,000 for the maintenance of neglected cemeteries in Columbia and Marlborough, which have nine cemeteries between them.
Most cemeteries in Connecticut are run by private cemetery associations or by a church’s ecclesiastical society.
“I think most people believe that when a family goes through the process of purchasing a final resting place and having a funeral, that the cemetery will be kept up in a condition that reflects the love and care that the family had for their deceased loved one. But, for some reason, that is not always the case,” Sen. Osten said. “Thankfully there is state aid available to these private groups that need help maintaining their cemeteries. My hope is these grants are a reminder to cemetery associations all across Connecticut of the obligation they have to the families that put the eternal care of their loved ones in their hands.”
The state grants are part of Connecticut’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the state Office of Policy and Management. This program was established in 2014 and is funded by revenue collected by the state Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates. Columbia and Marlborough will receive $5,000 each.
Cities and towns can use grants to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing fences and walls; or straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.
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Duff Joins Call for Creation of Climate Peace Clause to Ensure Climate Progress
Duff Joins Call for Creation of Climate Peace Clause to Ensure Climate Progress
Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) joined over 190 state legislators from 52 states and territories calling on the Biden Administration to ensure renewable energy jobs in states are no longer threatened by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other trade and investment agreements.
States are leaders on climate action, having passed bold and innovative policies to increase renewable energy and reduce emissions. However, this progress has been challenged on the international stage with challenges brought to the World Trade Organization (WTO). To address climate change, states need to have the ability to nurture and grow domestic industries, such as renewable energy, to create and ensure good jobs for local communities.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 invests a landmark $369 billion in climate and energy investments. However, this landmark policy now also faces threats of challenges on the international stage.
“Connecticut continues to make progress fighting climate change locally, most notably with the recent CT Clean Air Act” said Senator Duff. “Now, we have a President who cares about the dangers of a rapidly changing climate and led the way to make once-in-a-generation investment in clean energy. We cannot stop this progress because of trade rules from a bygone era.”
Our states, the country, and the world face a critical point in addressing climate change. This moment demands that states and the U.S. meet the climate crisis with a sense of urgency. Legislators call on the Biden Administration to align trade policy and climate goals by championing a climate peace clause on the international stage. Creating a climate peace clause would be a commitment among governments to refrain from using outdated trade rules to challenge other countries’ climate policies. Commitment to a climate peace clause would help cement the U.S. as a global leader on climate and signal that trade rules should no longer be a barrier to a just, green transition.