Month: January 2025

SENATOR ANWAR LEADS LEGISLATORS, TRINITY HEALTH EMPLOYEES SEEKING PAUSE ON COMPANY TRANSFER DECISION

Posted on by Devin James

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

SENATOR ANWAR LEADS LEGISLATORS, TRINITY HEALTH EMPLOYEES SEEKING PAUSE ON COMPANY TRANSFER DECISION

Senator Anwar speaks in Hartford Thursday

 

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, today joined a coalition of legislators to support Trinity Health medical professionals recently impacted by the company’s sale of its hospitalist and emergency medicine services departments to a private for-profit company. The medical professionals, with concerns regarding their careers, patient care and physician availability in Connecticut, called for a pause on Trinity’s transfers and increased clarity and information for professionals impacted.

Legislators joining the coalition included State Senators Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden), MD Rahman (D-Manchester) and Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) and State Representatives Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Bridgeport, Fairfield), his House co-chair on the Public Health Committee, Kaitlin Shake (D-Stratford), Kara Rochelle (D-Ansonia, Derby) and Maryam Kham (D-Windsor).

“With our health care systems under strain and stress, uncertainty like this decision from Trinity has caused does not help anyone – patients, physicians, or hospitals,” said Sen. Anwar. “This decision puts careers, quality of care and overall health services provided in Connecticut at risk. Trinity should do what’s right for health in Connecticut and delay this decision while providing more clarity to those impacted.”

Trinity terminated more than 100 employees at its four hospitals in Hartford, Waterbury and Stafford Springs in early January, informing them they had 90 days to sign with Vituity, the California company purchasing Trinity departments, or leave their employment, breaking a four-month termination notice in employee contracts.

Physicians, ARPNs and Pas were included in the announcement; those impacted have not received information regarding their future employment and scheduling.

“Employees were told they have 90 days to sign with Vituity or leave. The notice period is in direct conflict with employees’ 120-day termination notice period as stipulated in their contracts,” stated Dr. Gagan Singh, Regional Director for Hospital Medicine at St. Francis Hospital. “This decision will have detrimental consequences for public health, patient safety, and the well-being and retention of healthcare staff in the most underserved parts of the state.”

“The lack of transparency from Trinity Health has also left us in the dark about many critical aspects of our employment status,” stated Kaitlin Erickson, lead hospitalist nurse practitioner in the Inpatient Internal Medicine Department at St Francis Hospital.  “To this date, we have yet to receive any concrete information regarding compensation, benefits, or scheduling. This lack of communication and professional courtesy has eroded trust in an already challenging work environment.”

The medical professionals noted concerns about patient safety, understaffing and disconnecting patients from their regular physicians, with fewer staff members remaining seeing increased workloads. They also emphasized that the hospitals impacted were in underserved parts of the state.

Medicap professionals further noted that a number of those impacted are tied to their jobs through immigration status and student loan forgiveness programs.

“We ask Trinity Health to immediately reverse the terminations, reinstate the affected healthcare providers to their status prior to January 6 and engage in open and transparent negotiations between hospital leadership and the terminated healthcare providers,” stated Dr. Sama Alvi, St. Francis Hospital Hospitalist. “Only then, will we be able to address the underlying issues and concerns that balances the hospital’s operational needs with the well-being of its staff and patients.”

A full recording of this afternoon’s press conference is available here.

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN STATEMENT ON EVERSOURCE, AVANGRID LAWSUIT AGAINST PURA CHAIR

Posted on by Devin James

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

January 30, 2025

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN STATEMENT ON EVERSOURCE, AVANGRID LAWSUIT AGAINST PURA CHAIR

Senator Norm Needleman, Senate chair of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, issued the following statement Thursday in response to a lawsuit filed by Eversource and Avangrid against Marissa Gillett, chairman of Public Utility Regulatory Authority.

“This frivolous lawsuit is driven by the same greed we’ve grown accustomed to from Eversource and Avangrid as they continue to pursue their own interests at the expense of Connecticut families,” Senator Needleman, D-Essex, said. “Despite record profits and record salaries for their executives, these corporate monopolies continue to push for more. The regulators they’re suing here are representing the interests of Connecticut ratepayers in the face of the utilities’ unending pursuit of more profits. I stand with the regulators.”

SEN. OSTEN’s BILL SEEKING ECONOMIC STUDY OF MOHEGAN-PEQUOT BRIDGE IS RAISED BY TRANSPORETATION COMMITTEE 

Posted on by Devin James

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

SEN. OSTEN’s BILL SEEKING ECONOMIC STUDY OF MOHEGAN-PEQUOT BRIDGE IS RAISED BY TRANSPORETATION COMMITTEE 

MONTVILLE – A bill introduced by state Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) requiring an economic study of areas surrounding the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge was raised today by the Transportation Committee and will now be subject to a public hearing.

Senate Bill 1081 seeks “an economic study on the areas surrounding the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge that considers, at a minimum, the impacts on transportation, the impacts to projects located at  the Great Wolf Lodge, projects known as the Preston Riverwalk Project and the Thames River Development and the expansion of the Preston Incinerator site, the requirement that permitted loads traverse the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge instead of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, and the impacts to public safety in the event of an incident that negatively impacts the Gold Star Memorial Bridge.”

“I’m a firm believer in planning for the future, and I think the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge will very soon outgrow its two-lane restriction, and that could harm the economic growth that’s planned for the region. I’d like to see the state do a deep dive on the economics of the area before they do any planned renovations to the bridge. We may discover some facts that alter that renovation plan,” said Sen. Osten, who is a member of the Transportation Committee.

The State Department of Transportation has already announced plans to spend $33 million to repair the two-lane bridge’s steel bed, roadbed and river fender systems. Sen. Osten and other local officials believe the DOT should save the maintenance costs and expand the Mohegan-Pequot bridge from two lanes to four, at a cost of about $227 million, of which 80% should be covered by the federal government.

Senator Miller Condemns Trump Administration’s Decision to Freeze Federal Aid

Posted on by Devin James

 

Senator Miller Condemns Trump Administration’s Decision to Freeze Federal Aid

Senator Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, stood Tuesday with other Connecticut Democrats and condemned the Trump administration’s reckless decision to freeze federal aid, threatening vital programs and assistance for vulnerable communities in Connecticut and across the nation.

Senator Miller issued the following statement and appealed to Republican legislators to stand with Democrats and defend their constituents.

“Is this what ‘Make America Great Again’ looks like—families living in fear they won’t be able to put food on their tables?” Senator Miller said. “This is certainly not the America we learned about in history books, a nation that cared for the vulnerable and stood up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. Instead, we are watching the Trump administration tear apart the principles our forefathers fought to protect. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to join us in this fight—because your constituents will feel the impact of this too. They elected you to protect their rights, and it’s our responsibility to preserve the values that truly make this country great.”

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov | 860-634-4651

Looney & Duff Statement on Federal Aid Freeze Chaos

Posted on by Devin James

Looney & Duff Statement on Federal Aid Freeze Chaos

Asks CT Republicans “What is so ‘common sense’ about this?”

HARTFORD – Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement today after the back-and-forth chaos of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s confusing and reckless potential freeze on federal aid:

“Connecticut Republicans backed President Trump’s proposed federal aid freeze and called the move ‘common sense.’ What is so ‘common sense’ about the potential shutdown of basic funding for every community in our state?

“From the moment this disastrous and politically motivated freeze was announced, Connecticut Senate Democrats made our outrage loud, clear, and unequivocal. We were horrified that Donald Trump’s White House, Republicans in Washington, and their Republican enablers here in Connecticut would be so dismissive of the funding that our communities rely on.

“We hoped that Connecticut Republicans will join us and speak out against Trump’s proposed cuts to the programs that we all rely on, but their response to date has been callous and cold-hearted. They applauded Trump’s ‘common-sense efforts’ and declared Connecticut’s concerns about Trump as ‘theatrics’ and ‘gaslighting.’  But the bedlam of the Trump administration speaks for itself:

-On Monday evening at 7 p.m., Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a broadly worded memo declaring that trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans to states would become unavailable as of Tuesday at 5 p.m. The memo immediately sparked mass confusion across the country, prompting frantic calls to elected officials from parents, educators, public safety officers, social service providers and others.

-On Tuesday afternoon, as national news reports of the public outrage grew, Trump’s OMB ‘clarified’ its message to say that the funding freeze applied only to ‘the use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies.’

-Just hours later, on that same Tuesday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., a federal judge in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary injunction against implementing Trump’s funding freeze.

-Then, earlier today (Wednesday afternoon), Trump’s OMB completely backed off its own Monday evening memo, saying the freeze that Trump had ordered is now ‘completely rescinded.’

-But just moments later, White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that only the original Monday memo calling for the freeze had been rescinded, and that efforts to ‘end the egregious waste of federal funding’ will continue and that Trump’s review of federal funds for states will ‘remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments.’

“If Connecticut Republicans have no interest in the role and responsibilities of government, they can leave the governing to us, as the people of Connecticut so recently indicated they prefer, as they elected overwhelming Democratic majorities in both the state House, the state Senate, and in our Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

“We are not even two weeks into Trump’s term, and we know there will be more chaos similar to the past three days. We hope the next time Connecticut Republicans will decide to join us and speak out against drastic cuts to hard-working families all across the state.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | 203-710-0193 | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

Looney & Duff Statement on Federal Aid Freeze Chaos

Posted on by Devin James

Looney & Duff Statement on Federal Aid Freeze Chaos

Asks CT Republicans “What is so ‘common sense’ about this?”

HARTFORD – Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement today after the back-and-forth chaos of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s confusing and reckless potential freeze on federal aid:

“Connecticut Republicans backed President Trump’s proposed federal aid freeze and called the move ‘common sense.’ What is so ‘common sense’ about the potential shutdown of basic funding for every community in our state?

“From the moment this disastrous and politically motivated freeze was announced, Connecticut Senate Democrats made our outrage loud, clear, and unequivocal. We were horrified that Donald Trump’s White House, Republicans in Washington, and their Republican enablers here in Connecticut would be so dismissive of the funding that our communities rely on.

“We hoped that Connecticut Republicans will join us and speak out against Trump’s proposed cuts to the programs that we all rely on, but their response to date has been callous and cold-hearted. They applauded Trump’s ‘common-sense efforts’ and declared Connecticut’s concerns about Trump as ‘theatrics’ and ‘gaslighting.’  But the bedlam of the Trump administration speaks for itself:

-On Monday evening at 7 p.m., Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a broadly worded memo declaring that trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans to states would become unavailable as of Tuesday at 5 p.m. The memo immediately sparked mass confusion across the country, prompting frantic calls to elected officials from parents, educators, public safety officers, social service providers and others.

-On Tuesday afternoon, as national news reports of the public outrage grew, Trump’s OMB ‘clarified’ its message to say that the funding freeze applied only to ‘the use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies.’

-Just hours later, on that same Tuesday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., a federal judge in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary injunction against implementing Trump’s funding freeze.

-Then, earlier today (Wednesday afternoon), Trump’s OMB completely backed off its own Monday evening memo, saying the freeze that Trump had ordered is now ‘completely rescinded.’

-But just moments later, White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that only the original Monday memo calling for the freeze had been rescinded, and that efforts to ‘end the egregious waste of federal funding’ will continue and that Trump’s review of federal funds for states will ‘remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments.’

“If Connecticut Republicans have no interest in the role and responsibilities of government, they can leave the governing to us, as the people of Connecticut so recently indicated they prefer, as they elected overwhelming Democratic majorities in both the state House, the state Senate, and in our Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

“We are not even two weeks into Trump’s term, and we know there will be more chaos similar to the past three days. We hope the next time Connecticut Republicans will decide to join us and speak out against drastic cuts to hard-working families all across the state.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | 203-710-0193 | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

Senator Hochadel Denounces Trump Administration’s Decision to Freeze Federal Aid

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Hochadel Denounces Trump Administration’s Decision to Freeze Federal Aid

Senator Jan Hochadel, D-Meriden, stood today with other Connecticut Democrats and condemned the Trump administration’s reckless decision to freeze federal aid, threatening vital programs and assistance for vulnerable communities in Connecticut and across the nation.

Senator Hochadel issued the following statement Tuesday:

“As chair of the Aging Committee, I’ve heard directly from seniors who are scared about what this means for their healthcare and financial security—including my own mother, who is 86 years old and terrified about what comes next,” Senator Hochadel said. “As an educator, I’ve also heard from teachers who are struggling to reassure their students and from parents who are confused and anxious about the impact on their families. These children don’t have an ‘R’ or ‘D’ after their names. They don’t understand politics—they just know uncertainty and fear. They deserve stability, and our seniors deserve dignity. This is not about partisanship; it’s about people’s lives. We have to do better.”

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov

Senator Honig Introduces Legislation to Reduce Energy Costs

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Honig Introduces Legislation to Reduce Energy Costs

In an effort to lower energy costs in Connecticut, Sen. Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, has proposed legislation to authorize the state to utilize tax-exempt municipal bonding to finance energy infrastructure improvements.

The proposal, Senate Bill 1040, would provide relief to ratepayers by reducing interest rates on borrowing for projects to modernize the energy grid. Currently, utility companies like Eversource and United Illuminating finance infrastructure improvements by borrowing from the corporate bond market, where those companies receive a guaranteed return on their investments.

“For too long, Connecticut ratepayers have shouldered the burden of financing energy projects at inflated interest rates that benefit corporate utility monopolies,” Senator Honig said. “Families wouldn’t choose a high-interest loan when lower-cost financing is available, and our state shouldn’t either. By leveraging municipal bonding, we can significantly reduce the cost of critical energy infrastructure upgrades and deliver real relief to ratepayers while modernizing our grid. Although no single proposal will slash energy prices overnight, I believe it’s time to prioritize Connecticut residents over corporate profits and I hope this legislation will be part of the conversation.”

Senate Bill 1040 was introduced by Senator Honig and referred to the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee. The bill would allow municipalities to issue bonds for energy grid modernization projects.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov 

Senator Rahman Introduces Bill to Eliminate Car Taxes over Five Years

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Rahman Introduces Bill to Eliminate Car Taxes over Five Years

Today, state Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester), Chair of the Planning and Development Committee, raised three bills in the Planning and Development Committee including a proposal to phase out the motor vehicle tax over five years.

The three bills introduced by Senator Rahman include:

-An Act Concerning Property Tax Exemptions for Motor Vehicles

-An Act Concerning Personal Property Tax Exemptions for Motor Vehicles Used Exclusively for Farming

-An Act Concerning the Conversion of Commercial Real Property for Residential Use

An Act Concerning Property Tax Exemptions for Motor Vehicles:
Currently in Connecticut, municipalities have the authority to levy property taxes on motor vehicles. These taxes are assessed based on the vehicle’s value and can vary widely from town to town. The tax burden can vary significantly depending on the municipality, causing disparities between urban and rural areas.

The bill proposed by Senator Rahman will allow towns to phase out the motor vehicle tax over a period of up to five years while increasing the assessment value on real property to make up the revenue difference. Towns would have the flexibility to implement the changes at their own pace, with some towns opting for the full five-year phase-out period while others may move faster or slower depending on their local financial needs and conditions.

“Eliminating car taxes in Connecticut will address the regional disparities in how towns currently tax vehicles,” said Senator Rahman. “This could lead to greater fairness across the state as tax burdens would be reduced for vehicle owners.”

An Act Concerning Personal Property Tax Exemptions for Motor Vehicles Used Exclusively for Farming:
Senator Rahman intends to create a tax exemption for motor vehicles used strictly for farming. Farmers invest heavily in each crop they plant in the ground and their efforts supply fresh produce for our families and communities.

Farming is a vital industry, often subject to market volatility, changing weather patterns, and fluctuating commodity prices. Providing tax exemptions for vehicles used in farming helps reduce operating costs for farmers, which can lead to increased stability and sustainability in the industry.

Farming operations often require specialized motor vehicles (such as tractors, trucks, and other agricultural vehicles) that are integral to planting, harvesting, and transporting goods. These vehicles are essential to the efficiency and productivity of farming activities. Since these vehicles are used almost exclusively for farm-related tasks, it is unfair to tax them the same way as general vehicles are. These exemptions help strengthen rural economies, ensure the stability of the agricultural sector, and promote fairness in how different types of vehicles are taxed.

“An exemption for tax on vehicles used exclusively for farming would aim to lessen the economic burdens placed on farmers, allowing them to focus on maintaining efficient, sustainable, and competitive farming operations,” said Senator Rahman.

An Act Concerning the Conversion of Commercial Real Property:
Senator Rahman intends to create a law that will allow the conversion of any commercial building into a residential development, provided that the residential development meets applicable health and safety requirements after the conversion. It will also prohibit the revaluation of any commercial building subject to a conversion over the course of three years and require that municipal inspections of any commercial building be completed within a reasonable time.

The pandemic dramatically altered commercial real estate dynamics. With the rise of remote work, many businesses in Connecticut are downsizing office spaces or closing physical locations altogether. As a result of these changes, many commercial properties, such as office buildings, malls, and retail centers, are sitting vacant or underused. Converting underused or vacant commercial properties into residential units, such as apartments or affordable housing is one solution that will not only help meet housing demand but also revitalize areas with vacant or outdated commercial buildings.

“Like many other states, Connecticut navigates shifts in work patterns, retail environments, and urban development and the need to adapt and repurpose existing commercial properties is becoming more critical,” said Senator Rahman. “By incentivizing the conversion of commercial properties into residential spaces, the act could help increase the availability of affordable units, particularly in urban areas where demand is high.”

All three bills will now head to a public hearing.

GOP Lies: Senate Minority Leader Tells Reporters Natural Gas Has ‘No Carbon Emissions’

Posted on by Devin James

GOP Lies: Senate Minority Leader Tells Reporters Natural Gas Has ‘No Carbon Emissions’

By Joe O’Leary
January 27 @ 1:25 pm

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding speaks at a Jan. 22 press conference. Credit: screenshot courtesy of CT-N

 

Senate Republican Minority Leader Stephen Harding told a reporter at a Wednesday press conference on energy proposals that natural gas, a type of fossil fuel, has “no carbon emissions.”

“We’re talking about an affordable energy resource that has no carbon emissions,” Harding said during the press conference.

According to scientific fact, Harding is wrong.

The World Nuclear Association reported in September 2024 that more than 40% of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are due to the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation.

That number jumps to about 80% for emissions in the United States and the European Union. It also said 45% of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels come from coal, 35% come from oil and 20% come from gas.

According to NASA, in 2023, total global fossil emissions rose by more than 1 percent, representing more than 36 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide created from the burning of fossil fuels.

The Environmental Protection Agency said that “the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation.”

The EPA said in 2022, 60% of US electricity generation came from the burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal and natural gas. In 2021 and 2022, a national increase in total greenhouse gas emissions was driven primarily by fossil fuel combustion including coal and natural gas, the EPA added.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in 2023 that natural gas and coal represented 99% of electric power sector carbon dioxide emissions.

The United Nations said that fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – represent more than 75% of global greenhouse emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in late 2023 that a record rate of carbon dioxide emissions was impacting efforts to reduce pollution and the impact of climate change.