Month: May 2025

SENATOR KUSHNER CELEBRATES SENATE PASSAGE OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR STRIKING WORKERS

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR KUSHNER CELEBRATES SENATE PASSAGE OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR STRIKING WORKERS

Senator Kushner (left) with staff and Senate leadership in front of the vote tally board announcing the passage of Senate Bill 8 on purely partisan lines.

HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, today celebrated Senate passage of Senate Bill 8, ” AN ACT CONCERNING PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS AND ENHANCEMENTS TO WORKERS’ RIGHTS,” which seeks to provide unemployment compensation to unionized workers who have been out on strike for more than 14 days.

“Today we took a monumental step forward for middle-class families in Connecticut by seeking to provide them with a modicum of financial support if they’re out on strike for more than two weeks. This is a rare occurrence in Connecticut, but it’s important that when it happens that we’re there for the people who still have bills to pay and mouths to feed. Connecticut now has the opportunity to prove it shares the same values as the people of New York and New Jersey — who have already had this law in place for years — if Governor Lamont signs this bill into law. It’s not a difficult bill, nor a difficult concept, to embrace.”

Senator Hartley Celebrates Waterbury Promise Day at the State Capitol

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Hartley Celebrates Waterbury Promise Day at the State Capitol

Today, state Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) honored the Waterbury Promise Scholars in the Senate Chamber recognizing their academic achievements, perseverance, and the transformative impact of the Waterbury Promise program on higher education access and success for local students.

“Waterbury Promise is more than a scholarship—it’s a bold investment in the potential of our young people,” said Sen. Hartley. “By surrounding students with the support they need to succeed in college and beyond, we are not only opening doors for individual achievement but also building a stronger, more inclusive future for Waterbury and for Connecticut. Today, we celebrate the scholars whose drive and determination inspire us all and reaffirm our commitment to expanding opportunity for every student in our community.”

While the program is centered on a generous last-dollar scholarship, its success hinges on providing a full continuum of support services to help high-achieving and traditionally underserved Waterbury students get to college, thrive there, persist through graduation and be career ready to create a robust and diverse talent pipeline for the local, regional and state economies.

This transformative college access and success program continues to grow exponentially and register powerful results including:

-Providing academic, financial, social-emotional and career readiness supports to more than 600 scholars across 20 Connecticut colleges and universities to ensure college and career success;

-Exceeding $1.1 million in critical last-dollar scholarship disbursements to increase college affordability and reduce student debt burden;

-Fulfilling dozens of emergency funding requests for books, laptops, transportation, food and more from scholars facing financial hardship;

-Realizing a 90% college persistence rate and an 89% program retention rate;

-Celebrating its very first graduate from a four-year institution in 2025—Kimberly Cosgrove just earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UConn in three years’ time!;

-Honoring Class of 2024 and Class of 2025 graduates from CT State Naugatuck Valley and continuing to support their educational journeys in Connecticut as scholars transfer to pursue their bachelor’s degrees; and

-Significantly expanding career readiness programming and industry partnerships across key sectors (manufacturing, healthcare, finance and banking, law and more) to fuel CT’s next generation workforce

2025-2026 will be another milestone year for Waterbury Promise. The program will serve 4 cohorts in college concurrently (and well over 800 students) beginning this summer. Cohort 2025 is on track to be the largest one yet.

These supports are critical, given that 68% of Waterbury Promise Scholars are first generation college students, 78% are students of color, many come from low to moderate income households and some are even pursuing higher education without any parental support.

The 2025 scholars include:

-Kimberly Cosgrove

-Jaelyn Perreault

-Smith Bernard

-Sofia Giusti

-Harold Vilchez

-Rebecca Dasilva

-Maverick and Brandon Werneck

Waterbury Delegation Condemns Mall Shooting, Commends Swift Law Enforcement Response

Posted on by Devin James

Waterbury Delegation Condemns Mall Shooting, Commends Swift Law Enforcement Response

Today, the Waterbury Delegation, State Senator Joan Hartley, State Representatives Larry Butler, Ron Napoli Jr., Michael DiGiovancarlo, Geraldo Reyes Jr., and Bill Pizzuto released the following statement in the aftermath of Tuesday’s shooting at the Brass Mill Center.

“This was a tragic, unnecessary, and horrific act of violence. The result of an altercation between individuals who knew each other. It is not who We in Waterbury are.

“We commend the swift and coordinated response from the Waterbury Police Department, who were on the scene within three minutes, along with support from the Connecticut State Police. Coincidentally, the Brass Mill Center has been a site for regular law enforcement drills, and the preparedness of all responding agencies was evident in their seamless and professional handling of the situation.

“We also want to recognize the mall personnel, the Waterbury Fire Department and EMS personnel that responded to the scene, and medical teams at our Waterbury hospitals, who provided an immediate and effective response in assisting the victims.

“The delegation condemns this senseless and appalling act of violence in the strongest possible terms. Waterbury is a resilient community. We will continue to work together to ensure the safety and well-being of all our residents.”

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES NEARLY $5 MILLION IN SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC AID GRANT INVESTMENTS BY STATE

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES NEARLY $5 MILLION IN SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC AID GRANT INVESTMENTS BY STATE

Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) welcomed the state’s announcement that the latest round of Small Town Economic Assistance Program grants, dispersing $30 million in grants to 46 small towns, includes nearly $5 million in grants across six communities, supporting infrastructure repairs and town resources for years to come.

“It’s almost overwhelming to see this level of support from the state to support these important projects and reduce the cost burden on local communities,” said Sen. Needleman. “To know that all six of these towns will be able to advance important local maintenance, repair and improvement projects with the state’s endorsement is highly valuable. I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and his administration for their continued support.”

The $4,907,548 in grant funding across the 33rd Senate District is spread across six grants to six communities, with these funds supporting the following:

-Essex will receive $1 million in state funding, matched by the town, to support continued improvements of the Essex Public Works campus.

-Portland will receive $1 million in state funding, matched by $200,000 by the town, to support phase 2 of the water main replacement and road reconstruction on High Street.

-Colchester will receive $900,000, matched by $220,000 in town funding, to support streetscape improvements on Mill Street and the Lebanon Avenue Airline Trail Head.

-Chester will receive $796,000 in state funding, matched by $199,000 from the town, to support the infrastructure and repair of three local bridges.

-Old Saybrook will receive $667,948, matched by $222,649 in town funds, for the renovation of the Ferry Road soccer field.

Clinton will receive $543,600, matched by $135,900 from the town, to support the Clinton Public Works and Emergency Management Building.

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION IN SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC AID GRANT INVESTMENTS BY STATE

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION IN SMALL TOWN ECONOMIC AID GRANT INVESTMENTS BY STATE

Today, State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) welcomed the state’s announcement that the latest round of Small Town Economic Assistance Program grants, dispersing $30 million in grants to 46 small towns, includes more than $1.5 million in grants across three communities in the 26th Senate District, supporting infrastructure repairs and town resources for years to come.

“Local repair, maintenance and replacement projects are vital for our communities, and this state-level support will make sure that work moves forward without financial issues,” said Sen. Maher. “I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and state leaders for making sure our communities get this support to make valued and welcome enhancements.”

The $1,580,640 in grant funding across the 26th Senate District is spread across three grants and three communities, with these funds supporting the following:

-Westport receives $1 million in state funding to support the replacement of the Cross Highway Bridge over Deadman Brook, matched by $1.13 million from the town and $619,846 from the Local Capital Improvement Project.

-New Canaan will receive $300,000 in state funding, matched by $325,000 from the town and $150,000 from Friends of Waveny Playground, for the second phase of improvements to the Waveny Park Playground.

Ridgefield will receive $280,640 in state funding, matched by $102,160 from the town, for concrete endwall replacement on Canterbury Lane.

SEN. CABRERA WELCOMES $1 MILLION STATE GRANT FOR BEACON FALLS ROADWORK

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. CABRERA WELCOMES $1 MILLION STATE GRANT FOR BEACON FALLS ROADWORK

State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today welcomed a $1 million state grant that will rehabilitate several streets in Beacon Falls.

Governor Ned Lamont announced today that he’s releasing $30 million in state grants to 46 small towns in Connecticut that will be used to complete a wide variety of infrastructure improvements, such as road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, educational and recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects.

The grants include $1 million for funding in Beacon Falls for Maple, Century, and Division Roadway rehabilitation and complete streets improvements. This will be matched by $927,150 from the town.

“Good roads are a basic necessity and a public expectation in every town, but what we’re seeing in Beacon Falls goes beyond basic to include their ‘complete streets’ concept where the roads are usable for a wide variety of people, whether they’re elderly, on bicycles, or handicapped,” said Sen. Cabrera. “I look forward to the successful completion of this joint venture between the town and the state to improve mobility near the town center for all our residents.”

The grants are being provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), a state program managed by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects.

In addition to the grants from the state, each municipality is also contributing funds, bringing the total spent on the 48 projects to $43.4 million in a combination of state, local, and other funding sources.

SEN. OSTEN WELCOMES $1 MILLION IN STATE GRANTS FOR LEDYARD PLAYGROUND AND FRANKLIN EMERGENCY SHELTER

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. OSTEN WELCOMES $1 MILLION IN STATE GRANTS FOR LEDYARD PLAYGROUND AND FRANKLIN EMERGENCY SHELTER

State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed nearly $1 million in state grants that will help build an emergency shelter at Franklin Elementary School and make playground improvements in Ledyard.

“These are both great projects. We’ve been trying to get this Ledyard playground money for years, and anytime we can make an investment in public safety like an emergency shelter with a generator in a school, I believe that’s a good investment,” Sen. Osten said.

Governor Ned Lamont announced today that he’s releasing $30 million in state grants to 46 small towns in Connecticut that will be used to complete a wide variety of infrastructure improvements, such as road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, educational and recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects.

The grants include:

-Franklin: $100,000 in state funding is approved for the Franklin Elementary School/Emergency Shelter Generator Engineering and Acquisition. This will be matched by $20,000 from the town.

-Ledyard: $892,888.10 in state funding is approved for the Town Playground Improvement Project. This will be matched by $179,000 from the town.

The grants are being provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), a state program managed by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects.

In addition to the grants from the state, each municipality is also contributing funds, bringing the total spent on the 48 projects to $43.4 million in a combination of state, local, and other funding sources.

Gaston Shares Personal Testimony as Strengthened Trust Act Heads to Governor’s Desk

Posted on by Devin James

Gaston Shares Personal Testimony as Strengthened Trust Act Heads to Governor’s Desk

Today, state Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) shared a personal story about his father ahead of updates made to Connecticut’s Trust Act.

House Bill 7259, ‘An Act Concerning Revisions To Various Statutes Concerning Criminal Justice,’ now heads to Governor Lamont for consideration.

Senator Gaston, son of an immigrant, said his father worked hard to put food on the table for their family. And “that immigrant helped his son to Yale University and I am proud of that story.”

“The updates made today to the Trust Act strengthen our commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every resident, regardless of background. By allowing individuals to seek injunctive and declaratory relief when their rights are violated, we send a clear message that Connecticut will not tolerate the misuse of authority or discrimination at the hands of public institutions,” said Sen. Gaston.

Gaston said Connecticut has positioned itself as a leader in immigration rights and this bill will promote a compassionate and legal framework that other states should emulate.

This bill will:

1. Create a cause of action against towns that violate the Trust Act, which could be due to actions of police or school security officers. People can seek an injunction and declaratory relief, but not monetary damages.
2. Expand the list of convictions that are exempt from the Trust Act. Currently, state employees can coordinate with ICE if the person of interest has been convicted of a class A or B felony or is on the federal Terrorist Screening Database, and always if there is a Judicial Warrant for arrest. Today’s bill adds over a dozen additional crimes, mostly C felonies of a sexual assault nature.

SENATOR ANWAR LEADS FINAL APPROVAL TO ENSURE MINORS CAN ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR ANWAR LEADS FINAL APPROVAL TO ENSURE MINORS CAN ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE

Senator Anwar speaks on the Senate floor Tuesday

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) led the Connecticut State Senate in its final approval of legislation enshrining minors’ access to reproductive health care into law. Passing by a tally of 31-5, and having already passed in the House, this bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.

“By increasing the breadth and scope of services accessible and available to minors in Connecticut supporting reproductive health care – most seriously focused on preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, encouraging safe sex and ensuring access to care and resources during pregnancies and labor – we take a step to not only keep our youths safe but provide them with stronger health throughout their adult lives,” said Sen. Anwar, the Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “This bill seeks to encourage safety and responsibility among our youth, countering concerning statistics known throughout our state. I hope to see Governor Lamont sign it into law soon.”

House Bill 7213, “An Act Concerning Access To Reproductive Health Care,” allows minors to give consent to receive reproductive healthcare treatments and services, including contraceptive counseling and services, prenatal care and pain management during labor, without requiring parental consent.

The bill also seeks to protect minors seeking care by preventing physicians and health care providers from sharing information about such services, including sending a bill, with parents or guardians without the express consent of that minor.
Importantly, the bill doesn’t affect abortion services for minors and is instead focused on preventative care.

Its provisions do not affect the obligation to make a report to the Department of Public Health or Department of Children and Families or other reports or disclosures required under state law. Parents and guardians not informed of such services are not liable to pay for them.

Existing law already allows minors to access treatments for sexually transmitted disease, alcohol and drug use recovery, HIV testing or treatment, abortions and abortion counseling and outpatient mental health treatment.

Connecting minors to these services will help ensure their safety. According to Connecticut’s 2023 School Health Survey, nearly 30% of Connecticut high schoolers have had sex, with the number climbing over 40% by graduation, and while more than half reported using condoms, only 10% used multiple layers of protection and 11% used no protection whatsoever. In Connecticut, the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections are among people ages 15-24.

Increasing access to resources supporting this care can cut down on teen pregnancies and STIs, as well as preserve the health of minors who give birth.

The bill received support in public testimony from organizations including the Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers, which supported its ability to promote informed choices among minors; Fair Haven Community Health Care, which noted the bill provides clarity for healthcare providers; the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, which noted the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists support access to services provided in the bill; and the ALCU of Connecticut, which said the bill would prevent delays in provision of health care.

The bill previously passed the House on May 1 by a 117-27 tally and passed the Public Health Committee by a 19-11 vote on March 27.

Sen. Cohen Leads Passage of Expansive Transportation Legislation

Posted on by Devin James

Sen. Cohen Leads Passage of Expansive Transportation Legislation

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Christine Cohen, Chair of the Transportation Committee, led passage of legislation created in cooperation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides reduced bus fare for students, veterans and seniors, increases safety on our roads, invests in transportation infrastructure and creates protections for Uber and Lyft drivers.

According to preliminary data from Connecticut Crash Data Repository, 2024 was one of Connecticut’s deadliest years for road fatalities. In 2022, 366 people were killed in crashes, and of those, 148 people were killed in speeding-related crashes, and 130 killed in alcohol-impaired crashes. Connecticut State Police and DOT have been cracking down on speeding, but additional safety tools are needed. This legislation strengthens laws with respect to reckless and distracted driving, creates new provisions for pedestrian safety, and takes a deeper dive into creating a future of preventing speed-related crashes.

The legislation also invests in expanding and enhancing public transportation and increases connectivity by providing discounted bus fare to veterans, seniors and students, while funding urban transit districts and further supporting programs like Complete Streets.

“This comprehensive bill tackles many of the issues that I know are important to my constituents and to me, both as a legislator and as a commuter and mom to young drivers,” said Sen. Cohen. “We are looking at cracking down on reckless driving, protecting roadside workers, increasing penalties for failure to yield to pedestrians – these are issues that we all face everyday on our roads. We are taking a multifaceted approach to transportation infrastructure by working to make our roads safer, while increasing connectivity in our communities by investing in public transportation. I am grateful for the vision and leadership of Commissioner Eucalitto and his team at DOT and look forward to continuing our good work together.”

Among other provisions, the bill addresses the following issues:

Reduced Bus Fair for Students, Veterans and Seniors

-Requires DOT to provide a 50% public bus fare discount to veterans, seniors age 65 or older, those aged 18 or younger and the disability community. Eligible individuals can get a reduced fare card from DOT and present it to receive the discount. It also allows school boards to purchase passes at the discounted rate and either distribute them at no cost to public school students grades 9 to 12 or sell the passes to students at cost or below.

Increasing Safety on our Roads

-Increases parking distance from crosswalks and stop signs from 25 to 30 feet

-Increases penalty for parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant to $200

-Increases the penalty for failure to yield to pedestrians from $500 to $750

-Addresses dangerous left lane driving by extending the existing prohibition, creates a public awareness campaign to ensure drivers are aware of the law and fines associated with noncompliance

-Increases the age from 18 to 21 under which all motorcycle drivers must wear a helmet

-Increases the helmet requirement for children using a bicycle, e-bike, motorized or non-motorized scooter, skateboard or using roller blades or skates, from age 16 to age 18

-Requires drivers who receive a reckless driving violation to attend an operator’s retraining program

-Generally prohibits anyone from intentionally projecting a laser on or at an aircraft, violations are a class A misdemeanor

-Requires the DOT commissioner to develop a plan to expand speed camera use on state roads

-Removes cap on the number of highway work zones where DOT may simultaneously operate speed cameras, currently the program is capped at 15 work zones.

Investing in Transportation Infrastructure

-Allows “EV Charging” to be included on highway specific service signs

-Expands a law that expired in 2024 that requires DOT to fund urban transit districts based on a formula set in federal law

-Allows DOT Commissioner implement grants to support Complete Streets projects, and requires the Commissioner to offer advice and assistance when implementing said projects. Complete Streets is an existing initiative that requires the State and municipalities to consider all modes of transportation when planning and designing transportation networks.

-Requires Vision Zero Council and the chief state’s attorney to study and make recommendations on using intelligent speed assistance devices to address speeding and reckless driving

-Exempts adaptive e-bikes from the $3,000 MSRP cap on CHEAPR rebates and adds residents with disabilities to the list of residents who have priority for vouchers

-Codifies the Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program (SHIPP) and recapitalizes it with an existing $20 million general obligation bond authorization

Uber/Lyft Driver Protections

-Requires Transportation Network Companies (TNC’s) like Uber or Lyft to 1) provide real-time messaging between the company and its drivers, 2) give a weekly summary to each of their drivers about rides they completed the previous week and 3) provide the driver with information on certain programs like Paid Family Medical Leave. It also prohibits a TNC from taking or threatening retaliatory action against a driver because the driver filed a complaint.