Author: Devin James

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.

Senator Honig Votes to Ensure Minors Can Access Reproductive Health Care

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Honig Votes to Ensure Minors Can Access Reproductive Health Care

Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, voted Tuesday to give final passage to legislation allowing minors to give consent to receive reproductive health care treatments without parental notifications including pain management during labor.

H.B. 7213 passed the Senate on a 31-5 vote, sending the proposal to Gov. Ned Lamont following a similar vote in the House earlier this month.

“It’s unthinkable to imagine forcing a young person to give birth without adequate pain management treatment simply because they did not first secure parental notification,” Senator Honig said. “This legislation will ensure that no one is subjected to such draconian barriers to care, all while broadening access to contraceptive counseling and prenatal services that are critical to the health and well-being of young patients.”

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, to parents or guardians without the express consent of that minor.

The bill doesn’t affect abortion services for minors and is instead focused on preventative care.

Its provisions also do not change 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.
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.

SENATOR ANWAR RELEASES STATEMENT AS PRATT & WHITNEY AND STRIKING MACHINISTS REACH AGREEMENT

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR ANWAR RELEASES STATEMENT AS PRATT & WHITNEY AND STRIKING MACHINISTS REACH AGREEMENT

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) released the following statement after striking machinists reached a four-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney, ending a three-week strike. Workers, including ones in East Hartford which he represents, are expected to return to work on May 30:

“I’m grateful that both sides were able to come together and reach an agreement that provides the workers of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers Local 700 with more stability and security moving forward. East Hartford will continue to rely upon the production and success of Pratt & Whitney. It’s encouraging to see Connecticut union labor continue to see successes in its efforts to stand for fair wages and strong working conditions.”

Looney and Duff Express Their Condolences on the Passing of Dr. Stephen Leach

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Looney and Duff Express Their Condolences on the Passing of Dr. Stephen Leach

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) issued the following statement today on the passing of Dr. Stephen Leach, who was the husband of former Secretary of the State Denise Merrill:

“We wish to issue our sincerest condolences to Denise, her children and grandchildren on the passing of her husband, Dr. Stephen Leach. Their commitment to each other was well-known: Dr. Leach watching his wife late into the night from the House of Representatives’ visitor gallery during her days as a state representative, and Denise caring for her husband as he battled Parkinson’s disease, including resigning as Secretary of the State in June 2022 to provide for him. Their love and devotion to each other is a model for us all.”

Looney and Duff Express Their Condolences on the Passing of Dr. Stephen Leach

Posted on by Devin James

Looney and Duff Express Their Condolences on the Passing of Dr. Stephen Leach

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) issued the following statement today on the passing of Dr. Stephen Leach, who was the husband of former Secretary of the State Denise Merrill:

“We wish to issue our sincerest condolences to Denise, her children and grandchildren on the passing of her husband, Dr. Stephen Leach. Their commitment to each other was well-known: Dr. Leach watching his wife late into the night from the House of Representatives’ visitor gallery during her days as a state representative, and Denise caring for her husband as he battled Parkinson’s disease, including resigning as Secretary of the State in June 2022 to provide for him. Their love and devotion to each other is a model for us all.”

Sen. Lesser Welcome Pratt & Whitney Vote on New Labor Contract, Ending Three-Week Strike

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Sen. Lesser Welcome Pratt & Whitney Vote on New Labor Contract, Ending Three-Week Strike

HARTFORD – State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) issued the following statement today regarding the end of a Pratt & Whitney labor union strike that began over three weeks ago on May 5:

“I am proud of the several thousand union members who made the difficult decision to strike and through their reserve and good faith negotiations have secured a more fair agreement that better reflects the critical importance of their work. For centuries, unions have supported working men and women, strengthened the middle class and increased wages for all workers. It was an honor to walk the picket lines with workers in my district in Middletown and also in East Hartford, and I will continue to protect the rights of organized labor.”

Looney and Duff Welcome Pratt & Whitney Vote on New Labor Contract, Ending Three-Week Strike

Posted on by Devin James

Looney and Duff Welcome Pratt & Whitney Vote on New Labor Contract, Ending Three-Week Strike

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) issued the following statement today regarding the end of a Pratt & Whitney labor union strike that began over three weeks ago on May 5:

“We applaud the 3,100 members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 700 for their courage and resilience in striking to successfully secure more wage, job, and retirement security in their new four-year contract with Pratt & Whitney. Striking is never an easy decision to make, and it is often less an easy decision to endure. But union membership – which was once the hallmark of America’s middle class – continues to prove its value in securing fair wages and working conditions for the quarter-million unionized workers in Connecticut, which has one of the highest union memberships in the country. Senate Democrats will always stand on the side of the middle-class working men and women in Connecticut in demanding fair wages, working conditions, health care and retirements for those who work and sacrifice for the betterment of our state and our nation.”