Author: Devin James

Veterans’ Committee Advances Legislation Protecting Vets from Benefits ‘Claim Sharks’

Posted on by Devin James

Veterans’ Committee Advances Legislation Protecting Vets from Benefits ‘Claim Sharks’

Today, the legislature’s Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee voted to advance House Bill 6874, a proposal from Gov. Ned Lamont intended to protect Connecticut veterans from so-called claims sharks— unaccredited companies, who try to convince veterans they need to pay for their services in order to apply for benefits.

The bill, which now moves to the House floor for consideration, includes new requirements that these companies explicitly notify veterans of any associated fees and make clear that their services are not affiliated with state or federal veterans agencies. Additionally, the bill gives the state attorney general authority to enforce its provisions.

“Veterans have earned their benefits through sacrifice and service, and no one should be permitted to exploit them for profit,” Sen. Paul Honig, Senate chair of the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, said. “I’m proud to help advance this legislation on behalf of our vets to make sure they’re protected from predatory companies trying to take advantage of them during the claims process. We’re standing up for our veterans and ensuring they receive the support they deserve—without exploitation.”

Federal agencies and states across the country have considered steps to restrict claims sharks since the 2022 PACT Act expanded benefits for many veterans and led to a spike in unaccredited entities seeking to charge for application assistance.

In addition to charging vets for services available for free through state and federal veterans agencies, claim sharks often require applicants to share sensitive information in order to facilitate access to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs claims system. Sharing this information leaves veterans unnecessarily exposed to fraud and identity theft.

The Veterans’ Committee has complemented its efforts to crack down on claims sharks by bolstering the available assistance for Connecticut veterans. This session, the committee raised House Bill 6441, a proposal that would increase the number of Veteran Service Officers and clerical personnel available to help veterans apply for claims. That bill is currently before the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

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

SENATOR MARX, HOUSING COMMITTEE ADVANCE FLAGSHIP SENATE HOUSING BILL

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR MARX, HOUSING COMMITTEE ADVANCE FLAGSHIP SENATE HOUSING BILL

On Thursday evening, after a marathon committee meeting, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Chair of the Housing Committee, led the committee’s advancement of Connecticut Senate Democrats’ flagship housing bill for 2025 to the Senate floor for further consideration.

Senate Bill 12, “An Act Concerning Connecticut’s Housing Needs,” seeks to take steps toward improving the state’s most pressing housing pressures. Among its focuses include studying restrictions limiting development of starter homes; creating new affordable housing projects to foster increased construction employment; investing millions of dollars into state rental assistance program certificates; and finding new strategies to increase affordable housing development and ensure all communities are addressing high rental costs.

“When we have a variety of problems to fix, we need a variety of solutions,” said Sen. Marx. “This bill looks to increase our housing stock and help people squeezed by high prices in a tight market. It’s studying issues we can solve, incentivizes new construction and looks for short- and long-term ways to take deeper, more significant steps forward. Connecticut’s housing crunch is a huge problem that’s holding back our state’s residents and economy; this bill represents concrete steps forward to fix that.”

Senate Bill 12 takes a wide-ranging view of Connecticut’s housing needs and the active challenges buyers and renters face in the current market. Its focuses include:

-Developing a working group to study barriers preventing starter homes from being built in the state, with study focus including zoning, subdivision, building and fire codes

-Utilizing the State Bond Commission to sell bonds financing affordable housing projects that create employment opportunities in the construction industry

-Extending the CFHA SmartRate pilot program decreasing mortgage rates for people in first-time mortgage programs with $15,000+ in student debt

-Investing $8.7 million each year to add at least 700 rental assistance program certificates to state programs; 425 certificates would support elderly or disabled individuals and 275 would support Headstart on Housing, which fights homelessness by connecting housing-insecure families with children receiving Head Start services

-Towns with populations under 25,000 will either create a fair rent commission, form a joint commission with another town or join a regional fair rent commission under a council of governments

-Increasing reimbursement percentages for school building project grants for municipalities, including 20% increases for municipalities with 10%+ affordable housing, 8% for 8+% affordable housing and 5% for 6+% affordable housing, with increases lasting five years

-Landlords will need to install separate meters for utilities for renters’ dwelling units

-Allowing as-of-right single-family and multi-family housing construction on commercially zoned property. This directive is inspired by Montana legislation allowing multiple-unit and mixed-use developments on parcels where zoning regulations meet municipal requirements.

As of 2023, Connecticut has the fewest available housing units in the United States, missing 135,000 affordable housing units to support its residents. Half of the state’s residents pay at least 30% of their monthly income on housing costs, limiting their economic viability and holding back larger economic growth and participation.

The bill further seeks to provide additional incentivization of new construction, especially affordable housing. It seeks to expand fair-rent commissions in smaller communities in Connecticut, provide more resources to aid residents in need and take an overarching approach toward the state’s housing crunch.

COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN SENDS FLAGSHIP BILL SUPPORTING INFANTS, TODDLERS AND DISCONNECTED YOUTH TO SENATE FLOOR

Posted on by Devin James

COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN SENDS FLAGSHIP BILL SUPPORTING INFANTS, TODDLERS AND DISCONNECTED YOUTH TO SENATE FLOOR

Today, the Committee on Children advanced Senate Bill 6, flagship legislation from Senate Democrats supporting infants, toddlers and disconnected youth in Connecticut, to the Senate floor for further consideration.

The bill’s intention is to improve access to nutritious food in early childhood education programs, advance early childhood education through implementation of kindergarten preparatory academies and close a loophole preventing municipal camps from avoiding licensure requirements of other private camps.

It passed the Committee on Children by a 12-5 tally, with all Democrats voting in support and all Republicans voting against.

“Addressing food insecurity and childhood nutrition, as well as disconnected youth in our communities, remains an intensive priority for legislators. The more supports we can offer children, from improved nutrition to educational and workforce connections, the better their whole-life outcomes become,” said State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton), Senate Chair of the Committee on Children. “We are directly dedicated to restoring and improving connections between children in need and resources that can and will directly help them.”

Senate Bill 6 has provisions including, if made law:

     -Increasing awareness of access and ability to participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program for early childcare centers, group homes and family care homes. As of 2019, as much as $30.7 million in federal funding may have been foregone by these care centers foregoing aid from the program, potentially impacting more than 20,300 children in low-income areas.

    – Shifting oversight of the CACFP to the Office of Early Childhood from the state Department of Education.

     -Expanding oversight of state reports on disconnected youth and better incorporating data from state departments regarding early childhood support programs.

     -Including kindergarten preparatory academies, which enroll children turning five on or after September 1 and cannot enroll for kindergarten in a given year, under the Connecticut Smart Start competitive grant program.

     -Municipal agency-sponsored youth camps must acquire or maintain licensing through the Office of Early Childhood.

     -The executive director of the Connecticut Library Consortium will join the Early Childhood Cabinet.

     -The Office of Early Childhood will regularly update a one-page document provided to parents who express concern about their child’s development, including information regarding its Help Me Grow program.

     -Families of children ineligible for the state’s birth-to-three program will receive information about the Help Me Grow program, including emphasis for teen parents in communities with high teen birth rates.

     -The OEC will analyze use of the Sparkler mobile application that provides development screenings and access to support programs to find ways to improve efficiency.

The United Way of Connecticut testified in support of the bill’s focus on receiving accurate, up-to-date data on the best methods of supporting disconnected youth statewide. It called for additional regional coordination and support centered around youth programs to better bring disconnected youth back to school and the workforce.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving “applauded” Senate Bill 6’s comprehensive approach to support young children and disconnected youth, endorsing its efforts to improve nutrition and eliminate food insecurity and increase outreach about available programs to parents and families.

Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Duff Slam Dishonest Republican Energy Proposal

Posted on by Devin James

Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Duff Slam Dishonest Republican Energy Proposal

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff released the following statement regarding today’s public hearing in the Energy & Technology Committee on Senate Bill 647, An Act Concerning Protections for Consumer Access to Affordable Electricity:

“If this bill was designed to create meaningful energy relief for Connecticut, we would be in full support, but Republicans are merely trying to create chaos and confusion.

“This proposal is a distraction to cover up their advocacy for the commitment to Millstone, which accounts for most of the public benefits charge. It’s a distraction from their tax plan proposal, which seeks to directly increase energy costs. It’s a distraction from their political leader Donald Trump sparking a trade war, which is already increasing energy costs in New England. It’s a distraction from the new risk of rolling blackouts because Canada is threatening to impact the state’s power grid based solely on the actions of federal Republicans. It’s a distraction from the yearlong Republican attacks on the first state regulator in decades to hold Connecticut utilities rigorously accountable – a regulator who is 3-0 in court against Eversource and United Illuminating.

“This bill is dishonest and disrespectful to ratepayers who deserve genuine relief through responsible planning, transparency, and accountability.”

Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Duff Slam Dishonest Republican Energy Proposal

Posted on by Devin James

Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Duff Slam Dishonest Republican Energy Proposal

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff released the following statement regarding today’s public hearing in the Energy & Technology Committee on Senate Bill 647, An Act Concerning Protections for Consumer Access to Affordable Electricity:

“If this bill was designed to create meaningful energy relief for Connecticut, we would be in full support, but Republicans are merely trying to create chaos and confusion.

“This proposal is a distraction to cover up their advocacy for the commitment to Millstone, which accounts for most of the public benefits charge. It’s a distraction from their tax plan proposal, which seeks to directly increase energy costs. It’s a distraction from their political leader Donald Trump sparking a trade war, which is already increasing energy costs in New England. It’s a distraction from the new risk of rolling blackouts because Canada is threatening to impact the state’s power grid based solely on the actions of federal Republicans. It’s a distraction from the yearlong Republican attacks on the first state regulator in decades to hold Connecticut utilities rigorously accountable – a regulator who is 3-0 in court against Eversource and United Illuminating.

“This bill is dishonest and disrespectful to ratepayers who deserve genuine relief through responsible planning, transparency, and accountability.”

NORWICH DELEGATION WELCOMES NORWICH LISTING AS 10TH-BEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN AMERICA

Posted on by Devin James

NORWICH DELEGATION WELCOMES NORWICH LISTING AS 10TH-BEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN AMERICA

NORWICH – Norwich’s state legislative delegation is welcoming a new report from the real estate website Realtor.com which lists Norwich as one to the Top 10 Best Neighborhoods in America, based on how many views each listing in those markets received in January, compared with the typical U.S. home.

“The Central Norwich section of Norwich locked down the 10th spot on the list of the nation’s most popular neighborhoods, most likely due to its affordability. The median home list price in that community was $257,472, or 45% lower than the U.S. median, making it the most budget-friendly neighborhood out of the Top 10,” the Realtor.com report states. “Dubbed the ‘Rose of New England,’ Norwich has a rich history, a vibrant downtown, a bustling arts scene, and a top-notch public high school. Another major selling point is Norwich’s close proximity to several major casinos in the area, including Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.”

The full report can be found here: Top 10 Most Popular Neighborhoods in America

“At a time when no one can afford a house in most of America, you can probably afford a house in Norwich. And we’d love to have you live here,” said state Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague), who represents 10 towns in eastern Connecticut, including Norwich. “I think the realtor.com review hit the nail on the head – we’ve got a great downtown, great schools, and lots of job opportunities. We’re a great little secret in eastern Connecticut.”

“This report touches on exactly what makes Norwich such a hidden gem: it is creative, entertaining, and affordable,” said Representative Kevin Ryan (D-Montville). “I’m proud to see Norwich being recognized here, and I hope it can serve as a model community for our state.”

“This recognition is a true testament to the beauty of the Rose City,” said state Representative Derell Wilson (D-Norwich). “I was born and raised in Norwich and am so proud. I am proud of the continued focus on revitalizing neighborhoods through homeownership, business development, and the recreational opportunities offered to our youth. There’s something for everyone in Norwich.”

As an aside, Norwich earned its nickname as “The Rose of New England” in 1859 when – according to author William Gilman – Bicentennial celebration committee members were discussing a possible nickname for the city. One noted “Well, she is a rose anyway!” and another  committee member replied, “Yes, Norwich is the rose of New England.” The name was accepted and was unveiled to the general public at the Bicentennial parade on an arch under which the procession marched on Broadway.

Statement from Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff on Funding for Special Education and Nonprofits

Posted on by Devin James

Statement from Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff on Funding for Special Education and Nonprofits

HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff released the following statement regarding recently passed funding for special education and nonprofits.

“After speaking with our caucus last night, tomorrow the Senate Democrats are prepared to override both line-item vetoes or pass legislation to once again appropriate this funding for nonprofits and special education. The funding exists to address these immediate needs, and we are prepared to protect organizations that are under attack by the Trump administration and support our students, teachers, and local education.”

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

Statement from Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff on Funding for Special Education and Nonprofits

Posted on by Devin James

Statement from Senate President Martin Looney & Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff on Funding for Special Education and Nonprofits

HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff released the following statement regarding recently passed funding for special education and nonprofits.

“After speaking with our caucus last night, tomorrow the Senate Democrats are prepared to override both line-item vetoes or pass legislation to once again appropriate this funding for nonprofits and special education. The funding exists to address these immediate needs, and we are prepared to protect organizations that are under attack by the Trump administration and support our students, teachers, and local education.”

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox Statement on Governor’s Veto of Special Education Funding

Posted on by Devin James

Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox Statement on Governor’s Veto of Special Education Funding

Today, State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Chair of the Special Education Committee, issued a statement in response to Governor Lamont’s line-item veto of additional special education funding for the current fiscal year.

“I am incredibly disappointed to learn that the Governor has decided to veto the $40 million special education funding that the legislature appropriated last week. I have traveled across the state and heard the desperate pleas from parents, educators, students, Boards of Education and municipal leadership who all said they need money and they need it now. This decision undermines the needs of our school districts, our local tax-payers and above all – our most vulnerable students.”

Senator Duff Releases Statement Regarding Mayor Rilling’s Decision to Not Seek Reelection

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Duff Releases Statement Regarding Mayor Rilling’s Decision to Not Seek Reelection

Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement regarding Mayor Harry Rilling’s decision to not seek reelection.

“After over fifty years of service to Norwalk, including more than a decade as mayor, Harry Rilling has certainly earned his retirement. But that doesn’t make it any easier to see him go. After an entire career in law enforcement, Harry went on to become a steadfast leader who prioritized investing in Norwalk’s future, whether through supporting education, revitalizing the downtown area, or addressing climate change. It’s hard to imagine a more dedicated leader or a better partner. I wish him the best in this well-deserved retirement.”