Connecticut Joins 16-State Coalition To Reduce Gun Violence

By Joe O’Leary

January 2 @ 11:30 am

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Connecticut will join 15 other states in a coalition to reduce and prevent firearm violence by coordinating efforts to uphold enforcement of state laws, state Attorney General William Tong announced last month.

The coalition is the first of its kind. It seeks to reduce the prevalence of gun violence and the lasting impact it has on those affected by working together to ensure civil liability and consumer protection laws are being followed and enforced, according to Tong’s office.

Under the first action taken by the coalition, the Attorneys General of Minnesota and New Jersey filed lawsuits in state courts against gun manufacturer Glock for violations of their state laws related to the ease with which the company’s handguns can be modified to fire automatically.

In a statement, the states said they were joining together to counter firearm industry business practices that lead to illegal sales, trafficking of firearms across state lines and additional outcomes that can threaten American lives.

Their concerns result from the results of commissioned studies. According to a report by the Joyce Foundation, firearm violence has killed more than 700,000 Americans from 2003 to 2022, including more than 420,000 suicides and 270,000 homicides.

The foundation found that gun violence can cause up to $500 billion in economic losses each year. While 13 states have introduced offices of gun violence prevention since 2019, many are small and have limits to their operations. The coalition of Attorneys General is meant to strengthen efforts to reduce gun violence by combining state-level resources on a wider scale.

Many states have found success individually filing lawsuits against firearms manufacturers operating illegally, meaning these efforts will be bolstered by collaboration.

“We are launching a groundbreaking multistate campaign to step up our enforcement and harness the power of our civil statutes to hold bad actors in the firearms industry accountable for dangerous misconduct,” Tong said. “I’m committed to using every ounce of my authority to keep Connecticut families safe.”

Such efforts could help reduce interstate transfers of firearms, as one example. The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reported that, from 2010 to 2019, the United States saw more than 500,000 firearms used in crimes traced to interstate purchase, transportation and trafficking, adding that inflow of guns from states with fewer restrictions contribute to gun violence in states with supply reduction strategies. States with such laws in place could step up enforcement if trafficked or transported firearms are discovered.

Under the coalition, Tong will join the Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Law Providing Relief for Survivors of Coerced Debt Takes Effect

By Hugh McQuaid

January 1 @ 5:00 am

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Survivors of a type of domestic abuse known as coerced debt gained legal protections in Connecticut on Wednesday, as new law went into effect, prohibiting the practice and providing victims with a means of reclaiming their financial autonomy.

The policy, adopted by the state legislature during the 2024 session, was designed to aid people who have been forced to incur financial burdens by an abuser, who uses the debt as a means of control.

During a public hearing last February, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence President Megahn Scanlon told lawmakers that coerced debt often involved tactics like abusers forcing survivors to take on credit card debt through threats of harm.

“Money is a powerful tool that many abusers use to keep their victims dependent upon them and unable to leave,” Scanlon said. “Coerced debt is non-consensual credit-related transactions that occur in relationships involving coercive control.”

The new law, passed under Senate Bill 123, defines the practice as debt in the name of a domestic violence victim, incurred by force or under duress, threats, intimidation, or undue influence.

The statute provides relief to victims by creating a process by which creditors can be required to pause their collection activities against a survivor. The law gives these victims a legal means to establish that their debt was coerced and ask a court to relieve them of their financial obligation to pay it. Claimants like debt collectors could then seek to hold abusers accountable for any unpaid debt.

The policy was crafted by the legislature’s Banking Committee, which is co-chaired by Sen. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford. After the state Senate unanimously approved the bill in April, Miller said her goal was to empower survivors to sever ties with abusers without the burden of unjust debts placed upon them under duress.

“No one should be bound by financial ties deliberately intended to entangle them in an abusive relationship,” Miller said. “This form of abuse is disproportionately directed at women and SB 123 takes important steps to ensure that victims can reclaim their financial autonomy.”

Economic abuse is often reported by domestic violence survivors, according to the members organizations with the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. For instance, 90% of the survivors served by the Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington have experienced some type of economic abuse with between 65% and 75% reporting types of coerced debt.

This abuse is not exclusive to Connecticut. A 2019 survey by the Center for Survivor Agency & Justice found that 52% of 1,823 women who called the National Domestic Violence Hotline reported experiencing coerced debt.

State Transportation Department Takes Stock of 2024

By Joe O’Leary

December 31 @ 5:00 am

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The end of the year always brings opportunities to review the good, the bad and what could be done better in the future. For Connecticut’s Department of Transportation, reviewing 2024 mostly revealed the extent of work done on state roadways in the last 12 months.

The DOT recently released its Year In Review, which highlighted the many advances the agency has been able to achieve supporting infrastructure, transportation and road safety in Connecticut in 2024.

When disaster struck, state staff and crews responded quickly; when there was time to work ahead and anticipate future needs for the state, they brainstormed and created a roadmap for the future.

Chief among Connecticut’s biggest transportation concerns in 2024 was the emergence of sudden calamity. In May, a tractor-trailer fire in Norwalk required the demolition of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge over I-95; to counter a traffic disaster that spurred hours of backups along the highway and in the Norwalk community, the DOT demolished the bridge and had lanes open less than four days after the crash.

Crews worked ahead of time to get a replacement together; the bridge was initially expected to be complete in the spring of 2025, but crews completed it in exactly seven months.

There was also the issue of punishing rains that deluged the state in summer, including the extensive damage in southwestern Connecticut that washed out many roads and rail lines. State crews worked around the clock to repair these roads and reconnect communities, meeting the challenge when livelihoods and towns depended on them.

Then there’s the sheer number of projects the DOT pushed forward, ranging from a new parking garage at the Stamford Transportation Center to new highway interchanges, bridge reconstructions and the Waterbury Mixmaster all either breaking ground or reaching completion over the course of the year. That’s only the start, as the DOT says another 235 active capital projects are under construction and 187 are in the planning stages.

“Whether someone is driving, biking, walking, or utilizing public transportation services, we’re delivering projects and programs that ensure people get to their destination safely,” Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. “We’re improving lives through transportation, and I am thrilled to see the progress we’ve made this year.”

One of the DOT’s most significant steps forward in 2024 was its installation of wrong-way driving prevention systems, which received focus throughout the year. As the state works to reduce traffic deaths, these systems were seen as increasingly valuable. WTNH reported in November that the state passed its goal of 120 prevention systems in place by the end of the year, with as many as 135 to be installed by 2025. Officials say the systems are working, preventing dozens of potential wrong-way driving incidents.

The year that was also delivered major new accomplishments. The Hartford Line train system saw more than 750,000 riders this year, with more than 100,000 people using the state’s ferries across the Connecticut River; further innovations included the pilot program of a tap-to-pay fare system on bus routes and expanded bus services in several communities.

Connecticut Scientists Make Breakthroughs in Fight Against Invasive Insect

By Joe O’Leary

December 30 @ 5:00 am

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In the last few years, there’s been an unwelcome presence spreading throughout Connecticut, but local scientists are developing a new method to stop them – and if they succeed, they can turn the tide against the scourge nationally.

According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the spotted lanternfly has been infiltrating North America for about a decade. Native to China, India, and Vietnam, the insect made its first Northeastern U.S. appearance in Pennsylvania and has slowly spread throughout the region. It was discovered in Connecticut in 2018, then became established in the state in 2020.

Most visible from July to November, the flies have tan, red and black patches on their white wings which are often covered in black spots, which is how they get their name.

Scientists are very concerned about the impact the invasive pest will have on Connecticut’s agriculture and wildlife, specifically plant life. Referred to as “probably the most serious agricultural pest to hit US shores in a long time,” a spotted lanternfly infestation can kill a vineyard and cause serious damage to trees. The flies can weaken plants by eating their sap, diminishing their ability to collect energy through sunlight, and in the process they spur the creation of mold, further harming the plants. Trees and crops that aren’t killed by lanternflies are often weakened and see their output reduced.

In addition to having a direct impact on quality of produce and plant life in Connecticut, the CAES even noted its further spread could lead to other countries rejecting agricultural imports if they suspect they could be contaminated with the flies.

As many as half of Connecticut’s trees could be threatened by spotted lanternflies, which makes the ability to respond and fight back vital. Until now, experts have encouraged a brute-force approach to fighting lanternflies, advising members of the public to look for them and kill them on sight. However, the CAES may have found a significant breakthrough to ease the fight.

In December, the CAES announced its scientists had developed a new method to identify specific odors spotted lanternflies use to find host plants and other insects. By tracking how spotted lanternflies respond to different odors they experience, scientists believe they’ll be able to find some new ways to counter the insects’ impact.

“This knowledge will not only aid in the development of targeted attractants or repellents but also contribute to the overall effort to protect our ecosystems and agricultural resources from this insect,” said CAES Chemical Ecologist Dr. Hany Dweck.

Scientists were able to track the responses of lanternflies to odors from their favorite trees and determine how responses differed for different trace levels of those odors. The resulting findings have revealed new avenues to control lanternfly populations in the 17 states currently dealing with infestations.

“Invasive species have the potential to wreak havoc on our ecosystems, and any action to repel them from Connecticut’s natural beauty, not to mention state agriculture, is vital,” said Sen. Rick Lopes, Senate chair of the state legislature’s Environment Committee. “I’m looking forward to the developments that may result from this new research breakthrough.”

Breeze and Avelo Airlines Help to Drive Connecticut’s Air Travel Comeback

By Joe O’Leary

December 28 @ 5:00 am

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To say 2020 was an off year for Bradley International Airport would be a huge understatement. Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, overall flyer traffic in the Windsor Locks airport was down 65% from 2019, with April and May of the month seeing traveler rates drop by more than 90% from the year prior.

It was a fraught time at best for an airline to expand operations, but as travel started picking up again in the spring of 2021, both Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines joined the fray at Bradley and New Haven’s Tweed Regional Airport, respectively.

Over the last four years, the budget airlines have carried countless passengers, and in the process they’ve helped Bradley recover passenger traffic and Tweed punch well above its weight. The benefits Breeze has brought Bradley can be seen in the airport’s annual traffic statistics, which also reveal a rise in the airline’s popularity from 2021 to 2024. During that time, passenger traffic bounced back at the airport as Breeze carried more passengers each year in the process.

In 2021, the airline, which started carrying traffic in May, delivered just under 26,000 passengers to their destinations. As Bradley saw traffic grow by 25.5% in 2022 and another 7.8% in 2023, Breeze fliers grew accordingly, with 78,017 people using the airline in 2022 and 210,858 in 2023 as it continued adding new destinations.

Now, in 2024, as Bradley continues to see growth with increases in eight of the nine months with available data, Breeze has already topped its 2023 passenger count and is working toward a new high score.

These airlines aren’t solely fueling Connecticut’s travel comeback, but they’re certainly helping bring new attention, especially to Tweed New Haven, which has seen a significant change in its usage since pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 47,000 people flew in and out of Tweed, with little fanfare. Five years later, after Avelo opened up shop, Tweed is now handling more than 500,000 passengers per year. Combine that with Bradley, which is set to have near-record travel in current projections, and Connecticut air traffic appears set to surge to an all-time high in 2024.

In a precarious period for travel, Breeze and Avelo’s expansion plans helped a resurgence of air traffic in Connecticut, with each airline now offering dozens of destinations and international treks too. They’re working to expand their services even further, as both airlines now fly out of both airports.

These new options provide travelers with competitive rates and service quality on par with their competitors, despite drawbacks, including certain routes that only fly on certain days. They also offer myriad more options for travelers, especially snowbirds and Disney fans in New Haven County, whose trips to JFK or LaGuardia, or even a 45-minute drive to Bradley, now pale in comparison to a quick trip down to the coast.

Where are the airlines at now? Expansion mode. Avelo just announced new routes from New Haven to Florida, Texas, Michigan and Maine, as well as the Dominican Republic; Breeze is now offering service to Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina and Louisiana out of Tweed.

 

Home Equity Growth in Connecticut Outpaces the Nation

By Hugh McQuaid

December 27 @ 5:00 am

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Connecticut homeowners experienced a larger increase in their home equity last year than homeowners in any other state in the nation, according to a report by home ownership investment company Unison.

The annual index tracked median home equity changes in all 50 states from September 2023 to September 2024 and found that equity in Connecticut grew by 24.6% over the 12-month period. That increase was the largest in the nation and was followed by New Jersey, where home equity grew by 22.3%, and Delaware, which saw a 18.3% increase.

Nearly all states experienced some increase in home equity, which Unison attributed to appreciation in home values over the 12-month period. Just five states — Texas, Mississippi, Oregon, Louisiana, and Idaho — saw declines in homeowner equity last year.

Sen. MD Rahman, Senate chair of the state legislature’s Planning and Development Committee, attributed Connecticut’s growth to the state’s strong appeal for homebuyers.

“The growth in that report reflects what a lot of people here already know: there’s value in Connecticut homes because Connecticut is a desirable place to live,” Senator Rahman said. “We have top-ranked schools, some of the lowest crime rates in the country, and exceptional quality of life, so it should come as no surprise that homes in our state are such a sound investment.”

The index calculated changes in home equity by comparing a home’s market value with the outstanding balance of a homeowner’s mortgage.

The report also documented equity growth in specific regions called Core Based Statistical Areas. For instance, equity increased in the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown area by 31.1%, making it the fourth top-performing CBSA in the nation, along with Great Falls, Montana.

Meanwhile, the Norwich-New London area and New Haven-Milford area both ranked in the top 20 regions with 24.9% and 24.7% growth respectively, according to the Unison index.

This year’s report followed a similar index in 2023, when Unison reported that Connecticut homeowners had experienced 16.93% growth in their equity — the fourth highest rate in the nation that year.