LEGISLATION TO FIGHT WORKER BURNOUT INTRODUCED BY STATE SEN. MARX APPROVED BY LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES COMMITTEE
Intended to counter worker burnout in a number of industries, legislation introduced to the General Assembly this year by State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) that seeks to ensure workers cannot be compelled to work more than six days in a row by an employer was approved by the Labor and Public Employees Committee. With this vote of approval, the legislation will now move to the Senate floor for further consideration.
Senate Bill 489, “An Act Limiting The Days An Employer Can Mandate An Employee To Work,” seeks to amend state statutes and prohibit an employer from mandating an employee to work more than six consecutive days without a day off during a seven-day week. It largely changes language in state statutes away from the “work week” and toward traditional calendar weeks.
Sen. Marx introduced the legislation based on conversations she has had with workers and her own experience as a nurse where the use of “work week” in statute allowed workers to be scheduled 12 days in a row – for instance, during a “work week” of Sunday to Saturday, being placed on a schedule from Monday to Saturday one week, then from Sunday to Friday the next. A worker who wishes to work more than six days in a seven-day week will be allowed to do so; this bill seeks to prevent mandatory consecutive days of work.
“This bill seeks to make a simple change to state statutes that gives workers more power, and I’m encouraged by its passage through this important committee,” said Sen. Marx. “By making this simple fix, this bill will make sure the letter of the law matches intent; if it becomes law, it will provide relief to workers across the state.”
“I don’t think anyone ever envisioned interpreting this statute as allowing people to work up to 12 days continuously without a day off. Now we’re going to fix that,” said state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is a co-sponsor of the bill and Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee.
The Department of Labor and OSHA report that long work hours without breaks can correlate with increased risk of injuries and accidents on the job. They can contribute to poor worker health, increased stress and worker fatigue.
A similar bill passed in Illinois last year; the “One Day Rest In Seven Act” requires employers to provide workers with one day of rest in every seven day period through the same change as introduced by this bill.
SENATOR ANWAR, ADVOCATES SUPPORT HARM REDUCTION CENTERS TO FIGHT OPIOID CRISIS AS LEGISLATION RECEIVES PUBLIC HEARING
SENATOR ANWAR, ADVOCATES SUPPORT HARM REDUCTION CENTERS TO FIGHT OPIOID CRISIS AS LEGISLATION RECEIVES PUBLIC HEARING
Today, as legislation supporting the use of harm reduction centers in a pilot program receives a public hearing in front of the Public Health Committee, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined Mark Jenkins, the executive director for the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance, John Lally, ARPN and executive director for Today I Matter, Inc., and Traci Eburg, community engagement specialist at McCall Behavioral Health Network, to promote the positive benefits this different response to the opioid crisis can hold.
Turning away from a punitive, punishing approach to addiction that ostracizes those struggling with addiction without aiding their recovery, harm reduction centers offer a new approach toward addressing addiction by meeting individuals on their own terms and seeking to aid them in a more constructive manner.
“Just last week, I had the opportunity to visit a harm prevention center in New York City, and what I learned there was eye-opening,” said Sen. Anwar. “Addiction is a serious disease, and we may find success in treating it as seriously as it deserves. Harm prevention centers do that. They provide a different environment for those struggling with addiction with protections against overdose deaths and connections to aid for those who seek it. This is a different approach to addiction than the ones we typically think of, and early results from programs in the United States are promising. I’m hopeful that the results they’ve seen can be replicated in Connecticut with the passage of key legislation.”
Senate Bill 9, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness For Connecticut Residents,” offers a number of significant changes and improvements to Connecticut’s approach and response to public health. One of its most significant changes would be the establishment of a pilot program to prevent drug overdoses by establishing three harm reduction centers in Connecticut. These centers provide individuals with spaces to consume drugs acquired in other locations with monitoring and treatment on site in the event of an overdose, such as administering opioid antagonists like Narcan. They would also refer individuals using drugs on-site with referrals to substance use disorder and other mental health services.
The bill would further seek to respond to the continuing opioid crisis by allowing for reduced-price purchases of Narcan and other opioid antagonists in bulk by municipalities and organizations and by making opioid prescription practices more stringent, such as by including prescriptions for opioid antagonists for patients who are at potential risk of overdose or abuse.
On Thursday, March 16, Sen. Anwar and State Representative Tracy Marra (R-141) visited an OnPoint overdose/harm prevention center in New York City; the organization has locations in the city in East Harlem and Washington Heights. In addition to harm reduction services, including syringe exchanges and counseling with drug users, the organization has drop-in centers with hot meals, coffee, showers, bathrooms and laundry for those in need, as well as in-house clinical services to aid visitors. Since the organization launched in late autumn 2021, it has served thousands of participants and prevented more than 800 overdoses, with nearly 66,000 people utilizing its services in that time. Not only have the centers seen no deaths in their services, the services they provide have helped save more than $35 million in public service resources in New York City. Advocates noted that there has never been a known overdose among those using harm reduction centers.
Senator Gaston Leads Committee Vote Passage on Police Traffic Stops
Senator Gaston Leads Committee Vote Passage on Police Traffic Stops
State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport), Chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee, lead committee passage of Senate Bill 1022, ‘An Act Requiring Police Officers To Provide A Driver With The Reason For A Traffic Stop And Concerning Certain Police Officer Training,’ a bill Senator Gaston introduced this legislative session.
“It is critically important for our law enforcement to exemplify basic courtesy during any traffic stop,” said Sen. Gaston. “It is important to understand and recognize that people who look like me and who have endured the stigma of systemic and institutional injustice may have a different view point then others, and this is why I will always fight to raise the level of consciousness of those in our society who are comfortable in their privilege, and to demand that the voices of minoritized communities are felt and heard, and that equity and fairness is afforded to all members in our great state and not just some. I am hopeful this legislation will allow for our officers to treat everyone regardless of zip code, background, or community with dignity while behind the wheel.”
SB 1022 will require police officers to verbally inform a motorist for the purpose of their traffic stop. Data from the Open Policing Project shows on a typical day in the U.S., police officers conduct more than 50,000 traffic stops, with officers generally stopping Black drivers at a higher rate than white drivers. A study done in 2020 shows Black drivers were 20 percent more likely to be stopped than white drivers, and Black drivers were searched about 1.5 to 2 times as often as white drivers. This bill aims to create uniformity amongst officers and it is a step to create a space of trust between communities and law enforcement officers.
As the 10-year-anniversary of the Alvin W. Penn Act took place, named after the late state Senator Alvin W. Penn. Which is Connecticut’s anti-racial profiling law that prohibits any law enforcement agency from stopping, detaining, or searching any motorist when the stop is motivated solely by considerations of the race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation of that individual. This bill will further address some of the racial disparities that the Alvin Penn Act started 10 years ago in this state.
Senator Gaston Leads Committee Vote Passage on Combating Gun Violence
Senator Gaston Leads Committee Vote Passage on Combating Gun Violence
State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport), Chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee, lead committee passage of Senate Bill 1162, ‘An Act Requiring Community Roundtable and Funding Community Policing Programs To Combat Gun Violence’.
Senate Bill 1162 would require law enforcement units to hold community roundtables to discuss with community representatives gun violence prevention methods. In addition to the roundtables, the bill also establishes a pilot program to fund community policing programs in certain municipalities, to reduce gun violence and improve relationships between law enforcement units and the communities they serve.
“I am dedicated to the creation of new programs in our state to help reduce gun violence,” said Sen. Gaston. “Too many young lives are lost every day to careless acts of gun violence, and we need to take the steps necessary in accountability and preventative measures. It takes a community and with a collaborative effort I am positive we can begin to make a difference.”
SB 1162 will require law enforcement agencies in each town in Connecticut to hold meetings with representatives from social services and mental health agencies, organizations that serve the municipality, people from organizations that seek to combat gun violence in the municipality, representatives from the judicial branch, and one or more prosecutors serving the judicial district that includes the municipality. During these meetings, it will be encouraged to share information and data that has been collected over the past months while developing strategies to reduce gun violence and crime throughout the state. Discussions held will also require everyone to work collaboratively to improve the responsiveness and accountability of law enforcement. All these meetings that take place will be open to the public.
Also under SB 1162, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection will establish a pilot program to provide certain law enforcement agencies with funding to enhance community policing programs. All law enforcement units that receive funding will be required to report on how the funds have been used and whether it impacted gun violence in the town by July 1, 2025.
SENATOR MARX, NEW LONDON MAYOR PASSERO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF MUNICIPAL BLIGHT ORDINANCE LEGISLATION
SENATOR MARX, NEW LONDON MAYOR PASSERO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF MUNICIPAL BLIGHT ORDINANCE LEGISLATION
Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) and New London Mayor Michael Passero testified in front of the Planning and Development Committee in support of legislation that would bolster municipal abilities to implement and enforce blight ordinances. Sen. Marx and Mayor Passero noted that New London experiences issues with vacant and blighted buildings; the legislation in question would most prominently change the population threshold in current state law, allowing more municipalities the ability to petition for receivership for blighted and abandoned properties.
Sen. Marx noted the bill was introduced with the support of New London’s legislative delegates, including State Representatives Christine Conley and Anthony Nolan, as well as Mayor Passero.
“In New London, we really are a renaissance city, we are really booming,” Sen. Marx testified. “But one of our biggest problems are the blighted buildings in our main downtown area. We have 12 vacant buildings and six of them are condemned. Right now, we can fine [property owners] as much as we want for blighted property, but that’s about all we can do. We are not going to have that great feeling of walking on our Main Street, Bank Street and State Street downtown if we don’t get rid of these blighted buildings. I’m sure everyone [on the Committee] has a municipality they’re thinking of where this policy could help.”
“This bill would remove the cap of having to be a municipality with a population of 35,000 or more to use state statutes to remediate blighted properties in municipalities,” said Mayor Passero. “Originally, Sen. Marx was kind enough to introduce a bill to reduce that cap to accommodate the city of New London, and I understand the cap of 35,000 was introduced in 2019 as a compromise; the original bill was drafted at 75,000. I believe it’s time now after three or four years of experience with the legislation that we know there will not be terrible consequences if you give more municipalities the ability to use this legislative tool. We would love to have this arrow in our quiver in New London. We have a downtown with important properties in the Central Business District that are blighted and abandoned and have been in that condition for decades. Currently, we have nearly half of our downtown store fronts that are vacant, and they’re vacant because the buildings containing them have been blighted or abandoned for a long time. The city has been unable to find a mechanism to get the owners to remediate these properties. If we could take advantage of it, this legislation would give us a tool we need to motivate them to be better citizens, and gives us the ability to go to court and reach ownership.”
House Bill 6892, “An Act Concerning Municipal Blight Ordinances,” would take steps to aid towns and cities including removing the municipal population threshold for parties to petition for a municipality to be appointed receiver for a blighted and abandoned property, among other significant changes.
Naugatuck Delegation Welcomes $3 Million in Funding for Naugatuck Industrial Park Project
Naugatuck Delegation Welcomes $3 Million in Funding for Naugatuck Industrial Park Project
Today, state Senator Joan Hartley, state Senator Jorge Cabrera, state Representative David Labriola, and state Representative Seth Bronko, members of the Naugatuck delegation, welcomed the approval of $3 million by the board of the Community Investment Fund 2030 for the facilitation of the redevelopment of the 86-acre site formerly known as the Uniroyal Chemical/United States Rubber Company.
“This funding approval is significant for advancing the Naugatuck Industrial Project. Step by step, we are working closer to putting this 80-plus acre site back into productive use and growing the tax base, while unlocking the job creation benefits this project holds for the Naugatuck Valley,” said Sen. Hartley. “Many thanks to my partners in the Naugatuck delegation and Mayor Hess for their collaborative advocacy of this project. Also, I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and the members of the Community Investment Fund 2030 board for recognizing how the project is a win-win for economic growth on the local and state level.”
“The Naugatuck Industrial Park project will create jobs and anytime we can make an investment in a job creating venture it is great for our residents and our state,” said Sen. Cabrera. “I am grateful to the Community Investment Fund Board and my colleagues in the delegation and the governor for advancing this project.”
“These funds will provide a huge boost in economic growth for our town and region,” said Rep. David Labriola. “We all worked together to obtain this valuable grant for the Borough of Naugatuck.”
“This is an investment that will benefit Naugatuck residents and beyond and I thank the board for approving funding for the project,” said Rep. Bronko. “This marks a major step forward and a commitment from the state in converting the grounds for development.”
The $3 million in state funding would advance phase III of the Naugatuck Industrial Park project by supporting the construction of permanent and temporary access roads. Local, matching funds are envisioned for complementary actions at the site including, but not limited to demolition of remaining foundations, drainage improvements, and mass earthwork/soil management to prepare the site for construction pads.
These collective improvements would enable the ultimate redevelopment of the 86-acre site for light industrial and commercial uses, which has already piqued the attention of several interested parties. On top of spurring private investment and economic development, Naugatuck believes the fully realized regional project could create between 150-450 jobs.
The Community Investment Fund 2030 is a five-year grant program, enacted in the 2021 legislative session, dedicated to fostering economic development in communities that have been historically underserved. Eligible projects under the program include brownfield remediation, small business support programs, and infrastructure.
NEW LONDON DELEGATION CHEERS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND APPROVAL OF $7.236 MILLION TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CENTER
NEW LONDON DELEGATION CHEERS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND APPROVAL OF $7.236 MILLION TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CENTER
Today, the New London legislative delegation including State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), State Representative Christine Conley (D-Groton) and State Representative Anthony Nolan (D-New London) welcomed the Connecticut Community Investment Fund 2030 Board’s approval of $7.236 million in funding supporting the final costs of the Community and Recreation Center in New London.
Specifically, the allotment of $7,236,237 will be used to provide the final construction costs of New London’s new Community and Recreation Center, which will offer recreation activities and rooms for educational and community use. It will also house the City’s recreation and youth affairs departments.
“It’s wonderful to hear that the Community Investment Fund is supporting this important project, which is going to benefit the entire New London community,” said Sen. Marx. “A new and improved home for recreational and youth affairs needs is going to allow many more residents access to helpful resources. I’m grateful to Governor Lamont, Senator Looney, Rep. Ritter and the Community Investment Fund for their support of our community.”
“I am grateful to say that this funding will get the job done! With over $7 million allocated through the Community Investment Fund, construction for the Community and Recreation Center will be completed,” Rep. Conley said. “The New London community will finally get the state-of-the-art facility it deserves, providing activities, resources and support to residents.”
EAST WINDSOR DELEGATION CHEERS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND APPROVAL OF $4 MILLION FOR KEY WATER LINE EXTENSION
EAST WINDSOR DELEGATION CHEERS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND APPROVAL OF $4 MILLION FOR KEY WATER LINE EXTENSION
Today, the East Windsor legislative delegation including State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), State Representative Jaime Foster (D-Ellington) and State Representative Carol Hall (R-Enfield) welcomed the Connecticut Community Investment Fund 2030 Board’s approval of $4 million in funding supporting an extension of the town’s public water drinking line to more than 100 new units.
The CIF2030 said this award will support extending that line along Windsorville and Old Ellington Road to provide drinking water to 31 residences with contaminated wells and the East Windsor Housing Authority’s Park Hill complex of 84 units. This extension will further allow for the Housing Authority to implement a second phase with an additional 123 new affordable housing units.
“I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and the Community Investment Fund, including Sen. Looney and Rep. Ritter, for their important support of this East Windsor project,” said Sen. Anwar. “Not only will the funds go toward dozens of homes receiving safe drinking water, but this project will allow for the development of new affordable housing, which is sorely needed in our community and many others across the state.”
“I worked hard with House leadership to ensure this project was a priority. This is a good strategic investment in town,” said Rep. Foster. “The 31 homes along Windsorville Road and Old Ellington Road, and the residents living in the Park Hill complex, should have access to safe and reliable drinking water, and with this project’s completion, that will happen. No one should have to question whether or not their water is safe to consume.”
“Residents across Connecticut deserve to have clean drinking water, so I’m thrilled East Windsor will be receiving the necessary CIF grant funding to help remedy that issue for residents along Windsorville and Old Ellington Road with contaminated wells,” Rep. Hall said. “The remaining portion of this grant will be used toward the expansion of affordable housing, something we all acknowledge is desperately needed.”
Senator Gaston Celebrates Over $10 Million Being Allocated To Projects In 23rd District
Senator Gaston Celebrates Over $10 Million Being Allocated To Projects In 23rd District
Today, state Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) is celebrating funds released to Bridgeport and Stratford during the Community Investment Fund meeting. Bridgeport applied for Community Investment Funds (CIF) that will help finish the Civic Block project and renovate “The Bridge on Main.” Stratford is also receiving funds for renovations to the South End Community Center.
The CIF is awarding $3.5 million that will aid in the completion of the East End development known as the Civic Block. Funds will be used to complete construction to create 35,000 ft2 of retail space, including a grocery store in a neighborhood that is currently a food desert.
The CIF is giving $4,536,250 to the ‘Bridge on Main’ in Bridgeport. This CIF award will assist the renovation of 1085-1095 Main Street to facilitate a suite of programs designed to help level the playing field for returning citizens and justice-impacted individuals. Programs will include job training, job placement, case management, referrals to support services, and onsite social enterprises. Additional spaces will be designed and available for use by tenants, local businesses, and organizations for community events.
“I am very grateful that Bridgeport is getting the funding it so desperately needs,” said Sen. Gaston. “Our residents deserve a friendly atmosphere that provides a one-stop-shop and addresses the essential needs of our residents. Revamping the Civic Block is mission critical in assisting in the revitalization, resurgence, and the vitality of the East end. Many low-income residents don’t have the means to afford transportation and they deserve a grocery store, pharmacy, and Bank that is easily accessible in their respective neighborhood. I am also ecstatic that our returning citizens will receive an enhancement in services and programs designed to help level the playing field for justice impacted individuals and to put them on a pathway to success as they reintegrate back into society. The Bridge on Main project has been a top legislative priority of mine and many of my colleagues. Governor Lamont approving this funding for Bridgeport allows our community to continue to move forward in the right direction.”.
The CIF is also awarding the City of Stratford $2,446,463 to fund the interior and exterior renovation of the South End Community Center. The improvements will result in expanded after school program capacity, additional office space for social service programming, expansion of capacity in the community food pantry, expanded capacity for daycare programming enrollment and increase the accessibility of space for seniors.
“The South End Community Center harbors some of the most eclectic and diverse community members with a sustainable suite of programs that work to make our residents successful,” said Sen. Gaston. “The improvements being made will enhance the occupancy and allow for the success of even more young students, providing for a bigger gesture to help those with food insecurity, and provide a safe haven for our seniors and most vulnerable residents. As a major champion for this project, I am thankful to Governor Lamont for approving this much needed funding that will make our community center a secure outlet for our community.”
“Currently, The South End Community Center offers emergency food pantry services to Stratford Residents. Emergency food services are also available for those individuals who receive food stamp assistance or come with an agency referral regardless of residency. The center also offers a variety of enrichment programs for school-aged children, as well as programs that help people in need.
The CIF fosters economic development in historically underserved communities across the state.
Westport Delegation Releases Statement Regarding White Supremacist Stickers Being Found in Westport
Westport Delegation Releases Statement Regarding White Supremacist Stickers Being Found in Westport
“There is no home for hate in Westport.”
Today, the Westport Delegation released the following statement denouncing white supremacy in the wake of stickers being found in Westport that have reportedly been confirmed as recruitment propaganda from the Patriot Front, a white supremacist group.
“There is no home for hate in Westport. As your state delegation, we are proud to represent each and every Westporter in Hartford and we carry the town’s welcoming spirit, and the values of inclusion and acceptance that Westport is known for with us every day in our work. Hateful white supremacist propaganda and vandalism will know no safe harbor here in Westport. As long as we are vigilant together, Westport values will keep the fabric of our community strong and send a clear message that these hateful actions will never be tolerated in our neighborhoods.”