Senator Slap Votes for State Budget with Half-billion in Tax Cuts, Investments in Child Care, Mental Health, Social Services; Significant Local Aid
HARTFORD – Senate Democrats on Tuesday led final passage of a modified second year of the two-year state budget that will bring Connecticut’s 3.5 million residents a half-billion dollars in tax savings while investing hundreds of millions of other dollars in new childcare, mental health, social service, job creation and other new state programs – and increases in state funding for important 5th Senate District organizations and projects. State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) joined the Senate in its approval. The bill now heads to Democratic Governor Ned Lamont for his signature of the 2022-2023 state budget into law.
“I’m proud to vote for this budget, as its support for our communities will have a positive impact on local education and recreation,” said Sen. Slap. “I am also glad to support significant tax cuts for our residents, especially expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the new Child Tax Credit, which will financially support families across our state.”
The budget includes historic tax cuts for Connecticut’s citizens as well as major new investments in some of the human needs that were highlighted by the past two years of the deadly and disruptive COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic budget is still under the state-mandated spending cap, has maxed out our state Rainy Day Fund at $3.3 billion, and makes a massive, unprecedented $3.5 billion payment toward Connecticut’s 70 years of built-up pension debt.
Locally, the budget supports the 5th Senate District with $566,503 in additional state funding. Additional funding includes $100,000 in support for the Noah Webster House in West Hartford; $10,000 in funding for Bloomfield Raiders Youth Football; and increased funding for rebuilding Farmington High School, specifically restoration of the 30% reimbursement rate for the construction project.
Some of the $600 million in Democratic tax cuts that will help Connecticut residents include:
- Continuation of the 25-cent per gallon gasoline tax holiday through December 1, thereby saving Connecticut residents another $150 million, and continuation of the bus fare holiday through the same date, saving riders a further $8.1 million.
- Creates a new $250-per-child credit against the state income tax for low- and middle-income households, up to a maximum of $750, for single filers with earnings less than $100,000 per year and couples making less than $200,000. This saves Connecticut families $125 million.
- A cap on the tax rate charged by cities and towns on motor vehicles will reduce car taxes by $100 million for residents in about 45% of Connecticut towns.
- Increase the maximum property tax credit exemption from $200 to $300, saving Connecticut families $60 million per year this year and into the future.
- Increasing the state Earned Income Tax Credit, a program created by former President Ronald Reagan and used by 186,000 Connecticut residents living in every town in the state. The increased tax deduction will save Connecticut families $49 million a year.
- Accelerating the phase-out of taxes of certain pension and annuity income, saving Connecticut residents nearly $43 million.
- The Democratic budget even eliminates the tax on movie theatre tickets, saving movie-goers $2.5 million this year.
On the spending side, Democrats and Gov. Lamont make major investments in the public services Connecticut residents demanded following two years of the deadly and disruptive COVID-19 pandemic: the mental health crisis impacting our children, expanded services for people with substance-use disorders, better wages for people working in our non-profits and as personal care attendants, increased funds to support survivors of domestic violence, more money for community college tuition, job-training programs, and a historic investment in child care services so parents can get back into the workplace.
Some of the hundreds of millions of new dollars that Democrats are spending on Connecticut residents include:
- $10 million for mental health services at School-Based Health Centers
- $30 million for increased 24/7 mobile crisis services
- $1.4 million for no-cost training to address the hiring needs of Electric Boat
- $72 million for private-sector non-profit pay raises
- $23 million for personal care attendants
- $70 million for childcare industry wage enhancements
- $15 million to renovate and construct early childhood facilities
- $2.5 million to combat gun violence
- $2.8 million for survivors of domestic violence
- $50 million for affordable housing
- $75 million to update school air conditioning and heating systems
- $8 million to increase access to town-run summer camps
- $3 million for senior citizens’ adult day programs and Meals on Meals
- $4 million for Alzheimer’s respite care programs
To view more details and analysis of the Democratic budget, please visit: https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2022&bill_num=5506
Sen. Cabrera Votes for Passage of State Budget with Half a Billion Dollars in Tax Cuts
Sen. Cabrera Votes for Passage of State Budget with Half a Billion Dollars in Tax Cuts
Includes Investments in Child Care, Mental Health, Social Services and More
HARTFORD – Today, state Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) voted for the passage of a modified second year of the two-year state budget that will bring Connecticut’s 3.5 million residents a half-billion dollars in tax savings while investing hundreds of millions of other dollars in new childcare, mental health, social service, job creation other new state programs and immediate car tax cuts for each town in the 17th Senate District thanks to a new cap on car taxes. The budget adjustment also includes an additional $3.8 million in municipal aid for the district and $3 million in Education Cost Sharing funding.
The budget was passed on a 24-12. The bill now heads to Democratic Governor Ned Lamont for his signature of the 2022-2023 state budget into law.
“This budget will provide a boost to all Connecticut residents and I am proud to support these fiscally responsible tax cuts and investments in our young people, our childcare workers, seniors and our hard-working families,” said Sen. Cabrera. “With these adjustments to our budget, we’re making robust investments in youth mental health, ensuring they have access to the resources they deserve. We’re providing a $250 child tax credit for individuals and couples with children, increasing public school funding and municipal aid and senior benefits, too. We’ve all been frustrated by gas prices, so we’re extending the suspension of the gas tax through to December 1, and public bus rides will continue to be free of charge until Dec. 1 as well. These tax cuts, totaling roughly $600 million, also come as we pay down our pension debt, fully fund our Rainy Day Fund and remain under our spending and revenue caps. I am elated to vote for its passage as I know this is not only good for our state today, but will benefit us down the line as well.”
With an influx of federal aid, and with Connecticut tax revenues soaring due to a rebounding state economy, strong job growth and rising incomes, the second year of the biennial state budget was reconfigured by Democrats and Gov. Lamont to increase state spending in the coming year by 6.5% to $24.2 billion.
The budget includes historic tax cuts for Connecticut’s citizens as well as major new investments in some of the human needs that were highlighted by the past two years of the deadly and disruptive COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic budget is still under the state-mandated spending cap, has maxed out our state Rainy Day Fund at $3.3 billion, and makes a massive, unprecedented $3.5 billion payment toward Connecticut’s 70 years of built-up pension debt.
Some of the $600 million in Democratic tax cuts that will help Connecticut residents include:
- Continuation of the 25-cent per gallon gasoline tax holiday through December 1, thereby saving Connecticut residents another $150 million.
- Creates a new $250-per-child credit against the state income tax for low- and middle-income households, up to a maximum of $750, for single filers with earnings less than $100,000 per year and couples making less than $200,000. This saves Connecticut families $125 million.
- A cap on the tax rate charged by cities and towns on motor vehicles will reduce car taxes by $100 million for residents in about 45% of Connecticut towns.
- Increase the maximum property tax credit exemption from $200 to $300, saving Connecticut families $60 million per year this year and into the future.
- Increasing the state Earned Income Tax Credit, a program created by former President Ronald Reagan and used by 186,000 Connecticut residents living in every town in the state. The increased tax deduction will save Connecticut families $49 million a year.
- Accelerating the phase-out of taxes of certain pension and annuity income, saving Connecticut residents nearly $43 million.
- The Democratic budget even eliminates the tax on movie theatre tickets, saving movie-goers $2.5 million this year.
On the spending side, Democrats and Gov. Lamont make major investments in the public services Connecticut residents demanded following two years of the deadly and disruptive COVID-19 pandemic: the mental health crisis impacting our children, expanded services for people with substance-use disorders, better wages for people working in our non-profits and as personal care attendants, increased funds to support survivors of domestic violence, more money for community college tuition, job-training programs, and a historic investment in child care services so parents can get back into the workplace.
Some of the hundreds of millions of new dollars that Democrats are spending on Connecticut residents include:
- $10 million for mental health services at School-Based Health Centers
- $30 million for increased 24/7 mobile crisis services
- $1.4 million for no-cost training to address the hiring needs of Electric Boat
- $72 million for private-sector non-profit pay raises
- $23 million for personal care attendants
- $70 million for childcare industry wage enhancements
- $15 million to renovate and construct early childhood facilities
- $2.5 million to combat gun violence
- $2.8 million for survivors of domestic violence
- $50 million for affordable housing
- $75 million to update school air conditioning and heating systems
- $8 million to increase access to town-run summer camps
- $3 million for senior citizens’ adult day programs and Meals on Meals
- $4 million for Alzheimer’s respite care programs
To view more details and analysis of the Democratic budget, please visit: https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2022&bill_num=5506
Senate Gives Final Approval to Key Energy Bills
Senate Gives Final Approval to Key Energy Bills
Today, the State Senate gave final approval to two key energy bills aiding the state’s interests in researching alternate forms of energy collection and distribution. State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, led approval of the bills, which respectively seek to regulate and research use of energy storage systems to improve state infrastructure and establish a task force to study hydrogen power technology.
“I’m proud of my colleagues in the Energy & Technology Committee for their foresight in supporting these initiatives,” said Sen. Needleman. “We need to keep an eye on our power grid and energy generation; we need to make sure we remain competitive in the market in years to come. These bills examine alternative sources of energy, and energy storage, for the benefit of our state.”
House Bill 5327, “An Act Concerning Energy Storage Systems And Electric Distribution System Reliability,” sets requirements for electric distribution companies seeking to own, build or operate energy storage systems, specifically limiting their use of such systems to ones enhancing distribution reliability or resiliency. The bill further establishes a pilot program for energy storage system use, where the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority would direct electric distribution companies to submit proposals for storage, specifically for improvement of critical infrastructure resiliency and system reliability.
Senate Bill 5200, “An Act Establishing A Task Force To Study Hydrogen Power,” will see experts study hydrogen-fueled energy in the state’s economy and energy infrastructure, including but not limited to guiding development and achievement of economies of scale for the state’s hydrogen ecosystem, examining use of federal incentives and programs, recommendations for preparing the workforce and studying potential sources of clean hydrogen in the state.
Sen. Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill Expanding Health Insurance Coverage For Breast Cancer & Ovarian Cancer
Sen. Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill Expanding Health Insurance Coverage For Breast Cancer & Ovarian Cancer
State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee, led passage on a bill that passed this legislative session that will expand health insurance requirements to provide screenings and treatments for breast cancer. Senate Bill 358, ‘An Act Concerning Required Health Insurance Coverage For Breast And Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Screening,’ will expand insurance coverage requirements for mammograms, ultrasounds, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) for breast screenings under state-regulated health insurance policies. It will also require insurance policies to cover testing and treatment of ovarian cancer.
“I was proud to spearhead Senate passage of this critically important health care bill,” said Sen. Lesser. “Connecticut is poised to have the strongest law in the country covering early detection and treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. As a cancer survivor myself, I know early detection saves lives. I was thrilled to work with local advocates and my House colleagues to champion this critically important bill.”
Currently, the affected insurance policies must cover a baseline mammogram for a woman aged 35 to 39 and an annual mammogram for a woman aged 40 or older. This bill also requires these policies to cover diagnostic and screening mammograms at these age intervals. It also requires the policies to cover a baseline mammogram for an insured who is younger than age 35 and an annual mammogram for an insured who is younger than age 40 if the insured is believed to be at an increased risk for breast cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It is about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year. In recent years, incidence rates have increased by 0.5% per year. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The American Cancer Society estimates about 19,880 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
According to Hartford HealthCare, Connecticut has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the country. And according to the Department of Public Health, Ovarian cancer is the 5th-leading cause of cancer deaths, and the 8th most common type of cancer, in CT women. It is diagnosed in 3% of Connecticut women. Mortality, and relative survival rates of ovarian cancer in CT are similar to those observed at the national level.
Early detection can save lives. Nearly 38,000 women in Connecticut are not receiving all of the health care they need because they do not have proper health insurance or the means to pay health insurance premiums. If insurance policies are expanded to cover testing and treatment, it will result in finding breast cancer and/or Ovarian cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness as well as better treatments.
SB 358 will require insurance policies to cover certain procedures related to breast cancer treatment, including breast biopsies; certain prophylactic mastectomies; and breast reconstruction surgery, subject to certain conditions. Additionally, the bill requires these health insurance policies to cover the following services related to the testing and treatment of ovarian cancer:
- Genetic testing, including for breast cancer gene one (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene two (BRCA2)
- Post-treatment CA-125 monitoring (i.e., a test measuring the amount of the cancer antigen 125 protein)
- Routine ovarian cancer screenings, including surveillance tests for certain insureds.
Current law requires the policies to cover a woman’s breast MRI in accordance with American Cancer Society guidelines. The bill instead requires the policies to cover both diagnostic and screening breast MRIs in accordance with the American Cancer Society guidelines for an insured who is age 35 or older or younger than age 35 who is at increased breast cancer risk.
The bill requires policies to also cover breast biopsies, prophylactic mastectomies, and breast reconstructive surgery. It prohibits the policies from imposing cost sharing (coinsurance, copayments, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket expenses) for the covered services.
Senate Bill 358 also will adopt gender neutral language, specifying mammography, ultrasound, and certain other coverage applies to any insured and not just women.
Senator Anwar Releases Statement as Senate Gives Approval to HB5001
Senator Anwar Releases Statement as Senate Gives Approval to HB5001
Bill provides significant mental health resources for children in crisis
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Children’s Committee and Senate Vice Chair of the Public Health Committee, released the following statement after the Senate gave final approval to House Bill 5001, which provides additional mental health resources and aid to children statewide:
“I’m so proud to have led the Senate’s final passage of House Bill 5001, which now goes to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. In recent years, both before and during the pandemic, children’s mental health issues have grown significantly. This bill works in junction with Senate Bill 1 and 2 in a full approach to meeting children’s mental health needs. Senate Bill 1 and 2 address the root causes of children’s mental health from a preventative standpoint; conversely, House Bill 5001 works to improve availability and provision of services to children who are struggling today. There is work left to be done, but these efforts go a long way toward rising to the challenges experienced by too many today – and our work this session will get help to those struggling. My thanks go out to Representatives Steinberg, Linehan, Exum, Welander, McCarthy-Vahey, Nuccio and Petit, to name just a few of my colleagues who gave their support to this important bill.”
Looney, Duff Statement on Draft Supreme Court Decision Overturning Abortion Rights
Looney, Duff Statement on Draft Supreme Court Decision Overturning Abortion Rights
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released a statement following tonight’s reporting of a draft decision from the United State Supreme Court which will overturn Roe v. Wade and decades of legal precedent on abortion rights.
“We feared this proposed decision and now this nightmare appears to be all too real. America is likely headed down a dark path where individual states will adopt conflicting statutes leading to additional divisions in an already divided nation. This proposed decision will cause needless confusion, pain, and death across our country. With Democratic majorities, Connecticut will continue to protect the right to make informed choices on reproductive health. We only wish we could say the same for all other states.”
Looney, Duff Statement on Draft Supreme Court Decision Overturning Abortion Rights
Looney, Duff Statement on Draft Supreme Court Decision Overturning Abortion Rights
Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released a statement following tonight’s reporting of a draft decision from the United State Supreme Court which will overturn Roe v. Wade and decades of legal precedent on abortion rights.
“We feared this proposed decision and now this nightmare appears to be all too real. America is likely headed down a dark path where individual states will adopt conflicting statutes leading to additional divisions in an already divided nation. This proposed decision will cause needless confusion, pain, and death across our country. With Democratic majorities, Connecticut will continue to protect the right to make informed choices on reproductive health. We only wish we could say the same for all other states.”
Senator Haskell Leads Passage of Legislation Improving Rider Experience on CT Buses
Senator Haskell Leads Passage of Legislation Improving Rider Experience on CT Buses
Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport), Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, led the final passage of House Bill 5255, “An Act Concerning Recommendations By The Department of Transportation.” This multi-pronged legislation makes more than a dozen changes to current transport-related statutes. Perhaps most importantly, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to develop a mobile app that will offer riders real-time updates about bus service across the state. The legislation would also allow “blood transport vehicles” to use High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes, ensuring donations can be stored quickly and healthcare workers can be rapidly deployed in the event of an emergency.
“If I step out of my apartment building and want to hop onto the Coastal Link toward Bridgeport or Norwalk, I need to download three different apps in order to figure out when the next bus will arrive,” said Sen. Haskell. “That’s wrong, and the folks who ride Connecticut buses each day deserve better. With nearly 20 transit districts across Connecticut, our bus network is too often logistically disjointed, bureaucratically inefficient and needlessly discombobulated for riders. Developing a single app, incentivizing districts to act regionally, and improving customer service is a major step forward to those of us who believe that you shouldn’t need a car to get to work each day.”
“House Bill 5255 contains 29 total changes to state statutes regarding transportation, ranging from allowing the Department of Transportation Commissioner to modify speed limits during emergencies to minor changes to contracting in the state. Among its most significant changes:
- The Department of Transportation will be required to develop a mobile app providing transit district service information and trip planning services
- “Blood transport vehicles,” which are owned by blood-bank and blood-collection facilities, will be allowed to use the High-Occupancy Vehicle lane on highways when transporting blood from a collection point to a hospital or storage center
- Drivers cannot park within 25 feet of a mid-block crosswalk
- The DOT commissioner can modify speed limits during weather events or emergencies if the limit is posted on electronic signs
- The DOT will be required to finish installing wrong way signs on exit ramps from interstate highways prone to accidents by January 1, 2024
This legislation previously passed the House and now proceeds to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.
Senate Approves Bill Extending the Manufacturing Apprenticeship Tax Credit to Support Small Manufacturers
Senate Approves Bill Extending the Manufacturing Apprenticeship Tax Credit to Support Small Manufacturers
State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck, and Middlebury), Senate Chair of the Commerce Committee and Co-Chair of the Manufacturing Caucus, championed the Senate’s approval of Senate 98. The bill would allow the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit to be available to pass-through entities. This extension of the tax credit would benefit small and mid-sized manufacturers, many of whom are pass-through entities, in helping them offset the cost of training new employees and apprentices.
Senate Bill 98 received the collective support of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Waterbury Regional Chamber. The bill now advances to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
“Extending the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit to pass-through entities has been a long-sought goal of the manufacturing business community and I’m confident that this is the year that we are able to get this over the finish line,” said Sen. Hartley. “This tax credit expansion would help manufacturing companies, primarily smaller manufacturers, be able to meet a surge in demand for services and products. Yet, they are hampered in their ability to meet this demand due to challenges in finding skilled workers. The greater ability to utilize the tax credit would strengthen apprenticeship opportunities, while reducing training costs for manufacturers.”
In its current form, the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit can only be applied to the corporation tax. This limitation means that many small and mid-sized manufacturers that are pass-through entities, such as LLC’s and S-corporations, are unable to claim the tax credit. Senate Bill 98’s extension of the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit to the pass-through entities, allowing them to reduce their personal income or affected business entity tax liability, would put them on a more level playing field with larger manufacturing companies who can afford to train new apprentices, and potentially retain them as employees.
The expansion of the tax credit would support the availability of manufacturing apprenticeship opportunities and building up a trained manufacturing workforce. An aim that is eagerly sought by the manufacturing job sector in Connecticut, which is struggling to find workers.
55 percent of Connecticut manufacturers surveyed said they experienced difficulty finding workers in 2021, according to a same-year report produced by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. The same reported cited that 36 percent of manufacturers said a lack of necessary skills or experience among applicants contributed to hiring difficulties. A workforce need that is made more urgent by an aging manufacturing workforce. Over one-third of manufacturing workers in Connecticut are above 55 years old, according to the state Department of Labor,
Smaller manufacturers may be more reluctant to provide apprenticeship opportunities because they would have to divert the time of their small number of employees toward training apprentices and it would affect business productivity.
By extending the manufacturing tax credit to pass-through entities, it would incentivize smaller manufacturers to “hire and train the workers they need, while easing the effect on their bottom lines,” as explained in testimony from the Waterbury Regional Chamber. Additionally, CBIA noted in its testimony that the extension of the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit would give smaller manufacturers with older employees more of an opportunity to train new workers, while reducing the financial costs to train them.
Bucking National Trend, Connecticut Senate Votes To Protect and Expand Access to Abortions
Bucking National Trend, Connecticut Senate Votes To Protect and Expand Access to Abortions
Late Friday night, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) voted for House Bill 5414, “An Act Concerning Protections For Persons Receiving And Providing Reproductive Health Care Services In The State.” The bill will protect providers and patients seeking abortion care in Connecticut who may traveling from other states that have outlawed abortion. Additionally, the bill will permit more medical professionals to perform abortions in Connecticut. Previously passed by the House, this bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.
“While Roe v. Wade was decided almost 50 years ago, the right to a safe and legal abortion is at jeopardy in America,” said Sen. Haskell. “As our country is poised to move backwards, Connecticut is taking a step forward. Tonight, we stepped up to protect the rights of those who come to our state in search of the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare. And we expanded access to abortions by allowing more medical professionals to perform this safe and critical procedure.”
House Bill 5414 creates a “clawback” private cause of action to protect Connecticut residents against lawsuits, as several other states have recently passed laws allowing individuals to sue individuals who provide, receive or assist in reproductive health care services. This bill allows someone sued under these conditions to countersue the persecutor for reimbursement, attorney’s fees, costs, and other expenses. The bill also provides that the Governor will not extradite a person alleged to have committed a crime in another state while present in Connecticut unless the alleged act would also be a crime if performed in Connecticut.
This portion of the bill is largely in response to laws passed in states including Oklahoma and Texas which empower citizens to sue a doctor performing an abortion in Connecticut, a person who donates to a non-profit in Connecticut that provides reproductive health care services, or a person that gives a ride to a friend to receive an abortion in Connecticut. As 26 states may ban abortions in the near future, HB 5414 is a protection from the overreach of other state legislatures.
HB 5414 also expands abortion access in Connecticut by expanding the type of practitioners eligible to perform certain abortion-related care. It allows advanced-practice registered nurses (APRNs), nurse-midwives, and certified physician assistants to perform medication and aspiration abortion care.
Reproductive freedom is at the core of women’s economic security and personal autonomy. The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund submitted testimony in support of this bill, citing research indicating that women who are denied access to abortion face economic hardship in the years following. The inability to decide if and when to have children also undermines women’s ability to succeed in education and restricts the ability to properly plan careers and lives. Women continue to shoulder the majority of caregiving responsibilities without the support they need to help meet the demands of school, work and family. Since educational attainment and earnings are linked, the decision of whether or not to have children affects lifetime economic stability and security.
In order to avoid lawsuits that punish abortion providers and recipients, the bill also:
- Protects private health information related to reproductive health care services that are legal in CT from an in-state subpoena or other request for disclosure.
- Protects private health information related to reproductive health care services that are legal in CT from an out-of-state subpoena or other request for disclosure.
- Protects individuals and information located in CT from an out-of-state summons or subpoena seeking information or testimony regarding reproductive health care services that are
- legal in CT, unless the alleged conduct forming the basis for the proceeding would also be punishable under CT law.