“We faced historic challenges and passed historic legislation,” Speaker Donovan said. “Education reform, storm response by utilities, ending the last vestiges of the state’s Puritan Blue Laws, repealing the death penalty, medical marijuana – all of these policy initiatives are in a word: historic.”

One of the hallmarks of the 2012 was the passage of a $20.5 billion fiscal year 2013 budget adjustment bill that did not raise additional taxes.

“A year ago, we dealt with a shortfall in excess of $3 billion – 15 percent of our total budget,” Majority Leader Sharkey said. “This year, the House passed a budget adjustment that keeps appropriations under the state’s constitutionally-mandated spending cap and continues our investments in education and job growth.”

The budget bill builds upon earlier successes on:

• Jobs – House Democrats demonstrated a commitment to growing jobs in our state by funding the Youth Employment Summer Jobs Program and adult education evening programs, as well as funding for the Small Business Express program and seed funding for a Connecticut Made program to promote products from local businesses.

• Bioscience – Our decision to become a world leader in bioscience and biotechnology, the budget provides additional economic development funding for Jackson Labs.

• Municipal Funding – Recognizing the challenges that our cities and towns are facing, House Democrats made sure to secure funding for cities and towns.

Another headline-maker of the 2012 legislative session was the education reform bill, which:

• Includes more funding for school-based health centers and family resource centers.

• Recognizes the critical importance of early childhood education by underwriting 1,000 school readiness slots for preschoolers and funding several initiatives to improve early reading success.

• Includes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut.

• Gives the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.

• Reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations.

In the aftermath of the October Nor’easter and Tropical Storm Irene that left much of the state without power, the House of Representatives passed sweeping reforms to better prepare for future severe storms and avoid wide-spread and lengthy loss of utility service, where:

• Utilities will be held to minimum performance standards for emergency preparation and response

• Noncompliance could result in penalties of up to 2.5 percent of an electric or gas company’s annual distribution revenue, approximately $25 million in the case of Connecticut Light & Power

In addition, the House passed many other important bills, notably:

Accountability and Transparency in Elections - modifies state election laws affecting campaign finance and the Citizens' Election Program.

Capital Punishment Repeal - replaces the death penalty with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. The new law is considered prospective, meaning that it does not apply to murderers already on death row.

Reducing Domestic Violence - strengthens the state’s domestic violence laws to better protect victims and hold abusers accountable by giving police officers the tools they need to better identify and respond to domestic violence. We also improved access to and enforcement of protective and restraining orders to improve victim safety.

Minimum Wage - proposed to raise Connecticut’s minimum wage by $.50 to $8.75 per hour in two steps from the current rate of $8.25 to $8.50 on January 1, 2013, and then to $8.75 on January 1, 2014. In Connecticut, 106,000 workers earn the minimum wage – almost 7 percent of our entire workforce. More and more people are relying on this wage to support their families – but we have more work to do.

Racial Profiling - strengthens an existing law aimed at stopping police from profiling motorists based on race during traffic stops.

Police Lineups & Eyewitness Identification - establishes guidelines for police departments on how eyewitnesses identify suspected criminals in lineups and how that testimony is used in a trial.

Election Day Voter Registration - allows eligible Connecticut residents to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. It would establish Election Day registration (EDR) procedures and eliminate the use of presidential ballots since they will be redundant under the bill's EDR provisions.

Prevent Sexual Violence On Campuses - protects students by requiring colleges and universities to adopt and disclose policies on sexual assault gives students the tools they need to stay safe.

Sunday Sales - allows package and grocery stores to sell alcohol on Sunday’s from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, as well as on Memorial, Independence and Labor Days, and on Mondays following any Independence, Christmas or New Year’s Days that fall on a Sunday.

Medical Marijuana - eases the pain and symptoms from diseases including cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, the new law allows medical doctors to essentially prescribe marijuana to patients through a licensed pharmacists approved by the Department of Consumer Protection. Connecticut becomes the 17th state to have enacted laws legalizing medical marijuana.

Grandparents’ Rights - protects the rights of grandparents seeking child visitation through the courts. In the end, it is important that decisions are made in a child’s best interests and this legislation helps do just that.

“Caylee’s Law” - sets criminal penalties for the failure to report the disappearance of a child, in response to the death of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. This law applies to any parent, guardian or person who has custody or supervision of the child.

Children with Special Needs - eliminates the unnecessary use of scream rooms, improves the special education student’s IEP and creates a study on workforce development, training and employment of young adults with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.

SB 23, which first passed the State Senate on May 5, incorporates the recommendations of last year’s Two Storm Panel to invest in critical infrastructure and hold utility companies accountable for their performance during emergencies. The bill is now before the Governor for his signature.

“There’s hardly a person or business across the state that didn’t feel the impact of the two storms last year,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “We understand what worked and what didn’t in terms of how we prepared and how we responded. We created higher standards for utility companies and better communication for state and local officials to respond to major storms. Connecticut will be better protected from power outages for the next, inevitable punch from Mother Nature.”

“This legislation adds a level of accountability on utilities that did not exist before. We are improving the planning process before a storm, we are requiring a review of performance after a storm, we are requiring that standards are developed that hold utilities accountable for their performance during a storm.” said Rep. Vickie Nardello (D-Prospect), House Chair, Energy & Technology Committee. “Creating industry specific standards for acceptable performance to ensure service reliability will go a long way to protect the public’s health and safety by minimizing future power outages.”

“This is a ‘lesson learned’ bill and a ‘plan ahead’ bill as well,” said Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), Vice Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, whose shoreline district was hit hard by TS Irene. Rep. Reed continued, “The bill includes better oversight and tough fines to address the problems we experienced—prolonged power outages and other utility failures; but the bill also directs us to explore promising new technologies such as micro-grids, that may better prepare us for those challenges we have yet to encounter.”

In summary, the bill creates:

Performance Standards for Utilities
Senate Bill 23 will require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to study and then establish minimum performance standards for emergency preparation and response for each electric and gas company in Connecticut.

Following that, all electric and gas utilities will be required submit a plan to PURA on implementation of these standards. PURA will also study and establish separate performance standards for telecommunications utilities, including telephone and cable television companies.

Penalties for Noncompliance with Performance Standards
Noncompliance could result in penalties of up to 2.5 percent of an electric or gas company’s annual distribution revenue, approximately $25 million in the case of Connecticut Light & Power. The penalties would be assessed as a credit on customer bills, and would not be recoverable by the utilities through increased rates. In the event of service outages to more than ten percent of a company’s customers for over 24 hours, that company would be required to provide customers a credit.

Microgrids
The legislation would establish a $15 million micro-grid and loan pilot program to support local distributed electricity generation at hospitals, police and fire stations, prisons, water treatment plants and other critical locations. Funds will be allocated evenly among small, medium, and large towns.

Undergrounding Wires
Senate Bill 23 would also take steps to facilitate the undergrounding of power and telecommunications lines. In addition to the performance standards described above, the bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to notify PURA of any pending road work projects over five miles in length or located a commercial area.

Backup Generators for Cell Phone Towers
The bill will require all telecommunications companies to report to PURA and the Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection (DESPP) annually concerning their ability to provide backup power to any Connecticut based towers or antennas.

Clearing Roads for Emergency Vehicles
In the aftermath of last year’s storms, fallen trees, limbs, and downed wire blocked passage on many roads across the state became life-threatening when police, fire, and ambulance vehicles could not reach people in need of assistance. The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the utilities, DOT, DESPP, and municipalities, develop procedures to for road-clearing for public safety personnel.

Food Spoilage Program
PURA must also study and create a mechanism through which electric distribution companies would reimburse residential customers for spoilage of food or refrigerated medicine after long power outages.

Recognizing the value of early childhood education, the bill (SB 458) creates 1,000 new pre-K School Readiness seats, focused in high need, low performing communities. It also creates a pilot program to enhance literacy for students in kindergarten through third grade.

The bill also establishes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut. It grants the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.

The legislation requires at least 10 Family Resource Centers and at least 20 new or expanded School Based Health Centers to be located in education reform districts. It also increases funding for existing Family Resource Centers.

The bill reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations. It also requires the education commissioner to administer an evaluation pilot program in 8 to 10 districts for the 2012-2013 school year.

There are also funding increases for vocational/technical and vocational/agricultural schools, charter and magnet schools, and a new kindergarten through 8th grade science initiative.

HB 5556, An Act Concerning Changes to the Public Financing Act and Other Election Laws modifies state election laws affecting campaign finance and the Citizens' Election Program. The reforms proved necessary after a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that, in essence, paved the way for unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations.

“It’s about making sure the candidate backed by the voters wins the election, not the candidate backed by the most corporate dollars,” Rep. Morin said.

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations. The decision has lead to the proliferation of corporate donations and of so-called Super PACs – who dispense millions of dollars to influence voters without disclosing the names of their donors.

In 2005, the General Assembly created the Citizens' Election Program. A voluntary program which provides full public financing to qualified candidates for statewide offices and the General Assembly.

“We need to maintain the integrity of our public finance system. In a time where rich special interests can have too much influence in our elections we need to make sure corporate money does not flood the upcoming campaign season,” Rep. Morin said.

The bill requires any entity making an independent campaign-related expenditure or independent political ad to list the names of their top donors.

“With the Citizens' Election Program we effectively removed special interest money from Connecticut state elections,” Rep. Morin said. “The Supreme Court was pushing us back to the bad old days. This legislation’s greater disclosure empowers small donors and levels the playing field.”

The legislation now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

“Connecticut has seen an exodus of educated and trained workers over the past few years,” Rep Berger said. “If we are to continue on the road to economic recovery, we must do everything we can to keep them in Connecticut.”

This bill allows the state to expand the Live Here, Learn Here program, which helps graduating students save money toward a down payment on their first home in Connecticut. Under current law, the program is open only to students graduating from regional-technical schools and in-state students graduating from state colleges and universities after January 1, 2014.

The bill opens the program to any student graduating from a public or private college in Connecticut or a health care training school located in the state.

The Live Here, Learn Here program helps students save by putting away a portion of their state income tax payments for up to 10 years after they graduate. The law limits the amount to $ 2,500 per year per student.

To receive the down payment assistance, a student must apply to the DECD commissioner within 10 years after graduation. The payment equals the segregated amount, up to the amount needed for the down payment. Students who receive the assistance and subsequently leave Connecticut may have to repay all or part of the assistance, depending on when they leave. Those who leave within the first year after receiving assistance must repay the entire amount. Those who leave in any of the four subsequent years pay smaller amounts back as follows: 80% in the second, 60% in the third, 40% in the fourth, and 20% in the fifth.

According to the state Comptroller, the budget for the current fiscal year is almost $200 million in deficit.

“A year ago, we dealt with a shortfall in excess of $3 billion – 15 percent of our total budget,” Rep. Walker said. “This year, we are looking at a shortfall that is about one percent of the state budget. I’d say that to come within one percent on a budget of this size and complexity is extraordinary work.”

One of the hallmarks of the fiscal year 2013 adjustments is a commitment to education.

“We know that students in schools with school-based health centers and family resource centers do better than students at schools without those resources. That is why we include funding for 22 school based health clinics and expansion of the number and capacity of family resource centers in underperforming schools,” Rep. Walker said.

In addition, the bill acknowledges the critical importance of early childhood education, by underwriting 1,000 school readiness slots for preschoolers and funds several initiatives to improve early reading success.

Despite cuts in many areas, funding for cities and towns has been saved. Other highlights of the legislation include:

• Funding for the Youth Employment Summer Jobs Program and adult education
• Funding for the Small Business Express program and seed funding for a Connecticut Made program to promote products from local employers
• Economic development funding for Jackson Laboratories
• A renewed commitment to arts and culture
• An urban youth anti-violence program

Holder-Winfield, chairman of the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, led the debate in the House on the legislation (SB 364), which now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who sought the bill and is expected to sign it.

“This important legislation will correct issues in the Racial Profiling Prohibition Act championed by the late Sen. Alvin Penn, and incorporate suggestions made by activist David Samuels and the Community Party,” Holder-Winfield said.

The bill modifies the 1999 law, which currently requires police departments to forward data on traffic stops to the Commission on African-American Affairs to assess for evidence of racial profiling.

The new law sets standards for reporting the information and shifts responsibility for its analysis from the Commission on African-American Affairs to the Office of Policy and Management, which has staff and resources unavailable to the commission.

The new legislation also allows OPM to withhold public safety-related state funds from communities that don't comply.

According to 2010 data, only 27 of the state’s police departments complied with the reporting aspect of the law and the data that has been reported hasn’t been assessed by the state.

Currently, the only project method available to DOT, with the exception of work performed under Emergency Declarations, is the “Design-Bid-Build” method, where contractors submit bids on projects that have already gone through the design phase. This bill allows the DOT commissioner the options of what are known as “Design-Bid-Build”, “Design-Build” or “Construction Manager at Risk - Guaranteed Maximum Price” for certain projects.

“The Department of Transportation is responsible for hundreds of projects at any point in time. We are providing tools for DOT to pursue certain transportation projects faster and more efficiently – saving taxpayer dollars.” Rep. Guerrera said.

Design-Build is an alternate method of project delivery in which the design and construction phases of a project are combined into one contract, allowing for certain aspects of design and construction to run concurrently. This can provide significant time savings compared with the more traditional design-bid-build approach where the design and construction services must be undertaken in sequence.

Construction Manager at Risk-Guaranteed Maximum Price provides DOT with the ability to hire a contractor as well as initiate cost controls by setting a maximum bottom line for a project. The Construction Manager at Risk process involves three primary parties - the state, the architect and the contractor. The state would have separate contracts with the architect and contractor. The state, contractor and subcontractors would work together to come up with the Guaranteed Maximum Price.

In 2010, the legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee studied the DOT project delivery process. The study recommended that legislation be enacted to permit the department to use design-build and other alternative contracting approaches.

The legislation was previously approved by the Senate and awaits action by the governor.

The legislation (HB 5501) is based on a task force, chaired by former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice David Borden, which recommended that whenever a suspect is among those participating in a photo or live lineup, each participant be presented sequentially so that the eyewitness views only one photograph or one person at a time.

“Eyewitness identification is a critical law enforcement tool, but we have also learned that mistakes made during suspect lineups play a significant role in wrongful convictions,” Fox said. “These standards are aimed at helping to reduce potential mistakes and increase accurate criminal identifications.”

The bill also expands the instructions police officers must give to eyewitnesses in advance of a lineup including that:

• they will be asked to view an array of photographs or a group of people, and that each photograph or person will be presented one at a time;
• it is as important to exclude innocent persons as it is to identify the perpetrator;
• the person in a lineup may not look exactly as he or she did on the date of the offense because features like facial and head hair can change;
• the perpetrator may or may not (current law says only “may”) be in the lineup;
• police will continue to investigate the offense regardless of whether the eyewitness makes an identification.

Current police procedures require, when possible, that the officer conducting a lineup does not know which individual is the suspect, that eyewitnesses must be told they should not feel compelled to make an identification and they should take as much time as needed in making a decision.

House Bill 5024: An Act Concerning Voting Rights would allow Election Day voter registration and create an online voter registration system.

“Connecticut’s voter turnout continues to fall every election,” Rep. Morin said. “In an effort to improve access to voting for Connecticut citizens, we must make it a priority to modernize and revitalize our elections system.”

The bill would allow eligible Connecticut residents to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. It would establish Election Day registration (EDR) procedures and eliminate the use of presidential ballots since they will be redundant under the bill's EDR provisions.

The bill would also require the secretary of the state to establish and maintain an online system for voter registration. Starting in January 2014, Connecticut residents would be able to go online and use their driver’s license number to log into the website. They would enter the same information that is currently part of the paper-registration. That information would be verified and sent electronically to the registrar of voters in their town and the registrar would be able to accept or reject the registration.

Election Day Registration would begin in 2013, a municipal election, allowing election officials to have three election cycles before administering EDR in a Presidential election.

The legislation now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

Speaker Donovan said, "When a victim has worked up the courage to call police, to request a restraining order or to leave her home, we want to make sure that services are in place to support them. In addition, because we owe it to victims to train police in best practices so they can respond to calls speedily and appropriately, we give police officers new tools for responding to domestic violence incidents. This bill gives new support to victims, police officers, advocates and other front-line service providers."

A key part of the bill gives police officers new tools for responding to incidents of domestic violence, including a requirement that municipal police departments develop and implement operational guidelines for arrest policies. The departments would set a uniform standard, but are given flexibility to tailor implementation to fit their departments. The bill also establishes a Family Violence Model Policy Governing Council to update the model policy going forward and review relevant data.

“Today’s bill makes things easier for victims in what can be a harrowing and traumatic experience. It also strengthens the tools needed to punish offenders,” said State Representative Mae Flexer (D-Killingly, Plainfield, Sterling), Chair of the Speaker’s Task Force on Domestic Violence.

Donovan explained that victims are often confused about the appropriate place to report electronic and telephonic violations of restraining and protective orders. The legislation will allow victims to report violations in the town where they reside, where they receive the communication or where the communication was initiated. The bill also makes it easier for victims to get restraining orders against people who pose a threat to them.

“The fight to reduce the incidence of domestic violence is an ongoing challenge,” said Gerald Fox III, House Chair of the Judiciary Committee. “Enhancing the tools of the legal system, particularly in the area of protective orders, is critical to the ultimate success of these efforts.”

The legislation also permits judges to issue restraining orders for up to one year. Currently the maximum length of a restraining order is six months. Donovan said this change will reduce stress and risk to victims who will have to return to court and interface with their offenders less frequently.

Donovan said with increasing numbers of people using texting as their primary way of communicating, the task force would like to see a 911 texting system implemented statewide. Unfortunately there a number of technical barriers to implementing 911 texting, so the legislation requires the Office of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of developing a 911 texting system.

The bill also requires that courts share protective orders with schools that victims attend, upon request of a victim. Current law requires that orders be shared with the police departments in the town where the victim lives and works and the town where the defendant lives, but it does not require that schools or campus police are notified of an order.

Although threatening is often a precursor to serious violence, threatening with a firearm is currently a misdemeanor in Connecticut. This bill would make threats that involve the use of a firearm a felony crime. It also strengthens the definition of stalking to ensure that stalking incidents—including digital stalking—are appropriately punished.

The task force, created by Speaker Donovan in 2009 and led by Rep. Flexer since its creation, has led the effort over the past few years to enact stronger and tougher laws to prevent violence against women and assist victims of domestic violence. Additional information about the task force can be found on its web site at www.housedems.ct.gov/DV

HB 5021 “An Act Concerning Competitive Alcoholic Liquor Pricing And Hours Of Operation For Permittees”; allows package and grocery stores to sell alcohol on Sunday’s from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, as well as on Memorial, Independence and Labor Days, and on Mondays following any Independence, Christmas or New Year’s Days that fall on a Sunday.

“This is great news for Connecticut consumers who will now have the opportunity to purchase their alcoholic beverages on Sundays if that is their choice,” Rep. Tallarira said. “Now, our border town residents won’t have to drive to nearby states to purchase alcohol on Sundays and instead can spend their money in Connecticut and help our retailers.”

“I want to thank Governor Malloy for his leadership on this bill,” Rep. Tallarita said. “With the establishment of a task force to study our liquor laws, we will have an opportunity to make even more progress for our consumers in the future.”

In addition to Sunday sales, Rep. Tallarita pointed to a number of other provisions that will benefit consumers including allowing:

• Package stores to sell additional “complementary goods” such as fresh fruits used in mixed alcoholic beverages, cheese, crackers and olives.

• Package stores and grocery stores to put one beer or liquor item on sale up to 10% below cost each month.

To encourage economic growth, another provision raises the number of package store permits a person may acquire from two to three. The bill is estimated to bring in $5.2 million to the state each year, with cities and towns also experiencing a revenue increase.

Looking toward further reforms, the legislation also establishes a Competitive Alcoholic Liquor Pricing task force to study Connecticut’s laws concerning liquor taxes, quantity and volume discounts, minimum pricing, price postings and permit restrictions and compare them with surrounding states.

“It was an honor to lead the House debate on this bill. In this economy, many people, not just teenagers, are relying on the minimum wage to support themselves and their families,” Rep. Santiago said. “This small raise is the right thing to do at the right time.”

House Bill 5291 would raise Connecticut’s minimum wage by $.50 to $8.75 per hour in two steps.  The minimum wage would increase from the current rate of $8.25 to $8.50 on January 1, 2013, and then to $8.75 on January 1, 2014. The legislation also includes minor adjustments to the minimum wage for restaurant wait-staff and bartenders who receive tips.

Although the minimum wage has been raised seventeen times since 1979 it has effectively decreased by 11 percent when adjusted for the cost of living. A single parent of three making the current minimum wage will only earn $17,160 working full time – far below the federal poverty threshold of $22,190.

A recent Quinnipiac poll indicates that 70% of Connecticut residents support raising the minimum wage.

Rep. Santiago said, “106,000 workers in Connecticut earn minimum wage – almost 7 percent of our entire workforce. Connecticut residents recognize these hardworking individuals need a raise.”

The legislation lists various diseases for which marijuana could be prescribed to ease related pain and symptoms including cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. Licensed pharmacists approved by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) would fill the prescriptions.

No insurance company would be required to provide coverage for prescribed marijuana. In addition, medical cannabis could only be grown and dispensed within Connecticut borders and could not be imported or exported. Use of the herb by patients would be prohibited in public, the workplace or in the presence of a minor. DCP along with an 8-doctor board would oversee implementation of the new medical marijuana law.

The legislation received bipartisan support and now moves to the state Senate for consideration. If passed there and eventually signed into law by Governor Malloy, it would take effect October 1.

A total of 16 states have enacted laws legalizing medical marijuana with California being the first in 1996 via statewide referendum. Rhode Island's legislature overwhelmingly approved the use of medical marijuana in 2006.

As someone who has the great privilege of serving my community in elective office, I am often reminded of the importance to vote my conscience when faced with a controversial issue. Certainly good advice, but on the question of the death penalty I find my conscience in conflict between my gut and my heart.

My gut tells me that some crimes are so unbelievable and abhorrent that execution seems to be the only appropriate punishment. This was the case during my time as mayor of East Hartford, as one of our police officers was shot at close range and killed but the convicted murderer did not get the death sentence. That experience inspired me to vote for an amendment that would have kept the death penalty for the killing of a police officer, but it did not pass.

My heart tells me first to try to console, but in truth there are no answers when you are sitting and listening to families that have lost someone. These are times that make you wonder if the death penalty is truly a deterrent or if it just further victimizes families as they sit through numerous court appeals which always drag on for years. Even loved ones of homicide victims disagree on whether Connecticut should have a death penalty.

One can also look at the effects of the death penalty from a pragmatic standpoint which exposes how costly and ineffective it can be. After all appeals have been exhausted, the death penalty ultimately ends up costing taxpayers more money than to incarcerate the guilty with absolutely no chance of parole - and still there is likely no execution. Legal public defense bills just for the two Cheshire killers sentenced to death cost taxpayers over $2 million.

In Connecticut the last execution was serial murderer Michael Ross by lethal injection in 2005, but that was only because he waived future appeals and requested to be put to death (he said life in prison was a worse fate). The most recent execution carried out under the full force of the death penalty law was by electric chair in 1960.

My conscience tells me the current law perpetuates a system that torments victims' families with a promise of closure that never comes. It prolongs victims' pain and delays healing while appeals force families to relive their trauma for years.

I've also concluded the death penalty is not a deterrent. If it were, why do states such as Florida, Virginia and Texas where they have strong capital punishment laws also have some the nations' highest murder rates? And, the real possibility always exists, as recent cases using DNA evidence show, that innocent people may be executed.

So, with this all in mind I voted for repeal, replacing the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for capital offenses. When the governor signs this into law, Connecticut will become the 17th state to outlaw the death penalty.

Some will disagree with me and some will agree, but I know I voted my conscience and listened to my heart.

Fox, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said he backed the legislation on behalf of Shippan area residents in Stamford who contacted him about conditions at the sewage treatment plant on Magee Avenue. Residents’ concerns included the safety of local beaches, the health of shellfish beds and the presence an overpowering odor emitted from the plant.

“People deserve and need to know if there is a breach at a sewage plant,” said Fox. “These incidents can impact health and property, and residents should have notice so they can make appropriate decisions for their families.”

Specifically the legislation requires the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to post information on unanticipated sewage spills on the agency’s website beginning in July of 2014. The online notice will have details on the spill such as the date, time, volume, duration and steps taken to contain it as well as public health or environmental concerns and any public safety precautions that should be taken. In July of 2013, DEEP must begin posting information on anticipated sewer overflows resulting from storm events.

The legislation now goes to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his consideration.

The bill, based on recommendations of a task force chaired by Serra on Grandparents’ Visitation Rights, gives grandparents and other third parties a defined process for seeking visitation rights via court petition. The legislation is in response to a Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that denied a visitation petition, which had previously been approved by a lower court, due to the lack of specific “good faith” grievances.

“As any family knows, these are very complicated, emotional relationships, and it is important to do our best to ensure that decisions are made in a child’s best interests,” said Serra. “What we have developed is a roadmap that grandparents can use as a guide so a judge can better assess each situation.”

Specifically the legislation requires a grandparents’ visitation petition to include a showing of specific information including the existence of a parent-like relationship and activities, and that a denial of visitation rights could cause harm to the child. The bill then requires a court to hold a hearing and grant the request if clear and convincing evidence has shown such conditions exist.

The state Department of Children and Families participated on the task force and supports the bill which they said “balances the constitutional right of parents to make decisions in the best interests of their children, with the desire of grandparents to be an important part of their grandchildren’s lives.”

“All we have as a civilized society is our laws. We need these laws to protect ourselves against those darker elements in our midst. Without the laws of our society, we are powerless against such forces.

“I believe that we, as human beings, should not create laws that reciprocate the evil perpetrated against society. Those laws don’t protect us.”

“The public expects the Legislature to adapt our voting laws to reflect their wishes and make voting more accessible. Currently, our State Constitution keeps us from doing that. This amendment allows us to consider, and debate our voting methods and address them with changes.

“The vote today in the House was the first step to allow ‘no-excuse’ absentee ballots and early voting.

“We must make it easier for people to vote to increase participation. Better access to absentee ballots and allowing early voting will do just that.”

A resolution to amend the state Constitution must be passed by at least ¾ of the members of the House and Senate in order to go before voters as a ballot initiative in the 2012 election. Since the resolution received approval from less than ¾ of House members it will be taken up again in the 2013 Legislative Session where a simple majority will allow the amendment to appear on the 2014 general election ballot.

The lawmakers said hallmarks of the governor’s proposals remain intact: $50 million more for the state’s Education Cost Sharing grant program (ECS), funding for the so-called Commissioner’s Network of distressed schools to be prioritized, and funding for twice as many school readiness, early education slots in Priority Districts.

“In addition, a $1 million appropriation will fund a kindergarten-through-third-grade reading proficiency program and $2.8 million will fortify the state’s vocational / agricultural schools with a dual purpose: to provide public education options and to spur economic development in that sector,” Senator Harp said. “The budget approved today also calls for a $7.6 million contribution to the Teachers Retirement Board, representing the state’s share of funding for the revised healthcare formula for retired teachers.”

“This is a fair, transparent budget,” Rep. Walker said. “It is the product of a bipartisan process where Democrats and Republicans met, made suggestions and worked to produce a budget that was under the governor’s spending level and under the spending cap.”

The lawmakers said the revised spending plan for Fiscal Year 2013 is approximately $1 million less than the governor’s proposed budget and remains about $700,000 beneath the state’s Spending Cap. The lawmakers said today’s bill also reflects a few additional, legislative priorities, among them:

• Elimination of the need for mass transit fare increases ($3.9 million)
• a small appropriation to guard against closure of the submarine base in New London ($300,000)
• a year ‘round jobs program for young people ($1 million)
• a youth violence prevention program ($1.5 million)

On the heels of today’s vote, additional changes to these mid-term budget adjustments are expected as negotiations among legislative leaders and administration officials get underway.

According to the Connecticut Golf Alliance (report attached), the industry contributes $1.1 billion to the state’s economy, supporting over 11,500 jobs. There are 185 operating golf courses throughout the state, most of which are public including many municipally-owned facilities.

“The economic impact of the golf industry goes way beyond the boundaries of the courses themselves,” said Berger. “There are golf equipment dealers, course maintenance, capital improvement projects and a restaurant-café sector all tied to golf.”

Aresimowicz, who coaches youth sports and school teams in Berlin, said the golf community does a great job of supporting and encouraging youth involvement. “From the First Tee youth initiative to the Connecticut State Golf Association’s (CSGA) scholarship program, golf has a proven commitment to engaging young people,” he said. “Kids benefit in many ways from participating in sports and the game of golf in particular can provide some of the best life lessons.”

Former East Hartford Mayor Larson talked about how golf courses play an integral role in the cultural fabric of a town. “Local public golf courses are often a recreation centerpiece, hosting leagues throughout the week, attracting out of town visitors and providing some revenue,” he said. “Many of these facilities have been around for decades, have an associated restaurant and are part of a town’s history that include stories of legendary players and shots.”

Joining the lawmakers were CSGA Executive Director Michael Moraghan, Travelers Championship Tournament Chairman Nathan Grube, TPC River Highlands teaching professional Suzy Whaley who runs the Girls Golf Fair and other community service projects, and David Polk, Director of First Tee Connecticut.

The event coincided with the first Golf Legislative Day at the Capitol and included a variety of golf displays throughout the Legislative Office Building.

The leaders highlighted some of the advances achieved through this important legislation and called on the Supreme Court not to roll back reforms that are already benefitting Connecticut residents, including:

• Tax credits for small business who provide coverage;
• A ban on lifetime coverage limits;
• A ban on pre-existing condition exclusions for children;
• Extension of dependent coverage through age 26;
• Preventive services for seniors on Medicare without a co-pay or deductible;
• Discounts on drugs for seniors in the Medicare donut hole; and
• Funding for a state pre-existing condition insurance plan, school and community health centers, help with insurance appeals and the development of the health insurance exchange.

"For too long, families have struggled under the weight of rising health care costs," said House Speaker Donovan. "The Affordable Care Act takes many steps to make health insurance affordable to small businesses and families. I will not go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, drop individuals from their coverage because they got sick or made a mistake on their application, or cut off coverage due to lifetime limits."

“We have come a long way in our efforts to provide a fundamental necessity to the people we serve,” Rep. Ritter said. “Our struggle will continue and will not stop until we find solutions to ensure that children and families have access to the healthcare they need. I am proud to be a strong supporter of the Healthcare Act and will remain committed to this issue for as long as it takes.”

"The U.S. Supreme Court may be debating the merits of this act, but there is no question that there have been immediate benefits for American citizens as a result of this law," said state Senator Gerratana. “A lot of the barriers to accessing health care have been removed, such as prohibitions against pre-existing conditions and keeping young adults and recent college graduates on their parents' health insurance plans."

Mary Elia, CT Alliance for Retired Americans stated, “In the two years since its passage, seniors are discovering the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act that saves them money, increases consumer protections, and gives them peace of mind about the future of health care for themselves and their families. By whatever name, the healthcare reform law, the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, it is certainly reducing costs, improving care, strengthening Medicare and giving seniors the security we need.”

“I am an ardent supporter of the elimination of lifetime limits and pre-existing exclusions for medical care,” said Skip Burritt of Bristol. He is a cancer survivor.

“The Affordable Care Act is an important step forward in providing economic relief to consumers and to businesses. Reducing health care costs for U.S. manufacturers, in particular, will allow them to better compete in a global market against foreign companies where their governments provide health care – and will be positive for job creation in the U.S.”, said John W. Olsen, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO.

Kevin Galvin, Owner of Connecticut Commercial Maintenance and Co-Founder and Chair of Small Business for a Health Connecticut said, “New tools available under the federal law, like tax credits, a small business exchange that offers competitive products, and new requirements that insurers offer value for our premium dollars will give small employers like me the ability to spend less time figuring out health insurance and more time growing my business and creating jobs.”

The U.S. Supreme Court began oral arguments Monday over the constitutionality of the healthcare law.

“Working families are feeling the pressure of skyrocketing gas prices,” said Senate President Donald E. Williams (D-Brooklyn). “Our plan will provide some relief at the pump at a time when folks are struggling to make ends meet and at the same time ensure that big oil wholesalers don’t drive up the price of gasoline. Most of all, this plan puts big oil companies on notice that we won’t stand for them profiteering and taking advantage of consumers.”

“We are taking steps to protect consumers from rising gas prices. We’re lowering the price they’ll pay to fill their tanks and calling on the big oil companies to be responsible,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “This plan will put more money in consumers’ pockets and protect them from irresponsible profiteering.”

The Democrats’ plan:

• Caps the gross receipts tax (GRT) on motor fuels at $3.00/per gallon wholesale, upon passage.
• Sunsets 6/30/13.

• Prohibits oil wholesalers and distributers (those who pay the gross receipts tax) from passing on anything purporting to be based on the tax for the portion of any sales price over $3.00 per gallon.
• Any such overcharging a Connecticut Unfair Trade Practice Act (CUTPA) violation.

• Amends the petroleum profiteering statute, C.G.S. § 42-234 et seq. (“abnormal market disruptions”) to include an automatic trigger based on extreme wholesale price increases, for price gouging protections to go into effect.
• Puts everyone in supply chain on notice of serious penalties for increasing their profit margins during such disruptions.

• Legislatively declares an “abnormal market disruption” upon passage for a set period of one month in anticipation of further wholesale price spikes.

• The wholesale price at the Port of New Haven is up $.13 since 3/1/12;
• The spike has not hit the pumps, with average retail prices rising only $.02 cents since 3/1/12 from $3.99/gal to $4.01/gal.

• Grants the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection authority to impose CUPTA fines of up to $10,000 upon large gasoline wholesalers and distributors who are in violation of profiteering laws.
• This will strengthen the Commissioner’s authority, necessary because large wholesalers in violation of profiteering statutes have much greater impact on consumers than individual retailers.

• Institutes similar profiteering protections in regards to home heating oil.

“The high price of gasoline threatens consumer confidence, burdens Connecticut families and endangers the fragile progress our economy has made here in Connecticut,” said Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven).  “As the State of Connecticut, we can’t affect the price of oil on the international exchange – what we can do is give our Department of Consumer Protection and Attorney General the tools they need to ensure that large oil wholesaler don’t takes advantage of rising prices to unfairly gouge consumers.”

“While this proposal will have a modest change at the pump, it will ensure that the state is not profiting unnecessarily as gas prices rise,” said J. Brendan Sharkey, House Majority Leader (D-Hamden).

Moderate- and lower-income families feel the rising price of gasoline especially hard. According to a recent report by the Brookings Institute:

“Every dollar increase, holding the number of miles driven constant, would cost these moderate- and lower-income households an extra $530 per year. For a family with an annual income of $20,000, this is an additional 2.7% of their total income. Although higher gas prices eventually encourage consumers to cut back on driving or switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles, in the short-run they may have few options but to cut back on other expenditures in the family budget. Since low- and moderate-income families spend most of their income on average, in the very short run they can only choose between spending less on other items and going further into debt.”

“As summer approaches and the threat of gas costing $5 a gallon looms large, this plan attempts to rein in costs at the pump and protect against oil profiteering,” said Senator Paul Doyle (D-Wethersfield). “Capping the gross receipt tax without providing additional protections would only benefit big oil companies. Our plan is the only plan that will protect consumers and empower the Office of Consumer Protection to clamp down on price gouging.”

“Connecticut residents are struggling with our ever-increasing gas prices,” said Rep. Joseph Taborsak (D-Danbury).  “As oil prices continue to rise, we recognize that there is a limit to how much impact our state government can have while prices are being driven up by Wall Street speculators and corporate greed.  But we have to do our part and not make the problem worse. This proposal will help reign in gas prices by capping the gross receipts tax and by giving the Commissioner of Consumer protection the tools he needs to go after companies that violate our price gouging laws.”

This feels like the perfect storm, said Gloria McAdam, President and CEO, Foodshare. “More people need food because of rising gas prices. And Foodshare is challenged in getting more food to people who need it because of those same rising fuel prices. Any relief the state can provide will be welcomed by both working families and the nonprofit organizations, like Foodshare, that are striving to help those working families.

The legislation, which was the subject of a public hearing before the Commerce Committee today, allows a corporation formed under state law to include a “statement of social benefit” in its articles of incorporation and bylaws.

“This provides a company whose mission may include improving the environment or public health to make business decisions with those goals in mind - not simply on only how investors are affected,” Haddad said. “Companies can still make money and deliver a return to investors, but this provides executives with more flexibility in pursuing the true founding goals of a business.”

Haddad cited Ben & Jerry’s 2000 sell out to global food giant Unilever as an example of what could be avoided by the legislation.

“Ben & Jerry’s was well known as a socially conscious company, but concerns were raised that the Unilever decision compromised that aspect of the business,” he said. “There may have been concern within the company that stockholders would challenge a decision to not sell as it could have limited short-term profits to investors.”

Haddad also pointed to the popular growth of socially responsible mutual funds, noting that a number of them have outperformed the stock market. According to Consumer Reports, socially-oriented environmental funds Winslow Green Growth (WGGFX) and Portfolio 21 (PORTX) provided double digit returns over the past five years far exceeding the S&P 500 Index.

Many in the non-profit community have also endorsed the concept saying it can show that the principles of entrepreneurship can be used to help solve societal problems.

Seven states, including New York and New Jersey currently have benefit corporation laws. The outdoor apparel and gear company Patagonia was the first entity to register under California’s benefit corporation law which took effect January 3.

The bill was passed by the General Assembly’s Environment Committee March 14 and Fox, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said he is pushing it on behalf of Shippan area residents in Stamford who contacted him concerned about conditions at the Sewage treatment plant on Magee Avenue.

“It only makes sense that our residents are informed when areas in their communities are affected by sewage pollution so that they can make appropriate decisions for their families,” Fox said in testimony to the Environment Committee. “To minimize public health consequences, the first line of defense is awareness and knowledge of the sewage pollution.”

Fox said residents’ concerns include the safety of local beaches, the health of shellfish beds and an overpowering odor that regularly emits from the plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified 25 unreported incidents at the Stamford plant of untreated sewage entering Long Island Sound since 2006, and just last year the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) cited the plant for improper operation.

Specifically the legislation would require DEEP to post information on unanticipated sewage spills on the agency’s website beginning in 2014. DEEP’s online notice would have details on the spill such as the date, time, volume, duration and steps taken to contain it as well as public health or environmental concerns and any public safety precautions that should be taken. In 2013, DEEP must begin posting anticipated sewer overflows during storm events.

“This is an agreement that is good for Connecticut and good for ratepayers. Our decision to review the merger resulted in key benefits to Connecticut ratepayers. The interests of the people of our state have been protected in several important areas.

“First, ratepayers not only see the benefit of a rate freeze, but also will see a credit on their accounts.

“Second, the agreement helps Connecticut further our goals regarding energy efficiency and ratepayers are not burdened with the investment costs associated with the company’s sizable commitment.

“Third, the utility maintains a strong presence in the state, with corporate headquarters remaining in Hartford and staffing levels  maintained through a program of apprenticeship that will help train new line staff.

“Fourth, the company will also share storm costs between shareholders and ratepayers.

“Fifth, the company has agreed to important investments in storm preparation and response that will help guard against the failures that occurred last fall.

“Lastly, we are confident that appropriate oversight provisions exist in the agreement. We commend Governor Malloy, Attorney General Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Katz for their hard work in bringing about an historic agreement for the people of Connecticut.”

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden), the co-chairmen of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, Rep. Robert Megna (D-New Haven) and Sen. Joseph J. Crisco Jr., (D-Woodbridge), and members of the working group announced the legislation (HB 5487) Tuesday during a press conference in Hartford.

The working group, chaired by Megna, has been studying and seeking to overcome the obstacles that small business owners face in seeking to purchase health insurance coverage for employees and their families.

“The cost of providing health insurance is stifling small business growth. It is not uncommon for small employers to face annual double-digit premium increases, making it nearly impossible to budget for health care costs,” Donovan said. “This bill gives small employers new bargaining power, increases transparency and eliminates disincentives to hiring older, more skilled workers. By allowing small employers to purchase insurance through a large pool, we can lower costs and make rates more predictable.”

“This legislation will make the market work for small businesses as well as it does for large groups – providing a quality product at a lower premium,” Megna said. “Here in Connecticut we call it the insurance capital of the world and that’s a good thing because it means we have a lot of people employed in the insurance industry. But when I think about what we’re actually trying to do here by giving everyone access to insurance we’re really trying to make Connecticut the true insurance capital,” Megna said.

“In a word, the working group determined small businesses and the self-employed are at a competitive disadvantage in the health care market because they lack leverage and the commensurate purchasing power that accompanies economies of scale,” Crisco said.

“Throughout my tenure on the Insurance Committee I have been working to increase access to health care coverage and at the same time, distribute the risk to insurers in an effort to lower the cost of that coverage,” Crisco said.

Joining them in the announcement were Dr. Carolyn Malon, a dentist and owner of Family Dental Care of Farmington, and Kevin Galvin, owner of Connecticut Commercial Maintenance Inc. and co-founder and chairman of Small Business for a Healthy Connecticut, a statewide network of small business owners.

“Connecticut needs to recognize the plight of small business and level the playing field by providing more health care options for small-business owners,” Galvin said.

Malon said it is difficult for small-business owners to find affordable health care options. “As both a small business owner and a health care provider, I am very familiar with the challenges employers face and also can’t over-emphasize the importance of access to quality insurance that covers routine, preventative care.”

Malon recounted her own experience last year that demonstrated the need for affordable health care. In trying to keep their health insurance premiums down, she and her husband took a gamble on a policy with higher deductibles. “The decision backfired when our son was hospitalized for treatment of a blood-borne staph infection. Due in part to our high deductible, our out of pocket cost for his treatment amounted to more than $9,000,” she said. “A bill like this is beyond many citizens’ ability to pay.”

The legislation:

• Permits small employers with fewer than 50 employees, including self-employed individuals, to purchase employee health insurance through the state employee plan. This would allow them to take advantage of the state’s bargaining power to secure good health care at affordable prices.
• Eliminates insurers’ ability to adjust small group premiums based on age, gender, occupation or group size.
• Requires insurers to rate and offer policies to associations. This would enable small businesses to band together with their professional associations and receive a premium quote based on the health experience of the entire group.
• Requires insurers to report on whether employers’ current insurance plans meet the minimum standards that will be in place in 2014.

“People in Connecticut are going back to work. That means they’re once again providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to our economy. Actions we have taken, including the October jobs bill, are creating an environment in our state that is helping small businesses, spurring innovation, educating and training our workforce and now creating jobs. While too many still remain out of work, a drop in unemployment for the sixth straight month is a strong sign that our recovery is underway.

“We can’t let up. We need to continue to work together to sustain the progress that’s been made and set the table for continuing investments in Connecticut’s future.”

“As the cost of a college degree continues to increase and student loan debt has skyrocketed, we must act to ensure that a quality education remains within reach for middle and low income students and their parents,” said Haddad. “Tax deductable student loan interest similar to the federal deduction for a mortgage or equity line would be very helpful for our future leaders.”   

According to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), the average debt for graduating seniors with student loans in 2008 was $23,200 – a 24% increase since 2004. DOE also reports that 67% of graduates (1.4 million) took out loans in 2008 – up 27% from 2004.

“The cost of higher education necessitates that most people have to take out loans and that debt is carried well past graduation,” said Haddad, who also serves as Vice-chair of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee. “Everyone agrees we need to make college more affordable and this tax deduction will help.”

In 2006, the General Assembly began allowing taxpayers saving for college to deduct contributions to Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) accounts from their Connecticut adjusted gross income. There are also a handful of state loan forgiveness programs for students who meet certain criteria such as earning a specific degree and subsequently working in Connecticut in that field.

Across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, far too many working families continue to struggle to make ends meet. That's why, as legislative leaders of these three states, we are joining together to raise the minimum wage and help foster broad-based economic recovery.

In this time when the nation's wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, when the middle class is dwindling and the latest Census data verifies that nearly one in two Americans have fallen into poverty or have joined the ranks of the working poor, we must begin to recapture the spirit of shared prosperity and the dignity of work by raising the minimum wage.

The gap between the rich and poor has risen dramatically over the past four decades, as more and more Americans work harder to make less. Over this period, the value of the minimum wage has declined dramatically. If the federal minimum wage had kept up with inflation since the late 1960s it would be more than $10. Instead, Congress has acted to raise the minimum wage only three times in the last 30 years, leaving our lowest paid workers with just $7.25 an hour, or roughly $15,000 for an individual working full-time for the entire year.

With the cost of living so high, it is absurd to expect a working person, let alone a working family, to afford rent, groceries, clothing, heating, phone, transportation and day care -- and be able to save for the future -- on $290 per week. It is time that we re-assessed the value of work. And while Connecticut is one of the 18 states with a minimum wage above the federal level, at $8.25 an hour it still keeps working families stuck in poverty.

In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut we are also failing our working families because we do not increase the minimum wage each year to keep up with the rising cost of living as 10 other states do. Last month more than 1.4 million low-wage workers across the country got a raise of around 30 cents as minimum wage in their states rose to keep up with inflation. But in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, minimum wage workers saw their paychecks stagnate and their buying power decline in the face of rising prices.

According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, the increased consumer spending generated by raising the federal minimum wage to $10 in three steps over the next three years would generate more than $25 billion in GDP and create the equivalent of more than 100,000 full-time jobs. If we want to rebuild a strong, stable, growing economy, we need jobs that can support families and get consumers back into stores, purchasing goods and services again. That's stimulus that kick-starts our economy without adding to the state budget deficit.

Strengthening the buying power of low-wage workers is especially critical given that the majority of jobs that have been created in the wake of the recession are concentrated in low- and mid-wage occupations. A family that was once supported by a modest construction job is now left with a low-wage service-sector job that cannot cover the bills. In fact, paychecks are lower now than they have been at any point in more than half a century: wages and salaries are now the smallest share of the economy in more than 50 years, while corporate profits are now the largest.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama endorsed raising the federal minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011 and then indexing it to rise with inflation. While we continue to push for federal legislation to raise wages for workers across the nation, families in our states cannot wait.

Momentum behind raising the minimum wage only continues to grow. Recently, Mitt Romney indicated his support for raising the minimum wage, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for increasing New York's minimum wage. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he would consider a proposal. Polling shows that more than two-thirds of Americans support raising the minimum wage to $10, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. That's why our efforts are backed by a broad array of labor, civil rights, faith, community and women's groups who believe that people who work for a living should be able to make a living from work.

Hard-working men and women deserve good, family-supporting jobs. Raising our state minimum wages will be a key legislative priority as we set out to rebuild an economy that works for everyone.

Chris Donovan is speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. Sheldon Silver is speaker of the New York State Assembly. Sheila Oliver is speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly.

“I feel the federal government has turned its back on consumers and is more interested in helping the agriculture industry hide what is actually going into our food.” said Rep. Roy, House Chair of the Environment Committee. “In some cases, pesticides are inserted into seeds, genetically modifying the food we eat. You can’t wash out these pesticides, they’re there forever.”

The Environment Committee recently raised HB 5117, An Act Requiring the Labeling of Genetically-Engineered Foods. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection and Commissioner of Consumer Protection would be responsible for label content and form.

GMOs are products that have been genetically modified at the cellular level to increase yields and resist disease. DNA molecules from different sources are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified genes.

Long term effects of GMOs on consumers have not been determined. GMOs are banned in five countries in the European Union, most recently Germany.

“Consumers have a right to know what is in their food,” said State Representative Phil Miller, Vice-chair of the Environment Committee. “When a parent buys fruit, they assume that they are bringing a natural snack home for their children, but that isn’t always the case these days. When we buy packaged foods, we can read the label and make an informed decision if we want to buy that product—so why shouldn’t parents know if fruit contains genetically modified ingredients?”

Types of foods that have been genetically modified include:

• Soy beans
• Corn
• Cotton seed oil
• Canola oil
• Sugar beets
• Alfalfa
• Milk with bovine growth hormone

“In recent years we’ve made tremendous progress in food labeling requirements, working to help consumers know what they buy and what they eat in terms of a comprehensive list of ingredients, nutrition information and vitamin content, and things to watch like sugar, fat, and calorie content,” Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia) said. “I think this bill is consistent with that progress, to help consumers know whether and when the food they buy includes GMOs or has been subjected to any of these accelerated modification techniques.”

“Labeling of modified products is not new nor is it negative,” said Catherine Iaccarino, a concerned citizen who testified before the Environment Committee. “Labeling of milk that has been modified, for example, informs us if it is 2%, skim or lactose free. This is a simple request that Genetically Modified Organisms carry the label for which they are named GMO. It is a request to exercise our right of freedom of choice."

Rep. Roy hopes passage of this bill will allow Connecticut to become a national model for GMO labeling. GMO labeling legislation is also pending on the federal level and in Vermont, Washington and California.

There are no long term studies of the effects of GMO’s,” said Rep. Roy. “We’ll all be subjects of a giant experiment unless we’re made aware of what we are eating.”

“We took a comprehensive look at police policies, arrest standards, and protective order enforcement—none of which had been seriously reviewed for over 25 years,” said Rep. Flexer. “Implementing a statewide model policy will better prepare our law enforcement for domestic violence situations and most importantly it will help better protect victims.”

“The task force’s recommendations build on a multi-year, bipartisan effort to improve our state’s response to domestic violence,” said Speaker Donovan. “This year's recommendations focus on making the system simpler to navigate. When a victim works up the courage to call police or leave her home, we want to make sure services are in place to support that decision. That's why our legislative priorities will focus on making it easier to get a restraining order and report a violation to police, keeping the victim informed of an offender's status, and improving law enforcement’s ability to respond to domestic violence calls.”

Chief among the group’s recommendations is implementing enhanced training standards to improve police response on domestic violence calls. Although municipal police officers and state troopers are required to receive domestic violence training—they do not all receive the same training. The task force is recommending that the state create one uniform policy that all of Connecticut’s law enforcement agencies will use when responding to incidents of family violence and violations of protective orders.

Currently, 16% of domestic violence calls in Connecticut result in dual arrest—meaning both parties are arrested. Rep. Flexer said that the dual arrests are an inadvertent result of tougher state laws requiring the police to arrest anyone they believe to have broken the law when called to the scene of a domestic violence incident.

The proposed statewide model policy more clearly explains self defense guidelines to police officers, which would help prevent the arrest of victims going forward.

The task force is also proposing improvements to civil restraining and criminal protective orders, including clarifying state law to allow minors to obtain restraining orders. Although minors are not currently prohibited from obtaining orders, the task force learned that minors have had trouble obtaining orders from some courts.

Presently, victims must return to court to renew restraining orders at least once every 180 days where they are often forced to interact with their offenders. The task force would like to extend the maximum length of restraining orders to one year so victims are no longer forced to encounter their abuser as frequently, potentially putting their safety in jeopardy.

“In our continuing efforts to reduce and prevent domestic violence, the task force has come up with another set of solid recommendations that are deserving of broad bi-partisan support,” said State Representative Clark Chapin (R-New Milford), a member of the task force. “For those recommendations that require legislative action over the next 10 weeks, I look forward to helping in moving them through the process.”

The task force is also recommending expanding the bail commissioner’s ability to provide for victim safety by requiring that bail commissioners evaluate safety as a matter of release. This will hopefully prevent future tragedies like the death of Milford’s Cathy Fox. Last August Cathy Fox was stabbed to death by her estranged husband after he posted $1,000 bond—despite the prosecutor recommending that the offender not be released.

They are also proposing improved notification for victims when a nolle or dismissal is entered in a case, when an offender violates probation or when the terms of an offender's probation are altered. This change would enable the victims to alter their safety plans. Changes in court proceedings or probation can be precipitating factors for additional violence.

Understanding that students are often victims of intimate partner abuse, the task force is also calling for a copy of protective and restraining orders to be sent to any school the victim attends, and to require defendants who attend the same school as their victims remain the prescribed distance from the victim while at school.

“The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence—the state's leading voice for victims of domestic violence and those who serve them—is pleased to support the comprehensive recommendations of the task force which serve to strengthen communication, training, and systems aimed at helping victims,” sais Karen Jarmoc, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “In a given year, our statewide coalition and its member programs serve more than 54,000 victims of domestic violence. Clearly, domestic violence is a problem in Connecticut and these proposed statutory and policy changes will stridently improve Connecticut's response.”

Although the task force secured funding to keep all of the state’s emergency domestic violence shelters open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the last two years, Rep. Flexer is concerned there could be proposals put forth to slash funding.

“Although these are trying economic times and everyone is looking at ways to trim our state budget, we cannot balance the budget at the expense of endangering victims and their families. We must maintain funding for 24/7 staffing levels at domestic violence shelters,” said Rep. Flexer.

The task force, created by Speaker Donovan in 2009 and led by Rep. Flexer since its creation, has led the effort over the past few years to enact stronger and tougher laws to prevent violence against women and assist victims of domestic violence. The new laws include improved enforcement of protective orders, funding for 24/7 staffing at domestic violence shelters, requiring certain high-risk offenders to surrender their firearms to police, and reforming the bail bond process making it more difficult for offenders to be released back into the community quickly.

Additional information about the task force and the full report can be found on its web site at www.housedems.ct.gov/DV.

The outpouring of support for this key provision of health care reform comes as political attacks against Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act have made their way to the Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments in the case this spring.

Rep. Ritter highlighted the faulty arguments made by those seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, and what it would mean for Connecticut families if the Supreme Court allowed the landmark law to be scuttled.

“Once again, I stand in support of the Affordable Care Act law and its provision to expand Medicaid,” Ritter said. “I am proud that over 80 of my colleagues in the legislature feel as strongly as I and are in support of defending our health care law against politically motivated attacks. Our voices, together with over 500 nationwide lawmakers are loud and clear - we will continue to defend what rightfully belongs to the hundreds of families we represent.”

“Since 1965 Medicaid has been a healthcare partnership of the Federal and State governments that works, and every state participates. The Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid as a way to provide seamless coverage to both children and adults. The current legal challenges divert attention from the real issue: a way for our constituents to get the health care they will need,” Sen. Gerratana said.

“The Affordable Care Act is making a difference in the lives of Connecticut residents already, and expanding Medicaid will help the working poor and other low-income individuals lead better, healthier lives," House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said. "I am proud that so many of my colleagues in Connecticut and elected officials from across the country are willing to fight against baseless constitutional challenges to real solutions to our health care problems."

The brief was filed in conjunction with the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform, a national group of state legislators focused on advancing health reform at the state level, in conjunction with Progressive States Network and the Constitutional Accountability Center.

The filing of the brief defending the ACA’s Medicaid expansion comes after over 500 state legislators representing all 50 states filed a brief last month defending another provision – the individual mandate - of the Affordable Care Act currently under attack in the Supreme Court.

The full text of the Amicus Brief filed and a full list of signers is available here:
www.progressivestates.org/sync/pdfs/StateLegislatorsMedicaidBrief.pdf

The task force, which will be chaired by State Rep. James Albis (D-East Haven), will also look at the impact of climate changes on efforts to preserve shoreline communities.

“Last August’s Storm Irene caused tens of millions of dollars in property damage,” Speaker Donovan said. “Hundreds of homes received significant damage or were destroyed. Despite the severity of the damage, it would have been much worse had Irene hit the shore as a category 1 or 2 hurricane. We need to look at our policies to see if they are sufficient to meet the specific and unique needs of shoreline communities, residents and businesses.”

Rep. Albis said, “We know that sea levels are rising, and that many shoreline communities incurred significant damage during Tropical Storm Irene. Homeowners and businesses are still recovering. Any severe storm has the potential to cause mass flooding and damage to shoreline properties, and a hurricane of any magnitude could be extremely devastating.

“What we need to do, then, is address the specific and unique needs of shoreline homeowners, businesses and municipalities with regard to rising sea levels, shoreline erosion, storm preparation, response and restoration.”

The task force is charged with making recommendations to the General Assembly for legislation that will:

• Assist those still rebuilding and recovering from Irene
• Develop new policies that specifically address the unique needs of shoreline and waterfront residents and businesses with respect to shoreline erosion, rising sea levels, and future storm planning.
• Make sure new policies complement legislation that may be developed regarding emergency communications between towns and the state; utility company preparedness, response and accountability; and insurance issues.

Donovan and Albis said the Task Force will be made up of legislators from shoreline towns, and will include representatives and senators, Democrats and Republicans. It also likely will include others such as climate and land use experts. The group expects to meet with and hear from homeowners, business owners, shoreline municipal leaders, insurance company representatives, climate scientists, and others before making recommendations.

Membership is expected to be finalized this week, and the task force will begin meeting immediately. Its goal is to complete work and forward recommendations to the General Assembly in December 2012, but Albis said it is possible that the group could produce legislation for consideration during the 2012 session.

Speaker Donovan said, “We have utilized the task force model several times in the last three years, notably in areas like Domestic Violence and the impact of the recession on our children, and those task forces have accomplished much in resulting legislation and heightened awareness of important issues. I am sure that this task force will also shed light on the problem our shoreline towns face.”

State Representatives Richard Roy (D-Milford), Kim Rose (D-Milford) and Lonnie Reed (D-Branford) also spoke at the news conference, as did East Haven resident Andy Weinstein, who lost his home during Tropical Storm Irene.

The proposal calls for Connecticut’s current minimum wage of $8.25 per hour to be raised to $9.00 per hour this year, $9.75 per hour next year and then to be indexed in the years following. He was joined at a news conference today to discuss the proposals by Democratic State Representatives Zeke Zalaski, Ezequiel Santiago and Diana Urban, labor representative Lori Pelletier, business owner Barbara Stasiak and Elaine Peters of Mothers for Justice.

“More families than ever are relying on low-wage and minimum wage jobs to make ends meet,” Speaker Donovan said. “That leaves them struggling. While most job losses in the recession hit higher wage sectors like construction, manufacturing and finance hard, much of the new job growth has been concentrated disproportionately in low-wage industries.”

He added, “Raising the minimum wage now is good for Connecticut workers and good for our economy. Doing so can stimulate the economy by increasing consumer spending, which in turn helps to create jobs at local businesses needed to meet increased demand.”

“We must continue the push to establish a minimum wage that allows individuals an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families,” said Rep. Ezequiel Santiago (D-Bridgeport), vice-chair of the Labor Committee. “The minimum wage is an especially important issue for me as city residents – who disproportionately rely on service industry jobs – are the most affected by changes to the base level income.”

“Low wage earners in our state are struggling to survive in an economy that continues to be very difficult,” said Rep. Bruce “Zeke” Zalaski (D-Southington), House chair of the Labor Committee. “While we have made strides in improving the minimum wage in recent years, raising and indexing the minimum wage will help single mothers, families and all those who work at minimum wage paying jobs. Many of these wage earners work at part-time jobs and they deserve our support.”

“Currently a single mom of two working full-time—40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year—would still fall well below the federal poverty level and that is simply shameful,” said Rep. Diana Urban (D-North Stonington and Stonington), House chair of the Select Committee on Children. "This is also a great way to help boost our local economy since most minimum wage earners live paycheck-to-paycheck and will spend increased earnings—more than $71 million per year—at local businesses.”

“Increasing the minimum wage is vital to Connecticut workers and their families, and in particular woman and people of color,” said Lori Pelletier, secretary-treasurer of the CT AFL-CIO. “Increasing the minimum wage puts more money into families’ pockets and in turn those families spend it in the Connecticut economy. Low income families have been hit hard by the economic downturn of the past three years and now is the time to provide those families with an increase in their wages. By leading the way on this issue Speaker Donovan has once again shown his support for workers and their families.”

Barbara Stasiak, owner of Bridal Bells Boutique in Berlin, CT, said she pays employees at rates above minimum wage. “I challenge anyone, business owner or otherwise, who opposes a minimum wage increase to try to live on $8.25 an hour. A fair and living wage keeps employees loyal and productive. Paying a fair wage hasn’t hurt my business, it’s helped it. It’s time that lawmakers and business owners stand up for their workers. Raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do, and the right time is now.”

Speaker Donovan said that in 2010 the industries that experienced the highest job growth were retail sales persons, cashiers, and food preparation workers – all occupations with median wages below $10 per hour.

He cited a poll by the National Employment Law Project that found that 67% of Americans support gradually raising the minimum wage from the current federal rate of $7.25/hour to at least $10.00/hour.

Connecticut last raised its minimum wage from $8.00 per hour to $8.25 per hour in January 2010. The indexing proposal would automatically adjust the minimum wage annually to keep pace with the rising cost of living. States that currently index their minimum wages so that they are automatically adjusted each year are: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Vermont and Washington.

The federal minimum wage would be $10.40 per hour if it had been indexed since its inception based on cost of living.

The last time the federal government raised the minimum wage was July 2009 from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour.

Speaker Donovan asked the business owners and legislators of his Working Group on Small Business Health Care last fall to examine obstacles and opportunities for small business seeking to purchase health insurance coverage for their employees and families. The group was led by Representative Megna, the House chair of the legislature’s Insurance Committee.

“I heard from small businesses across Connecticut that health-care costs are too high,” Donovan said. “I launched this working group to recommend changes to existing law and new legislation to give small-business owners health-care coverage options.”

Donovan said that as health-care costs have grown, small businesses have had to drop and cut coverage or sacrifice job growth. “Some can’t attract and retain talented employees because quality health insurance is unaffordable. It is important that we listen to the proposals offered today and take steps to make health insurance for small businesses affordable, comparable, available, accessible and meaningful,” he said.

“I am pleased that we were able to bring employers together to examine the barriers to affordable health coverage and provide some solutions,” Megna said. “This set of recommendations will make the market work for small businesses as well as it does for large groups – providing a quality product at a lower premium.”

The group met Monday and approved the following recommendations:

• Permit small businesses, including businesses of one, to purchase employee health care coverage through the state employee health plan
• Stimulate greater competition within the individual and small group markets on and off  the exchange by promoting non-profit health insurance options that add value, such as a publicly administered health insurance plan and the Co-Op, an option available under health reform
• Improve transparency in health care costs by promoting initiatives that help employers and consumers compare coverage and costs and promote strategies that better manage health
• Implement “pure” community rating in the small group market so that a small business’ premiums can no longer be adjusted based on the age, gender or similar demographics of the group
• Require insurance carriers to rate and offer a policy to association groups
• Require carriers to report the actuarial value of plans to the purchaser of the plan
• Strongly consider merging the individual and small group markets inside and outside the exchange
• Consider offering a Basic Health Program for low income individuals in order to lower costs for small businesses in the exchange

“These recommendations will help small employers leverage buying power, stimulate competition and value, and remove a major hurdle to job growth at a time when we are looking to small businesses to lead our economic recovery,” Megna said.

“I want to thank the small business owners who contributed to this work. I also want to thank Chairman Bob Megna for leading the group to this important set of recommendations,” Donovan said.

The National Popular Vote (NPV) initiative has gained ground across the U.S. because it does something overwhelming majorities of Americans in every state support: It ensures that the person who gets the most votes for President wins. Rep. John Hetherington’s recent criticisms of the initiative published on this site are so flawed that it’s hard to know where to start.

Along with so many others, I hope 2012 is the year that Connecticut will join the growing number of states that have passed the National Popular Vote initiative. The beauty of the initiative lies in its simplicity: the Presidential candidate with the most votes in the U.S. wins the election.

Rep. Hetherington claims that the NPV plan “allows any candidate to win without gaining a majority or even a minimum percentage of the popular vote”. This describes our current system of electing the President, as well as NPV. There is no requirement that the winner of the Electoral College receive an absolute majority of the national popular vote to win the Presidency – as evidenced by the non-majority elections of Presidents Lincoln, Wilson, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon and Clinton.

Further, under the current system, an absolute majority of the statewide popular vote is not needed to win any state’s electoral votes. In 2008 for example, no candidate received an absolute majority of the votes in four states. And in some years that have seen multiple Presidential candidates, winners have not gotten an absolute majority in any state.

Rep. Hetherington argues that the NPV plan would somehow help extremist candidates outside the mainstream of politics. If this were true and the Electoral College system were needed to discourage these candidates, we would see extremist candidates in elections that do not use an Electoral College system - gubernatorial elections, for example. When’s the last time you saw a fringe candidate win the Governorship in Connecticut?

Indeed, it was actually the state-by-state winner-take-all rule in our current system that encouraged extremist candidates like segregationists Strom Thurmond and George Wallace, who tried to exert influence by gaming the system and winning key states.

Rep. Hetherington goes on to say “some official in each participating state would have the awesome charge of deciding who received the most votes in the entire United States”. This is plain nonsense. Under existing federal law, each state has to provide a certified popular vote count to Washington a week before the Electoral College meets (the “safe harbor” date). This count is considered “conclusive” – there’s no mystery at all about it.

The Presidential candidate who gets the most votes in the United States should win the Presidential election. I hope the Connecticut General Assembly will listen to the 74 percent of Connecticut voters who agree.

Forty-three Connecticut lawmakers joined a group of more than 500 legislators in various states who support federal health reform as it faces a legal challenge that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in March.

The sweeping law enacted in March 2010 includes an "individual mandate" that every American must have health insurance — forcing many to buy it — by 2014, or pay a penalty. A legal challenge brought by 26 states to the Supreme Court says the mandate is an overreach of federal authority, and the entire law should be tossed as a result.

Connecticut legislators gathered Thursday afternoon at the legislative office building in Hartford to say they were among the hundreds to sign an amicus brief supporting the Affordable Care Act. They said the Constitution gives broad power to the federal government to act in cases where a national solution is necessary. State legislators are working in conjunction with the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform and the Progressive States Network.

"We cannot afford to lose the progress already made by giving in to political pressures that in the end will only hurt working families, small businesses and seniors," said co-chair of the legislature's Public Health Committee, state Rep. Besty Ritter, D-Waterford.

House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, added, "we back our Congress."

State Healthcare Advocate Victoria Veltri said her office has been given federal funds made available through health care reform's consumer-assistance grants. As a result, her office's case load has more than doubled, allowing the state agency to intervene on behalf of consumers when they have a dispute with their health insurer. In many cases, the advocate's office recoups money that consumers pay out of pocket for health expenses that consumers believe should have been covered by their insurers.

"It also doubled the savings that went back to consumers in one year," Veltri said. "Just that $400,000 from the federal grant brought in $5.7 million."

Connecticut's General Assembly alternates between a short session that runs from early February to early May in even-numbered years, and a long session that runs from early January to early June in odd-numbered years. The 2012 legislative session is a short session which means that individual legislators may only introduce proposed bills that relate to budgetary and revenue matters. However, the Judiciary Committee, like other committees has authority to introduce other proposals and we are again planning to tackle a number of difficult issues ranging from our court system to eyewitness identification and domestic violence.

One of the issues that the Judiciary Committee is likely to raise next session is the use of eyewitness identification by law enforcement. Last year the legislature established the Eyewitness Identification Task Force, which is charged with studying issues concerning eyewitness identification in criminal investigations and the use of sequential and simultaneous lineups. The Task Force is chaired by Justice David Borden and includes legislators, prosecutors, public defenders, legal scholars and members of the law enforcement community. Together, we have worked to determine the best practices in our state and around the country in areas of sequential vs. simultaneous lineup methods. We have also heard expert testimony regarding blind and double-blind administration of lineups, instructions to the eyewitnesses and procedures for show-ups, among the many important topics in the growing body of science in eyewitness identification. There has been a tremendous consensus on many of these issues among our task force members and I look forward to the group's recommendations. I anticipate that we will introduce legislation that will increase confidence in our criminal justice system, ensuring that more of those who are guilty are getting caught and, of course, doing what we can to ensure that no innocent people are sent to prison.

Another task force created during the last session deals with law enforcement's response to family violence. This group has been meeting since early fall and is the process of formulating their recommendations to the Judiciary Committee. The Task Force is considering statutory and policy changes in the areas of dual arrests, protective orders and bail bonds. One proposal would allow a victim to file a complaint reporting an alleged violation (through electronic, telephonic, or U.S. mail) of a protective or restraining order not only in the town in which such person resides, but also in the town where the contact is received by the protected party, or where such contact was initiated. The need for better victims' support services and a more effective law enforcement and legal system have only grown in recent years and I believe that our committee will again introduce legislation on domestic violence.

The Judiciary Committee is also likely to consider proposals from the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. The Sentencing Commission was established to review criminal justice and sentencing policies in the state and has been busy developing its recommendation for the 2012 legislative session. One of the proposals comes from the classification working group of the Commission and aims to classify over 750 statutory misdemeanors that are not currently classified under the state's criminal code.

Another issue that our committee may deal with has to do with a recent State Supreme Court decision, Commissioner of Public Safety et al. v. Freedom of Information Commission, which creates an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act for a certain protected class of state and municipal employees. It has been argued that without a legislative remedy to this decision, many public agencies may not be able to comply with the Supreme Court's decision.

One issue that I hope the legislature would address in the 2012 legislative session is the state police crime lab's ability to respond to the backlog of forensic DNA testing. The Crime Lab Working Group was established by Governor Malloy for that purpose and tasked OPM Under-Secretary Mike Lawlor to lead a team of key stakeholders and experts to develop a strategy to tackle the lab's backlog. The issues are complicated, but I am confident that the working group, which includes legislators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, scientists and members of law enforcement, can recommend short-term and long-term solutions to deal with an unprecedented increase in the crime lab's workload in recent years.

Of course, there are many other ideas that are coming to the Judiciary Committee for consideration from legislators, attorneys, advocates and other interested parties. We are only beginning to receive their proposals and even though it is a short session, there will be hundreds of bills to consider. I again look forward to a productive session.

We take great exception to the legislative Republican Congressional redistricting plan that moves the City of Bridgeport from the 4th to the 3rd Congressional District. The attempt – disguised as strengthening minority influence by increasing the number of minority residents in the 3rd District is nothing more than a political maneuver designed to create a Republican stronghold in the 4th.

One goal of redistricting is to strengthen minority influence in as many districts as possible. Currently, four of our five Congressional districts have significant minority influence. The Republican proposal runs counter to that philosophy, reducing minority influence in two districts.

Also, under their scheme, Republicans maintain that Bridgeport would join New Haven as a “community of interest.” In fact, for decades we have shared interests – economic, social, political – with the cities and towns of Fairfield County and the 4th Congressional District. Those ties are strong, and should remain so.

Finally, the 4th has been represented by Democrats and Republicans over the years. Until recently, it was dominated for decades by Republican representation. Republican efforts to configure this district as their own are transparent and unworthy of the process.

Bridgeport's own Robert DeForest represented Connecticut's 4th District in Southwest Connecticut over a hundred years ago. Bipartisan teams of redistricters have kept Bridgeport in the Fairfield County-based 4th District since the modern process began in 1965. We strongly urge the redistricting panel or judges, whoever may ultimately decide, to recognize Bridgeport’s central and historic role in Fairfield County and keep it in the 4th Congressional District. The issues facing Bridgeport and all of Fairfield County are too important to be lost in an unnecessary political shuffle.

PURA letter

“These were two incredible storms that caused an untold amount of damage,” said House Insurance Committee Chair Robert Megna (D-New Haven). “Hundreds of complaints have been filed over the way insurance companies have handled claims. As a result, we have many questions about how the companies responded to car, home and business property owners.”

Megna said he was also troubled by the “massive deductibles” some policyholders had to pay and the misleading way some policies were written, leading consumers to believe they had adequate coverage.

“Homeowners were misled by policies containing “windstorm” deductibles. They wrongly thought the deductibles only applied to hurricanes. Now they are subject to massive deductibles, possibly making their claims non-compensable, meaning they will receive nothing for their claims,” Megna said.

“At today's hearing we were determined to hear from insurers how they met clients’ needs after these recent storms and gauge the overall impact of resulting claims on the state's insurance industry,” Senate Committee Chair Joseph J. Crisco Jr. (D-Woodbridge) said. “Part of this committee’s responsibility, beyond assurance of adequate insurance coverage at reasonable prices, is ensuring proper follow-through on claims, if and as they become necessary,” he said.

“These storms were unprecedented and have clarified some weaknesses and inconsistencies in our insurance system, which have had a devastating impact on far too many home- and business owners in our state,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “We have informally heard from many consumers who have expressed concern about the timeliness and fairness with which their claims are being resolved. For example, we heard from a restaurant owner who filed a claim for tens of thousands of dollars of spoiled food – his insurer refused to pay the claim and instead instructed him to sue CL&P.”

“We have heard from consumers who have paid their premiums on time and in-full year after year and taken precautions to keep their property safe – only to face delays and lack of communication when they were forced file a claim and use their insurance this fall,” Donovan said. “We have also heard of inconsistencies in the way large homeowners deductibles are applied and disclosed to consumers. That is why it is important to engage in a dialogue on these issues, seek answers to help resolve complaints and outstanding claims, improve communication with consumers and work together to put protections in place for the next storm.”

“We as a legislature need to make sure that our small businesses in Connecticut have the opportunity to be adequately protected through their insurance coverage,” said Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr. (D-Brooklyn). “For many of these small businesses, having adequate coverage – and knowing all of their insurance options – could mean the difference between the inconvenience of closing their doors for a week, or the tragedy of closing their doors forever.”

Megna said the upcoming legislative session should deal with the issues that have been raised. “We need to protect homeowners and business owners from misleading language about hurricane deductibles by defining in statute that nothing other than a hurricane will trigger a windstorm deductible from now on and the homeowner or business owner will be informed of the amount of any such elected deductible,” Megna said.

The Democratic leaders said initiatives would include requesting financial compensation for customers, directing the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to expand the current storm docket to establish performance standards for utilities with fines for non-compliance, and in addition request an in-depth, independent audit of all utility companies’ storm performance.

They said they would direct the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee to hold hearings to begin to develop draft legislation for consideration by the General Assembly.

On Tuesday morning, Senator Williams met with a legislative liaison from CL&P and asked that CL&P create a “Family and Business Hardship Account” that would offer some form of rebate on future electric bills to any of the estimated 830,000 CL&P residential and business customers who went without power for more than 48 hours following October’s snowstorm.

Earlier today, CL&P offered $10 million for such a fund, a figure Senator Williams characterized as “inadequate.” He said a much fairer figure would be a $50 credit for each affected customer, which would cost CL&P $41.5 million, or about 10.7 percent of CL&P’s $388 million in earnings in 2010. CL&P serves a total of 1.2 million customers in 149 Connecticut cities and towns.

“I understand the storm was not CL&P’s fault, but CL&P has admitted that their response could have been better,” Sen. Williams said. “Homeowners and businesses lost an untold fortune in spoiled food and missed business, as well as covering the cost of hotel stays, take-out meals, flooded basements and a myriad of other, unnecessary daily expenses. CL&P needs to do right by its customers and work out a fair and just compensation plan that can be applied to future electric bills.”

“We must be prepared for the next storm emergency. It is clear that our utilities, and CL&P specifically, are not prepared at the present time,” Speaker Donovan said. “When health and safety are threatened, and when business is disrupted to the extent it has been, we need answers. There are actions we can take legislatively that can make our public utilities more accountable to their customers, and if they fail to do so, there should be consequences.”

To that end, over the next several weeks the Energy Committee will accept and review legislative proposals from Democrats, Republicans, the Malloy Administration, Attorney General George Jepsen and others which, in the near term, could ameliorate the impact of future storms, both in terms of personal expense and public safety.

Last week, Speaker Donovan and Rep. Nardello said they would introduce legislation that would direct PURA to create standards of acceptable performance for utility companies. Failure to meet those standards would result in significant penalties for the utilities, with fines paid by shareholders, not customers, and refunded to the customers.

Additional proposals have been offered that would:

• Require gasoline stations and housing complexes for the elderly have generators.
• Provide for a one-time personal income tax credit in the amount of state hotel occupancy taxes paid by Connecticut residents as a result of hotel stays during the snowstorm or Tropical Storm Irene power outages.
• Expand Connecticut’s price-gouging bill to cover the cost of lodging and the sale of power generators.
• Require utilities to train and maintain emergency “stand-by crews’’ made up of first responder personnel, retired utility workers as well as local responders such as firefighters.
• Require Mutual Aid agreements to specify strict timelines with other utilities and states.
• Increase the use of fuel cells in Connecticut to provide more electricity that is “off the grid.’’

The Energy and Technology Committee will also evaluate solutions generated by the Executive Branch forwarded by Governor Malloy and Attorney General Jepsen, as well as the results of an in-depth audit of CL&P.

“It is time to reassess Connecticut’s weather related predictive capability, storm preparation, and ability to expeditiously restore power and utility service,” said Rep. Nardello. “We need a detailed review and independent assessment to set reasonable standards of service and improve the communication between individual customers, state and local officials and utility company managers with the authority to influence crews on the ground in conducting and reporting on restoration efforts.”

“The storms over the last two months have taught us that our utilities and oversight agencies must be better prepared for major outages. In the near term, we should undertake initiatives such as a tree trimming blitz in key high load areas and critical customer locations, such as nursing homes, gas stations, town facilities and schools. We should also aim to replace bare electric wire in these areas with covered wire, which can reduce power outages by a third to a half. Other near term measures could include training of non-utility contractors to assess outages, freeing all utility linemen to begin repair work immediately,” said Sen. Fonfara. “Over the long term, we can promote distributed generation and energy survival packages though the PACE program, at no additional cost to ratepayers, to keep furnaces, water pumps, refrigerators and minimal lighting going during an outage.”

The Energy Committee co-chairs will recommend in a letter that PURA establish performance benchmarks and order an independent audit by a firm with experience in electric company management. PURA will then issue a findings report to the General Assembly, which at a minimum, include recommendations on:

• Setting minimum staffing levels for power restoration crews and reciprocal contracts with independent and out of state crews.
• Developing communication protocols with state and local officials and emergency operation center commanders and geographical mapping technology to provide restoration status to state and local officials and the public.
• Establishing procedures where PURA directly monitors the effectiveness of coordination and emergency related protocols.
• Assessing Connecticut’s tree trimming policy and require utilities to submit to towns a list of all trees impeding lines on public and private property.
• Holding utility companies and executives accountable by tying compensation, penalties, customer rebates and reimbursement for food losses after long outages to performance metrics.

First, however, he said the state's focus needs to be on the full restoration of power to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses still left in the dark by last weekend's snowstorm.

"Thousands are still suffering," Speaker Donovan said. "The priority is to get the power back on 100 percent. When that has been accomplished, we need to develop legislation that makes sure our utilities are better prepared to serve the public."

Speaker Donovan and State Rep. Vickie Nardello (D-Prospect) earlier this week said they would propose legislation to require PURA to create standards of acceptable performance for utility companies. Failure to meet those standards would result in significant penalties for the utilities -- that will be paid by shareholders, not customers, and refunded to the customers. "That proposal and others that are being raised will be considered," Speaker Donovan said.

House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden) said, "These past few months have tried the patience of the people of Connecticut and called into question the ability of our utilities to adequately respond to severe weather and life-threatening conditions. I share that frustration and look forward to working with my colleagues to find meaningful solutions to the problem."

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and State Rep. Vickie O. Nardello (D-Bethany, Cheshire, Prospect), House chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, said utility performance in response to Tropical Storm Irene and last weekend’s snowstorm – both of which left hundreds of thousands of state residents without power for days – made it clear that legislation is necessary.

“Our recent experiences strongly suggest that we need to have certain, reasonable expectations of power restoration,” Speaker Donovan said. “What is reasonable needs to be discussed and agreed upon, but clearly the public’s suffering and threats to their health and safety following these storms is not reasonable.”

“Certainly we understand that the two storms we have experienced are have been unusual in their destructiveness,” said Rep. Nardello. “However, the intensity and duration of our outages have been increasing over time. We must have certain expectations of our utility companies, and they have to have an accountability that is measurable. We think it is prudent to direct PURA to develop standards that can properly address those concerns.”

Speaker Donovan and Rep. Nardello said that Massachusetts enacted similar legislation in 2009 in the wake of utility response to an ice storm in central Massachusetts. They also pointed out that national standards and benchmarks exist. The legislators said the Massachusetts law would be studied as Connecticut’s legislation is drawn up, including how the issue of cost recovery is addressed, as would the recommendations of the House of Representatives following last month’s hearings on the response to Tropical Storm Irene. They said they expect legislation to be ready for consideration by the General Assembly in the 2012 session that begins in February.

In 2009, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law An Act Relative to Public Utility Companies, providing that utility companies file a report with the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) annually comparing their performance with “service quality standards” of the Department of Public Utilities and “any applicable national standards as may be adopted by the department.” The bill authorizes the DPU to levy penalties against the utilities if they fail to meet the service quality standards. Penalties in Massachusetts can be as much as 2.5 percent of the utility’s transmission and distribution service revenues for the previous calendar year.

“Connecticut families want jobs and a strong economy,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “We targeted small businesses and the unemployed. Because we worked together, people can go back to work. This bill gives them more than hope. It gives them a program that invests in their future. It fosters an environment that will create jobs, help small businesses grow, spur innovation, educate and train our workforce, and make Connecticut competitive again.”

“Creating a 'culture of innovation' can be a magnet for further job growth -- from bioscience leaders to small businesses," said House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden). "Today, we are building on the foundation for long-term economic growth we began last session. We continue working to cultivate technology-based and small business growth where entrepreneurs, talented people and great ideas can take root. As we turn the corner to recovery, we will continue to explore other initiatives in the 2012 legislative session."

The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation and foster long-term economic growth. Incentives for small business, cutting red tap, incentives for innovation, economic development tools and workforce development and training are all addressed in the bill.

One of the key components of the legislation is the Small Business Express Package which will make $50 million/year available to small businesses through incentives, grants and loans.

Another vital component is aligning programs at vo-tech schools, community colleges and universities with high demand job needs of employers, including the state’s manufacturing technology companies.

Other components of the jobs bill include:

• Consolidating and increasing the tax credit for new hires
• Incentivizing investments in emerging technology (Angel Investors)
• Building innovation centers in key cities and investing in innovative ventures
• A second “First Five” program
• Cutting the business entity tax
• Streamlining the business permitting process
• Remediating old industrial sites/brownfields
• Computer upgrades to make communication between business and the state more seamless
• Workforce development, education and training
• Allowing the  Airport Authority to designate new Development Zones
• Investments in roads and bridges
• Replenishing the Manufacturing Assistance Act (MAA)

In addition, the legislature signed off on Jackson Laboratory’s plan to build a $1.1 billion research facility at the UConn Health Center campus in Farmington. The State of Connecticut will invest $291 million and Jackson Laboratory will raise the balance of $860 million for the project.

“Connecticut’s investment in bioscience today will pay dividends for generations,” Speaker Donovan said.

According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the project is expected to create over 660 positions at Jackson Laboratory in Farmington within 20 years. DECD estimates more than 4,600 bioscience jobs would be generated through spin-off companies, and another 2,000 would be added to local service and area retail stores. The project would yield more than 840 construction jobs as well.

All members of the General Assembly have been invited to participate in the hearings. Presentations and question and answer sessions will be held on the proposed Jackson Laboratory plan to build a $1.1 billion research facility at the UConn Health Center campus in Farmington and on the Special Legislative Session on jobs scheduled for October 26.

The Legislature's Finance Committee will conduct the hearing on Jackson Laboratory on Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon in Room 2E at the LOB.

The hearing on the Jobs Special Session will be conducted by the Commerce Committee and will take place on Thursday from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in Room 2C at the LOB.

Public comment on both initiatives will take place Thursday from 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., also in Room 2C at the LOB.

“The FAA has funding available for residential noise mitigation and there are a lot of similarities with energy efficiency work such as insulation and sealing air leaks that make it a natural fit,” said Rep. Larson, who is also executive director of New Haven’s Tweed Airport. “So, we’re saying why don’t we also add funding from existing energy efficiency programs and leverage the opportunity to create jobs for our deserving veterans?”

National labor statistics currently show an 11.5% unemployment rate among veterans – over 2% higher than the national unemployment rate. Even more alarming is the 20% of young veterans under age 25 that are out of work.  The proposed Larson-Leone program looks to create an opportunity for the young men and women who served our nation to find employment improving American homes and building value for their local communities.

“Merging noise mitigation with energy efficiency improvements is a win-win for area residents,” said Sen. Leone, program manager at WorkPlace, Inc. in Bridgeport that provides education and job training programs in southwestern Connecticut. “It benefits the community, and it also makes a wise use of federal programs. That shows we can be creative in making the most of what is available for our residents. Due to their training, attitude and discipline, veterans are well suited to a wide variety of jobs, and are very desirable to employers.”

The state lawmakers have been in contact with the office of First District Connecticut Congressman John Larson (Tim’s brother) about using funding sources available under the authority of the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection (EPA) with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funds. They have also contacted the office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy and met with Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel Esty about their proposal.

A 2008 paper entitled A Synergistic Green Approach to Conducting FAA and DOE Residential Retrofit Programs by Jawad Rachami of Wyle in Arlington, Virginia outlined the merits of combining FAA funding from the Residential Sound Insulation Program (RISP) with the DOE/EPA joint Home Performance Energy Star Initiative project. The paper points out that “there are natural synergies between noise mitigation and energy efficiency due to the common techniques and materials used to prevent noise penetration and air leaks” and concludes that the proposed approach “can lead to a mutually certifiable Green end-state, which would contribute to key national goals on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.” Combining energy efficiency and sound insulation can deliver multiple benefits to communities, including:

• Making homes quieter by achieving indoor levels lower than 45 decibels per FAA guidelines;
• Improving indoor air quality per EPA guidelines and reducing health risks ranging from allergies to serious respiratory illnesses and heart disease;
• Achieving significant cash flow savings for residents from reduced utility bills, which can range between 20 to 50% per DOE program results;
• Reducing the Greenhouse Gas footprint of residential neighborhoods; and
• Creating training and job opportunities for the local workforce.

Tim Larson is hoping Connecticut can host such a pilot program that would employ veterans to perform residential energy efficiency work as part of airport noise mitigation efforts. “It would be great for us to set the stage for a national jobs program where thousands of homes are made healthier and more energy efficient for their occupants and American materials and labor are used to help spark the economy,” he said.

“As health care costs have grown, small businesses have had to drop and cut coverage or sacrifice job growth,” Speaker Donovan said. “Some can’t attract and retain talented employees because quality health insurance is unaffordable. We need to determine how to make health insurance for small businesses affordable, but also easily comparable, available, accessible, and meaningful.”

Speaker Donovan has assembled the Working Group on Small Business Health Care, comprised of small businesses and legislators, to examine obstacles and opportunities for small business owners seeking to purchase health insurance coverage for their employees and their own families. The group will be led by State Rep. Robert Megna, chair of the Insurance Committee.

The Speaker has charged the working group with reviewing small group insurance regulations, the market’s current offerings, the barriers that small business owners face when attempting to secure quality affordable health coverage, the impact of health insurance access on job growth in this sector, and alternative health insurance models. The group will assemble a set of legislative recommendations on how best to address the health insurance needs of the small business workforce.

Rep. Megna said, “As a small business owner and longtime advocate for quality, affordable health care, I am excited to partner with other business leaders to identify solutions to ever-rising health insurance costs. Health care costs are a major hurdle to job growth, and I’m honored that Speaker Donovan has chosen me to chair this important working group at a time when we are looking to our small businesses to lead our economic recovery.”

Members of Speaker Donovan’s Small Business Health Care Working Group include:

Legislative Members:

Small Business Members:

Charles Beyer, Beyer Precision, LLC. Charles Beyer is the president of Beyer Precision, LLC., a screw-machine manufacturing company located in Wolcott, CT.

Michael V. Brown, New Standard Institute. Michael V. Brown is the President of New Standard Institute of Milford, a training and consulting firm specializing in industrial maintenance.

Richard Carbray, Apex Pharmacy. Richard Carbray is the co-owner of two independent pharmacies, Apex Pharmacy and Home Health Center and Annex Pharmacy, both in Hamden.

Brenda Cerezo, Cerezo New Image Salon. Brenda Cerezo has owned Cerezo New Image Salon in Stamford for sixteen years. She is also a co-founder and former president of the Connecticut Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Jennifer Clark, Realtor, First Choice Realty. Jennifer Clark became a REALTOR®  ten years ago after working in the technical branch of banking for 18 years. She has also been a stained glass artisan for 34 years and currently operates Willimantic Art Glass Studio.

Attorney Chris Donohue, Riefberg, Smart, Donohue and NeJame, PC. Christopher T. Donohue, is a partner in the Danbury, Connecticut law firm of Riefberg, Smart, Donohue & NeJame, PC.

Kevin Galvin, Connecticut Commercial Maintenance. Kevin Galvin has been a small business owner for thirty years. He owns Connecticut Commercial Maintenance, Inc., a Hartford-based service company with four employees.

Jerry Hardison, West End Eye Care. Dr. Jerry Hardison has been an owner/member of West End Eye Care, LLC in Hartford since 1978.

Carolyn Malon, Family Dental Care of Farmington. Dr. Carolyn Malon is a private practice dentist, in partnership with her husband, Stephen Moran at Family Dental Care of Farmington.

Séan Moore, Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce. Séan W. Moore has served as president of the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce since 1998.

John Pakutka, Cresent Group Consulting. John Pakutka is Managing Director of The Crescent Group, an advisory services firm with expertise in health policy, politics, litigation, and management.

John Seiffer, Better CEO. John Seiffer has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. He has coached business owners since 1994 and became president of the International Coach Federation in 1998 and began consulting with entrepreneurs in 1999.

Linda St. Peter, Realtor. Linda St. Peter is the Broker/Owner of IBIS Consortium - Commercial & Investment Real Estate in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and an international speaker, instructor, and facilitator with Dynamic Directions, Inc.

Angel Reyes, Check Cashing and More. Angel Reyes has owned and operated Check Cashing and More in Bridgeport for over 10 years.

Lesley Waldron, IPS Limited & IPS Physician Services. Lesley Waldron is the owner of IPS Physician Services and owner/president of IPS Limited, two Bethlehem, Connecticut-based businesses.

Cornell Wright, Parker Wright Group. Cornell N. Wright is the principal of the Parker Wright Group, Inc., a management consulting practice, located in Stratford, CT, that specializes in--customer service, SWOT analysis, organizational assessments, strategy development and non profit board development.

LamdaVision Inc. of Farmington was able to take advantage of the state’s “Pre-Seed” economic assistance program which provides start-up companies with critical resources to turn new technology into products. Haddad’s bill (SB 1173) expanded the program this year by permitting companies started from university research to count early expenses such as patent and prototype development provided by universities in the outside match required when seeking Pre-Seed funding from Connecticut Innovations (CI), a state economic development arm which runs the program.

“The idea of this legislation is to help develop and encourage new hi-tech start-up companies created from research conducted at UConn, and I’m glad to see it is already paying dividends,” said Haddad, who also announced plans this spring for the state to fund a multi-million dollar technology park on the University of Connecticut campus. “This is all about encouraging more working partnerships between business and the University which is important for sustaining future economic growth in the region.”

LambdaVision, created by the University of Connecticut Research and Development Corporation, is developing a protein-based retinal implant intended to restore sight to patients blinded by degeneration in the outer retina. The core technology was developed by Robert Birge, Ph.D., a University of Connecticut professor of biological and physical chemistry, who, along with students in his lab, founded LambdaVision in 2009.

“Without the successful legislation introduced by Representative Haddad amending the CI Preseed Program, the investment by CI would not have been possible,” said Rita Zangari, Director of the UConn Technology Incubation Program. “LambdaVision actually provides a great example of how University and State partnerships fuel new technology companies. The company was first formed by the UConn R&D Corp; its initial funding came from the University’s Prototype Fund which helps with product development; a student was tapped as the CEO of this faculty startup by R&D Corp; and the Business School’s Innovation Accelerator – which was developed with state funds just five years ago—provided a team of MBA students to flesh out the business plan for the company.”

“We are grateful to be awarded this pre-seed funding from Connecticut Innovations. These funds will allow LambdaVision to begin critical proof-of-concept studies in collaboration with the Center for Innovative Visual Rehabilitation at the Boston VA Medical Center,” stated Nicole Wagner, CEO of LambdaVision.

The Pre-Seed fund provides loans of up to $150,000 to Connecticut-based start-ups and early-stage technology companies. Funding may be used for a wide range of startup expenses such as accounting, legal, intellectual property development, technology and prototype development, business plan development, technology assessments, market analyses, market entry strategy development, and hiring of advisors and employees.

Municipal officials gave Connecticut's utility companies high marks for their communication efforts leading up to and during Tropical Storm Irene, though post-storm efforts drew mixed reviews, according to testimony submitted Monday to a legislative panel assessing the utilities' response.

And while the top executives for Connecticut Light & Power Co. and United Illuminating called for lawmakers to grant them expanded authority to trim and cut down trees outside of existing utility line buffer zones if they pose a threat to the system.

"Overall, true partnerships need to be strengthened now between local officials and their private utility counterparts so together--as a team--we are better prepared to protect the residents of Connecticut," Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary A. Glassman, president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, wrote in testimony submitted Monday morning to the legislature's Energy & Technologies, Public Safety and Planning & Development committees.

Glassman was scheduled to testify in person before the panel Monday afternoon.

CCM, the chief lobbying arm for Connecticut's 169 cities and towns, conducted a survey after the Aug. 27-28 storm, which caused more than 1 million outages in the state during its height and in the first week afterward.

According to Glassman's testimony, about one-third of municipalities responded to the survey, with a majority describing their communication with utilities ranged from "good" to "very good" before and during the storm.

"Responses evaluation communication after the storm, however, were divided almost evenly between 'excellent,' 'very good,' 'good,' and 'needs improvement,'" Glassman wrote.

More than 90 percent of survey participants said they were assigned a liaison by their local electric utility and a majority of those respondents rated that performance as "excellent" to "very good."

"Communities were realistic," Glassman said during an interview Monday. "They knew this was a big storm."

But while the utilities drew mixed reviews for their response after the storm was over, Glassman said the criticisms, which focused heavily on poor communications, were valid and deserve attention. "Where there was frustration was from people not having the right information."

Much of the criticism in the survey, Glassman said, came from the eastern half of the state, which is dominated by rural communities that are large in size, small in population, and filled with trees. That pattern also held true at the hearing.

Though CL&P President and CEO Jeffrey Butler described his company's response as "appropriate, effective and strong," Lebanon First Selectwoman Joyce Okonuk told lawmakers that "clearly this gentleman has absolutely no idea of the real world."

Though it has only about 7,500 residents, Lebanon has over 100 miles of road. And local public works crews waiting for utility wires to be cleared so they could remove trees from roadways watched day after day as utility crews would waste hours at the start of each day. Utility crews would wait at the town emergency center 'for hours, waiting for someone (from CL&P) to tell them where to go," she said. "There was no communication. It was horrible."

Canterbury First Selectman Brian Sear said he still hasn't been told why CL&P crews arrived in his Windham County community on around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, but didn't begin work  until 10:45 a.m. the next day.

Killingworth officials reported a leaking transformer to a special skills unit at CL&P and were surprised days later when power restoration crews didn't make clearing the roads leading to that site a priority, First Selectwoman Catherine Iino charged. "Communication with CL&P was a real problem," she said.

CCM recommended several steps to improve communication:

• Strengthening links between utility recovery crews and local public works crews. The latter routinely must wait until dangerous, downed power lines are assessed and deactivated by utility staff before working to restore traffic on local streets.
•  Create a "strike team" model of communication provides town leaders with regular updates on power restoration plans and schedules.
•  Provide utility outage information in relation to local street and road mapping. 

William Quinlan, CL&P's vice president for customer solutions and chief municipal liaison for Tropical Storm Irene, said his company revised its outage tracking reports during the storm recovery to incorporate this last recommendation.

Outage reports typically identify problems in relation to system circuits and substations, not local roads and streets, Quinlan said. "We literally spent hours and hours every day ... translating this information into briefing sheets" for municipal use. "We need to automate this information going forward."

Quinlan also will be surveying all municipalities in CL&P's service area as part of a more comprehensive post-storm analysis to improve communications and other response issues.

Jim Torgerson, president and chief executive officer for United Illuminating, said his firm plans to spend between $10 million and $15 million over the next three years to revise its call center and outage management system to more promptly provide information regarding specific streets and addresses, both to customers and to municipal leaders.

Though most of the hearing focused on the response of the state's electric companies, Rep. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, questioned telephone providers about huge gaps in coverage in her district.

Flexer, whose northeastern Connecticut district includes several small communities on the Rhode Island border, said one of those towns -- Sterling -- was without land line and cell phone service in nearly all sections for two days after the storm. "My concern is that anyone located in that town couldn't even call 9-1-1," she said.

John Emra, regional vice president for legislative affairs for AT&T, said the community likely is served by a remote cellular terminal, which routes land line calls over a cellular network. These typically are used in remote locations as a cost-saving measure.

And a growing number of households also receive land line phone service through their cable television line -- a service that also requires electricity to function.

But what happens, Flexer asked, if electricity and cellular phone services are interrupted, and a neighborhood also loses the use of land line phones in the process?

"I don't know necessarily that I have an answer for you," Emra said, adding that while AT&T systems are built to withstand most inclement weather, "you can't necessarily build into your system (protections against) a 30-year storm."

Monday's hearing, which will continue on Monday, Sept. 26, is expected to produce several legislative proposals regarding storm response in the regular 2012 General Assembly session, which starts in February.

"This (hearing) is not a show piece," Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the committee, said. "Our job here is to gather information that will result in changes."

"We can never guard against every aspect of an emergency, but we can certainly learn to be better prepared," Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, said to open the hearing.

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, was a little more critical in his assessment of the problems tied to Irene and the response. "Many people suffered without power for a long time," he said. "It jeopardized their health, safety and livelihood... We thought we had a good response, but we can do better."

But utility leaders said one of the best steps legislators can take is to recognize that Connecticut is one of the two most vegetation-dense states in the nation in terms of trees near its power lines.

Utilities currently have the right to trim tree limbs that fall within 15 feet of power lines from above, eight feet from the side, or within 10 feet at a level below the lines.

Butler said the trim zone rules aren't sufficient, and lawmakers need to develop a policy that allows utilities to target hazardous trees outside of this range, but close enough to cause significant damage if a major limb -- or the entire tree -- should collapse.

"Trees created the vast majority of all outages in this storm," Butler said, adding that other states, including California, have hazardous tree policies. "We literally rebuilt entire sections of our distribution system."

CL&P has an annual tree-trimming budget of $21 million that allows it to trim most trees in the existing buffer zones once every five years. But it also spends $4 million to $5 million annually to trim trees outside of that zone -- provided financial compensation can be negotiated with affected property owners.

Some legislators immediately endorsed the call for a tree-trimming policy review.

"We all need to spend some time on that and do it in a thoughtful manner," said Rep. Steven Mikutel, D-Griswold.

Sen. Joan V. Hartley, D-Waterbury, said she believes extensive damage was caused in her district by trees outside of trim zones. And while a review is a good idea, Hartley also warned public opposition could be strong.

"People are very covetous of their trees," she said. "I am of mine."

Four committees of the General Assembly – Energy & Technology, Public Safety, Labor and Public Employees, and Planning & Development – will hear from representatives of utility companies, workers, communications firms and municipalities, as well as from members of the general public.

“There’s hardly a person or business across the state that didn’t feel the impact of Irene,” House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said. “We need to understand what worked and what didn’t in terms of how we prepared and how we responded. I expect these hearings will be productive and forward looking and will serve us well for the next, inevitable punch from Mother Nature.”

"Hurricane Irene put Connecticut to the test," said Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn). "Now it's time to evaluate our readiness and response. The informational hearings will help us get the answers that families expect and deserve. I'm also pleased that there will be time reserved for members of the public to share their experiences. And for those who cannot attend, we hope they'll contact us through Twitter or Facebook."

Senate and House Democrats have set up Facebook and Twitter accounts at www.facebook.com/pages/After-Irene-CT/262762473747233 and http://twitter.com/#!/AfterIreneCT to accept public comments and suggestions about experiences with the storm and the state’s readiness for and response to it.

“We have a responsibility to better understand what went right and what went wrong after Irene and why. We must examine what needs to be done to be better prepared for future events that undoubtedly will happen,” said Senator John Fonfara (D-Hartford), Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee.

“People who had to wait for a week or more need some satisfaction in knowing why it took so long for their power to be restored. The delay went far beyond mere inconvenience; many people need electricity to pump well water to their homes and for other health requirements,” said House Chairwoman of the Energy & Technology Committee Vickie Nardello (D-Prospect, Bethany, Cheshire). “We need to determine what was done right and what we need to do better, whether it is communication or manpower. These hearings are not just for appearances. We will develop specific steps to improve how well we are prepared.”

On September 19th, the informational hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. with representatives of CL&P, UI and municipal utilities, followed by municipal representatives and officials from telephone, cable and wireless utility companies. The hearing will conclude at 4:30 p.m.

On September 26th, members of the public will have the opportunity to appear before the committees beginning at 9:00 a.m., followed by union representatives and the electric utility companies. Members of the public will have an additional chance for comment before the hearing closes in early afternoon.

The Energy & Technology, Public Safety, Labor and Public Employees, and Planning & Development committees will hold an informational hearing in the coming weeks to address the following issues:

• Preparation and response by the utility companies, including United Illuminating and Connecticut Light & Power
• Performance of telephone and telecommunications companies
• Communication between utilities and municipal leaders
• Effectiveness of municipal reverse 9-1-1 systems and other communication methods

“Irene was one of the most powerful storms to ever hit Connecticut,” said Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr., “and many Connecticut residents, public workers, and companies stepped up to make a real difference. We also know that tens of thousands of families and businesses were left in the dark for many days – and now they’re looking for answers. It’s time to understand what happened and how Connecticut can be better positioned to deal with the next emergency.”

“Connecticut has an opportunity to learn from this storm, identify what was done effectively and what needs to be improved,” said Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven / Hamden). “My constituents want to know why it took so long to get the power back on in certain areas. Probing questions need to be asked and I’m confident the legislative hearing is the appropriate venue to get answers.” 

“I am pleased that almost all Connecticut residents now have their power restored,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “Too many, however, suffered without power for too long. That posed more than just inconvenience for them – it jeopardized their health, safety and livelihoods. We are hearing from folks across the state that we can do better than this, and we’re looking to explore ways that we can be better prepared next time. That’s why it is appropriate at this time to convene legislative hearings.”

House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden) said, “In meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano yesterday, she confirmed to me that Connecticut had the highest percentage of homes without power of all states affected by Hurricane Irene.  With such a heavy burden, to me the question remains whether our local utilities are working together to bring the necessary resources to bear throughout the state, not just within their own coverage areas.”

Comments from committee chairs are included below:

House Chairwoman of the Energy and Technology Committee Rep. Vicki Nardello (D-Prospect) said, “If you got your power back within a couple days you probably were very happy with the restoration effort, but for those who had to wait close to a week or more we need to understand what happened and why. Many people who had to wait the longest also depend on electricity to run their well water pumps and that can become a health issue very quickly. We are fortunate these record outages weren’t the result of a winter storm and the time is now to figure out what can be done better.”

“This hearing will help us to determine what went well and what went wrong in the aftermath of Irene. We will examine how to avoid or address outages more quickly after future disasters, and how to provide better information to electric customers left waiting in the dark," said Senator John Fonfara (D-Hartford), Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee.

“We should consider the hearing an opportunity to examine what was done right by our state during Hurricane Irene  and what we can do better,” Rep. Stephen Dargan (D-West Haven), House Chair, Public Safety and Security Committee,  said. “Testimony from local officials and local emergency responders will be very helpful for future planning.”

“First responders were called upon to mobilize and deliver public safety services without interruption hour after hour for days at a time, and this hearing will provide a welcome opportunity to assess that response," Senator Joan V. Hartley (D-Waterbury), Senate Chair of the legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee, said. "In terms of law enforcement, fire and rescue operations, and emergency medical response Irene presented an extraordinary sequence of events and now offers the chance to prepare for the future.”

“It is important that we assess what went right and what went wrong with the restoration efforts by the utility companies so everyone is better prepared when the next storm strikes,” said Rep. Linda Gentile (D-Ansonia and Derby), House Chair of the Legislature’s Planning & Development Committee.

“Obviously the utility issue commanded most of the attention, since people were going without power for days on end," said Senator Cassano, who is Senate Chairman of the Planning and Development Committee. "But there were clearly other issues, such as caring for people with disabilities or who are on oxygen or bedridden. That was extremely taxing to municipalities, and a better way has to be found to identify and care for these people during a natural disaster.”

“All aspects of our state’s response to the storm need to be examined,” Rep. Zeke Zalaski (D-Southington), House Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, said. “Our citizens need to know more about CL&P’s less than stellar response since they have already warned us about raising our rates.”

"In every facet of the response to Irene in every corner of Connecticut manpower issues came into play," Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia), Senate Chair of the legislature's Labor and Public Employees Committee, said. "Going forward we have to ensure there will be adequate response capabilities in public safety personnel and for utilities restoration and infrastructure repair, just to name a few.”

“We are grateful to union leadership, the state employees and the Malloy Administration for getting the job done, and we appreciate the shared sacrifice of our state employees during this challenging time for our state.”

New federal rules under national healthcare reform championed by President Obama eliminate insurance co-payments and deductibles effective August 1, 2012 for certain coverage including birth control, STD screening, and domestic violence counseling. Speaker Donovan sees the change as a victory for women’s health and said more must be done to combat higher costs of health insurance for women.

“This is a major positive change in healthcare policy that greatly improves women’s health coverage and will reduce costs in the long run because it is an important step forward in preventative care,” said Donovan. “We must aggressively continue to work in the 2012 legislative session to further reduce cost inequities of healthcare coverage between women and men.”

Connecticut first mandated health insurance coverage for birth control in 1999. This year the legislature required coverage for a full breast MRI for women with dense breast tissue. The legislature has also banned “drive by” deliveries and mastectomies and ensured direct access to OB-GYN care.

“Requiring insurers to provide birth control coverage for women free of charge is a welcomed development,” Rep. Willis said. “Reproductive health care should be available for all women. The enhanced health program also includes coverage for education and counseling which is an important provision of the plan.”

“We commend HHS on these regulations. The elimination of co-pays for these preventive services is a huge step in removing a financial obstacle that millions of American women face in getting the quality healthcare they need and deserve. We want the women of Connecticut to know that we’re here, we’ve been here, and we will continue to provide the preventive care they need,” said Judy Tabar, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.

According to NARAL, 98% of all women in the U.S. have used birth control at some point in their lives.

“This new policy is a significant victory for women’s healthcare,” said NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut Executive Director Christian Miron. “Ending co-pays for basic family planning services will put birth control within women’s financial reach and will allow a woman to choose the birth control method that she and a medical professional agree works best for her.”

“The new federal rules implement an evidence-based approach to women’s health. Co-pays create barriers that put routine and preventive care, including reproductive services and screenings, out of the reach for too many women in our community. Eliminating these hurdles will enable women to meet their unique health needs and stay healthy,” said State Representative Michelle Cook (D-65th District)

Speaker Donovan also said recent insulting comments by news commentators comparing birth control and domestic violence counseling to pedicures and manicures as well as a public statement by Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa that free birth control coverage will “wipe out generations” showed that a gender-biased culture still exists regarding women and healthcare.

I look forward to working closely with Governor Malloy, Senate President Don Williams, many of our colleagues, the CAA and DECD in developing appropriate economic tools for job creation surrounding our airports.”

Speaker Donovan joined Governor Malloy at Bradley Airport for the
signing of the Connecticut Airport Authority legislation.

It’s been a difficult few months for our community as four local families have had to deal with domestic violence related homicides of Wallingford and Southington residents just this spring and summer. What’s more frightening is the potential for more tragedy as most domestic violence victims do not often reach out until they are battered, emotionally scarred, and have worked up the courage to ask for help. The good news is that legislators and advocates across the state are working to improve laws and services for families, so we do a better job preventing domestic violence, protecting victims and prosecuting offenders.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior between partners or family members where one person uses physical, sexual, psychological, financial or verbal abuse to try to control the other. The victim feels powerless, intimidated and dependent on the abuser, making it hard for him or her to leave the relationship. Domestic violence is sometimes seen as a private problem with family members and friends often not recognizing or acknowledging it. In many ways, we accept domestic violence as a sad but natural part of our society.

It is all of our responsibility to be vigilant, to help victims to seek assistance, to promote prevention, to teach our kids at an early age about healthy relationships and to advocate for changes that make domestic violence socially unacceptable.

Fortunately, Connecticut is moving in the right direction. In 2009, the Speaker’s Task Force on Domestic Violence began a comprehensive review of how Connecticut’s laws deal with domestic violence. The task force solicited input from dozens of advocates, survivors, law enforcement officers, service providers, judges, prosecutors, teachers, and state agency staff working on the front lines of these issues. The result was some sweeping reforms to our domestic violence laws — the biggest changes in almost 25 years.

In 2010, for the first time, funding was allocated to staff emergency domestic violence shelters across the state 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide support to victims fleeing abuse. In addition, last year the legislature put new laws on the books to allow victims to take time off from work to go to court and receive counseling; to protect victims who need to break their leases to protect their safety; and to provide police with new tools for enforcing restraining and protective orders. The Judicial Branch is in the process of developing three new dedicated domestic violence court dockets and piloting a program that uses GPS to monitor high risk offenders.

Just this week, Governor Malloy acknowledged the work of the task force by signing into law a second set of commonsense reforms aimed at protecting victims. Among these reforms is a new requirement that offenders surrender their firearms to police or sell them to authorized agents if they are prohibited from possessing them under the conditions of a restraining or protective order. A report issued in July by the Connecticut Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee found that gunshot wounds were the number one cause of domestic violence fatalities. Previously, offenders could surrender their firearms to a friend or relative, even someone in the same household. The new law protects victims by keeping guns out of the hands of known abusers.

A separate bill that passed into law this session prohibits bail bond agents from “undercutting,” competing for business by discounting the premium due on a bond. Previously, domestic violence defendants could post bond more easily by paying as little as no premium, were released back into the community and were free to return to their victim without any “cooling off” period. Undercutting has played a role in a number of serious and fatal domestic violence incidents.

Connecticut is served by 18 regional domestic violence programs that provide services for families in crisis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Available services include emergency shelters, hotline support, safety planning, counseling, legal advocacy, housing advocacy, support for children and teens, and translation services.

Anyone seeking help or information can call the statewide domestic violence hotline at 1-888-774-2900. By advocating for support services, education, and strong laws that protect families, we are making progress on eliminating domestic violence in Connecticut. But the most challenging step requires us all to work together to create a society that simply will not tolerate abuse.

Chris Donovan represents the 84th Assembly District, which includes part of Meriden. He is the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. Sharlene Kerelejeza is executive director of the Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis Center, the region’s domestic violence program.

Senate Bill 11 called for a number of requirements for individual and small group health insurance companies. Changes included: increasing the amount of time required before a new rate can take effect, requiring a symposium on a rate filing if certain criteria are met, and mandating the Insurance Department post rate filings on its website and provide a 30-day public comment period.

Under an agreement reached between the executive and legislative branches, the Office of Health Advocate (OHA) can request that the Commissioner hold a hearing for rate increases of at least 15 percent or more on individual and small group HMO plans. The collaboration allows for up to four hearings a year while the Commissioner can exercise his current broad statutory authority to hold hearings on other health products, including long term health care policies, if necessary. Additional changes could be discussed next year.

“The General Assembly overwhelming approved Senate Bill 11 because its members believe in the importance of changing the way rate hikes are approved,” said Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn). “The Governor shares our concerns and is working with us to immediately improve the process.”

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said, “We passed this bill after hearing from thousands of residents facing unconscionable increases in their insurance premiums—small businesses, self-employed individuals and those looking for work—folks who have no leverage to negotiate with the big insurance companies. That is why I am pleased that Governor Malloy and Commissioner Leonardi have agreed to a compromise that will allow public hearings and the participation of the Healthcare Advocate in the rate approval process.”

“Disagreement over the specifics of certain legislation is inevitable, but fortunately we all agree that there must be greater transparency in the rate approval process,” said Senator Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven / Hamden). “I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work with the Malloy Administration and begin work on a compromise that will benefit consumers and enhance close scrutiny of proposed health insurance increases.”

“This compromise will ensure that consumers have a voice in proposed insurance rate increases without compromising the health and competitiveness of the state’s insurance industry,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy. “Particularly as the state works to implement federal healthcare reform, it’s important that we strike that delicate balance.”

State Senator Joseph J. Crisco (D-Woodbridge), Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, said “To me it just seems like common sense that approval for any rate increase should be granted in conjunction with a requirement that insurance companies or the Insurance Department maintain and make available better records and subject the applicant to some measure of public scrutiny,” Senator Crisco said. “The agreement we've negotiated represents a first step toward greater transparency and better access to application materials in Connecticut's insurance rate approval process."

State Rep. Robert W. Megna (D-New Haven), House chair of the Insurance Committee, said, “We have heard from many concerned consumers and advocates about this veto. People get sticker shock when they see their annual premium increases. It is crucial that people get notice of excessive increases and an opportunity to have a say in the state’s consideration of these rates. I am glad to see the Insurance Department will be connected to the public in making these decisions.”

“Unfortunately, the Governor had to put this plan together due to the failure of the unions to ratify the agreement. This plan would harm our state in significant ways. That is why I am urging the Governor and SEBAC to reach an agreement – that is the most responsible action available.

“In the meantime, we anticipate receiving the final, detailed plan from the Administration, sharing that plan with Appropriations Committee leadership and caucus members for analysis, and beginning to identify the most onerous aspects of it. We have tentative plans to conduct a public hearing on specific items in the proposal on or before August 15.”

Rep. Jeff Berger, Commerce Committee chair who also spoke at the event, said, “This legislation should signal that Connecticut is eager to create and maintain jobs. With current economic issues and problems looming ahead, it is imperative we do all we can to encourage job growth in the state.”

Governor Malloy signs the "First Five" legislation. On hand for the ceremony were, left to right, Rep. Berger, State Rep. Matt Ritter, Speaker Donovan, State Rep. David Baram, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith, Cigna CEO David Cordani, Insurance Commissioner Thomas Leonardi and State Sen. Gary LeBeau.

“Today we begin re-making the heart of our community into a vibrant, pedestrian friendly town center that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” Haddad said. “This vision is a culmination of a decade long cooperative effort between the town of Mansfield, residents, the university and our business community.”

Haddad was joined at the event by Governor Dannel Malloy, Congressman Joe Courtney, state Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and other state, local and university officials as well as members of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership and project developers.

“The creation of Storrs Center will grow jobs and improve the quality of life for people in Mansfield – and it’s the result of years of hard work and teamwork,” Williams said. “Together we built the first parking garage, worked with local leaders, and listened to community members. I’m proud to stand here with my colleagues as we strengthen Mansfield’s economy and add to its charm.”

About 70,000 square feet of street level retail space with 290 rental apartment units above are planned for the project’s first phases which are scheduled to be completed in 2013. Storrs Center will run along Route 195 across from UConn’s School of Fine Arts building and E.O. Smith High School as well as down Dog Lane.

“Over the next two years a wonderful and carefully planned mix of restaurants, shops, housing and town square will take shape,” Haddad said. “With the close access to all the great cultural and athletic events at UConn, Storrs Center will be a very popular gathering place.”

Upon completion of Storrs Center, almost 800 jobs are expected to be created. Last month, Haddad announced plans by the state to build a world-class research and technology business park on the UConn campus in Storrs that is expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in federal and private investment.

Democrats in the House and Senate, working cooperatively with a Democratic governor, accomplished a great deal during this session. Legislation was passed that will stabilize the state's finances, remake state government, and create jobs.

A balanced budget was passed in early May to move our state forward. Our most vulnerable citizens were protected, sacrifice was shared but fair, and government was made smaller and more efficient.

This is just a beginning. More needs to happen to get Connecticut on the right track to full recovery – creating jobs, putting the unemployed back to work, and stimulating economic growth. After this session, the fundamentals are in place:

• Invested in the University of Connecticut Health Center to develop Connecticut's bioscience industry (SB 1152: AAC the University of Connecticut Health Center)

• Established the Technology Park at the University of Connecticut to spur the growth of new, high-tech industries
  (SB 1242: AA Authorizing Bonds of the State for Capital Improvements Authorizing Special Tax Obligation Bonds of the State for Transportation Purposes and Authorizing State Grant Commitments for  School Building Projects)

• Created the First Five Program to jumpstart job creation
  (SB 1001: AA Creating the First Five Program)

• Provided funding for tourism promotion
  (SB 1239/PA 11-6: AAC the Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2013, and Other Provisions Relating to Revenue)

• Developed a comprehensive energy plan to reduce costs and spur green job creation
  (SB 1243: AAC the Establishment of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Planning for Connecticut's Energy Future)

• Provided additional flexibility for businesses by streamlining corporate and securities laws
  (HB 6497: AA Creating Jobs by Enhancing Connecticut's Corporate and Securities Laws)

• Invested in capital improvement projects that will provide immediate construction jobs and improve infrastructure
  (SB 1242: AA Authorizing Bonds of the State for Capital Improvements Authorizing Special Tax Obligation Bonds of the State for Transportation Purposes and Authorizing State Grant Commitments for  School Building Projects)

• Improved economic development programs designed to assist small businesses and start-ups
  (HB 6525: AAC the Continuance of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable)

• Created closer links between our research institutions and private businesses
  (SB 1173: AAC Qualified Private Investments for Connecticut Innovations, Inc.' Pre-seed Program)

• Developed a responsible, balanced budget that protects the middle-class
  (SB 1239/PA 11-6: AAC the Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2013, and Other Provisions Relating to Revenue)

• Increased access to quality, affordable healthcare through comprehensive healthcare reform and pooling for municipalities
  (HB 6308: AAC Healthcare Reform)

• Gave all students of our state equal access to post-secondary education, regardless of immigration status
  (HB 6390/PA 11-43: AAC Access to Postsecondary Education)

• Addressed the educational achievement gap by providing schools the flexibility they need to ensure our kids get a good education
  (SB 929: AAC the Achievement Gap)

• Ensured workers have access to paid sick days to protect the health of employees, their families, and the public
  (SB 913: AA Mandating Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave to Employees)

• Extended the foreclosure mediation program to keep families in their homes and neighborhoods whole
  (HB 6351: AAC Foreclosure Mediation and Assistance Programs, the Highly Compensated Employee Exemption for Mortgage Loan Originators, General-Use Prepaid Cards and Neighborhood Protection)

• Increased the legal protections available to victims of domestic violence by closing the loopholes that allow offenders continued access to victims
  (HB 6629: AAC Domestic Violence)

• Gave municipalities more tools to work together to save taxpayers' money
  (HB 5780: AAC Interlocal Agreements)

• Protected transgender individuals facing discrimination in the workplace, education, housing and public accommodations
  (HB 6599: AAC Discrimination)

• Reduced the burden on our criminal justice system by decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana
  (SB 1014: AAC the Penalty for Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses)

The organization selected Speaker Donovan for this recognition because of his support of legislation during the 2011 session of the General Assembly aimed at improving the educational, health and emotional well-being of young children in Connecticut.

Among his initiatives, the Speaker’s Task Force on Children and the Recession and his Domestic Violence Task Force helped craft important legislation for children and their families.

“There is nothing more important than taking care of our children,” Speaker Donovan said. “They are our future. I am honored by this recognition from the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, but honestly, this work is a labor of love and passion and necessity.”

The Early Childhood Alliance is a group of organizations and individuals, such as the Alliance for Bloomfield's Children and Hartford Area Childhood Collaborative, committed to improving the lives of children from birth through age eight. Member organizations employ over 3,000 Connecticut residents and provide care and education for nearly 20,000 children.

“We preach safety on the roads – we say, ‘If you’re tired, pull over, rest, take a break.’  Closing the rest areas send the opposite message.” Rep. Guerrera said.

Rep. Guerrera noted that truckers have mandated rest periods and even non-commercial drivers need to stop on long trips.

“The summer vacation driving season is just about here. People will need these rest areas and I am happy Governor Malloy was so receptive to keeping them open,” Rep. Guerrera said.

The state Department of Transportation was scheduled to close the two rest stops on I-84 in Willington on July 1 and the other five non-commercial rest areas in 2012.

“We are taking responsibility for Connecticut’s energy future with this legislation,” said Representative Nardello, House chair of the legislature’s Energy & Technology Committee. “We are clearly moving to cleaner energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and have successfully balanced our energy needs in a way that recognizes the impact on rate payers. We have included goals for lowering rates in all aspects of our planning process.”

In its major components, the legislation:

• Creates the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)
• Creates the Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority to leverage private capital for clean energy projects
• Improves electricity contracting and procurement procedures to lower rates
• Orders a study of electric market rules and their effect on higher rates
• Supports zero-emission and low-emission technologies
• Establishes a one-stop-shop to proactively reach out to businesses and consult with them on available programs and reducing their energy costs

“This marks a major step toward a cleaner, more efficient, and more affordable energy future for Connecticut’s families and businesses. It will help to create jobs and businesses in clean energy and energy efficiency industries, putting Connecticut at the forefront of innovation and development,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan.

“This legislation will build Connecticut’s energy future by lowering energy costs and opening up job and business opportunities across a wide spectrum of energy industries. With this bill, Connecticut becomes a national leader in energy policy, embracing clean energy as the path to success in the 21st century economy,” said Senator Williams.

“This bill will create a full-time, dedicated energy department led by a nationally recognized expert on energy and environmental matters. It will enable us to fulfill our commitment to reduce energy costs and deliver on the promise of clean, safe and reliable energy,” said Senator John Fonfara (D-Hartford), Co-chair, Energy & Technology Committee.

"Passing this bill allows Connecticut to lead the nation by growing a truly green economy and by achieving a cleaner, greener, more affordable energy future for the people and businesses of our state," said Rep. Lonnie Reed, Vice-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee. "It is a bold, thoughtful and collaborative accomplishment that includes innovative ideas from the Malloy administration and from knowledgeable legislators on both sides of the aisle."

“The process of creating this bill was long, arduous and complicated," said Rep. Laura Hoydick (R-Stratford), Energy & Technology Committee ranking member. “That's what happens when so many people representing so many points of view and constituents and areas of expertise work to create legislation that affects our entire state. I applaud the administration, legislative leaders and staff who worked tenaciously and tirelessly resulting in a very good outcome for the residents and businesses of our state. The focus is on the lowering of electric rates, making renewable energy and conservation programs accessible to all. I'm happy we have a department that will manage the environment and energy needs of the state because though the legislature can set direction, we need the administration to effect those changes.”

The broad aim of Senate Bill 1243 is to lower Connecticut’s energy costs and electric rates (amongst the highest in the nation), while moving the state toward clean and efficient energy. The bill seeks to help create the industries, jobs and businesses necessary to facilitate this kind of transformation in Connecticut, and then export those products, technologies and services elsewhere in the world.

The bill, having passed both the House and Senate now goes to the Governor who is expected to sign the bill.

Read a fact sheet on Senate Bill 1243.

“People who don’t stop for school buses put our children at risk,” Rep. Guerrera said. “By videotaping cars that fly by school buses, we can make sure they think twice before doing it again.”

Under current law, drivers must stop at least 10 feet from a school bus displaying flashing red signal lights. This bill allows towns and school boards to install cameras on school buses to record motor vehicles that violate this law. Violators would receive a ticket in the mail.

The legislation increases the minimum fine for failure to stop for a school bus from $100 to $450. It also provides that 80% of all revenue collected for this offense be sent back to cities and towns.

The bill awaits action by the Senate.

Rep. Gregory Haddad of Mansfield announces plans for a research and technology park at UConn.

“The long talked about research park at UConn is now set to become a reality,” said Rep. Haddad. “This bill provides resources required to build an Innovation Partnership Building to anchor the effort. On top of the important mission of encouraging collaborative efforts between the university and hi-tech businesses, there will be the potential for hundreds of new jobs for eastern Connecticut residents. Concerns over Mansfield’s long-term water needs may also be met with resources that will allow for the development of safe new water sources.”

The landmark project, first discussed in Connecticut more than 20 years ago, calls for construction of a 125,000 square-foot multi-story building comprised primarily of large, flexible-use laboratories containing specialized equipment, not readily available to industry, for collaborative industry-university research. The building will also provide high tech “clean rooms” and a bio-nanofabrication facility, business incubators, private space for use by individual companies, and office space.

“This is the job-generating plan that Eastern Connecticut has been waiting for,” said Senator Williams. “This research and technology park will create thousands of high-quality jobs and ensure that Eastern Connecticut is an integral part of Connecticut’s emerging research triangle—spanning Farmington, New Haven, and Storrs. We couldn’t move this project forward without the support of the Malloy Administration and local community leaders—all of whom understand the incredible potential for Connecticut’s families and businesses.

The UConn tech-park will eventually include multiple buildings—many of which could be privately funded—that will house large, flexible-use laboratories containing specialized equipment for collaborative research. The complex, to be located in the North Campus and completed within four years, will provide space for business incubators and individual companies.

Completion of the North Campus Road will allow the development of up to 1.4 million square feet of research, technology and academic space, consistent with the University’s long-range Master Plan. The roadway project is to be funded primarily by federal and UConn 2000 resources and will include a 4,000 linear foot-long, two-lane road that will need to accommodate all utilities underground. Also connected to the project is the new ‘Innovation Partners Eminent Faculty Program,’ which seeks to attract some the nation’s top scholars and scientists and to leverage millions of dollars in federal and private investment.

Anticipating a deficit in the 2011 budget, the General Assembly last year approved legislation authorizing the issuance of Economic Recovery Revenue Bonds. The bonds were to be paid off from revenues generated by surcharges on electricity bills, which would have been extended past their expiration date this year.

But because of an improving economy and increased revenues, it is now projected that the state has a $680 million operating surplus. Consequently, the borrowing and extension of the surcharge are no longer necessary.

“The provisions of this legislation (HB 6652) close the door on using energy efficiency or Competitive Transmission Assessment funds to balance the state’s budget,” said Rep. Patricia Widlitz (D-Guilford, Branford), House chair of the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Connecticut’s energy efficiency programs are among the best in the nation and should be strengthened – not compromised, she added.

“This really is a win-win situation,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan. “Ratepayers win by having the surcharge removed from their bills, and the state wins because we don't need to borrow additional funds.”

The bill now heads to Governor Malloy who has promised to sign the bill into law.

The bill provides paid sick leave to service workers and excludes manufacturers and certain non-profit organizations. The bill does not require covered employers to provide paid sick leave to day or temporary workers or non-hourly employees such as salaried employees.

“This is an historic achievement because Connecticut is the first state in the nation to pass such legislation,” Rep. Zalaski said. “We have sent a message that Connecticut values its workers and people should not be forced to work when they are sick.”

Rep. Zalaski, who is House Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee and a chief proponent of the bill, led the floor debate over the bill for more than 11 hours fighting off several amendments proposed by opponents.

Under the bill, service employees would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked. The number of permitted sick days is capped at five per year.

The earliest service workers can begin accruing sick leave is January 1, 2012. The workers must have worked for the employer for at least 680 hours and worked an average of at least 10 hours a week for the employer in the most recently completed calendar quarter.

“It’s an historic moment,” House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden) said. “This is the right thing to do. People who work get sick and they deserve to be protected.”

“Paid sick days are good for both workers and businesses because we have created a better, healthier and safer environment for people who work and live in Connecticut,” Rep. Zalaski said. “Now, I look forward to Governor Malloy’s signature on the bill.”

The bill now heads to Governor Malloy who has promised to sign the bill into law.

The bill provides paid sick leave to service workers and excludes manufacturers and certain non-profit organizations. The bill does not require covered employers to provide paid sick leave to day or temporary workers or non-hourly employees such as salaried employees.

“This is an historic achievement because Connecticut is the first state in the nation to pass such legislation,” Rep. Zalaski said. “We have sent a message that Connecticut values its workers and people should not be forced to work when they are sick.”

Rep. Zalaski, who is House Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee and a chief proponent of the bill, led the floor debate over the bill for more than 11 hours fighting off several amendments proposed by opponents.

Under the bill, service employees would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked. The number of permitted sick days is capped at five per year.

The earliest service workers can begin accruing sick leave is January 1, 2012. The workers must have worked for the employer for at least 680 hours and worked an average of at least 10 hours a week for the employer in the most recently completed calendar quarter.

“It’s an historic moment,” House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden) said. “This is the right thing to do. People who work get sick and they deserve to be protected.”

“Paid sick days are good for both workers and businesses because we have created a better, healthier and safer environment for people who work and live in Connecticut,” Rep. Zalaski said. “Now, I look forward to Governor Malloy’s signature on the bill.”

In essence, the bill (HB 6351) gives homeowners an opportunity to participate in the foreclosure mediation program without simultaneously engaging in litigation for up to eight months.

“Connecticut’s foreclosure mediation is a national model and this enhances an already successful law,” Rep. Godfrey said. “We have held public forums in Danbury with House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan that were very well attended and the need for mediation services in the community is great. I am pleased the program will now continue to help keep families in their homes during these tough economic times.”

In response to the national foreclosure crisis, the General Assembly took action in 2008 to protect and assist homeowners by establishing a Foreclosure Mediation Program. The new legislation extends the program to June 30, 2014.

The program assists lenders and homeowners in negotiating a mutually agreeable resolution of a mortgage foreclosure action through the mediation process. Since the program’s inception, over 9,000 cases have completed mediation and the program has achieved a 79 percent settlement rate.

“This is one of the most important pieces of legislation this year. The fact that it received unanimous bipartisan support shows that we can work together and achieve concrete results that will help create and retain manufacturing and technology-based jobs for the long-term,” Sharkey said. “Incentives and a strong network between investors, academics and the state can transform Connecticut into a center of innovation that can be a magnet for entrepreneurs, talented people and great ideas to take root.”

The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation in the state and lays a foundation for long-term economic growth. Incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation, investments in manufacturing and education are all contained in the bill.

The legislation is an outgrowth of the Majority Leaders’ Job Growth Roundtable initiative that was led by Sharkey and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven). In addition to lawmakers, the roundtable was made up of academics, economists, labor and business leaders, and venture capitalists.

“We need to attract more high-tech jobs to the state for the long-term and this bill has the potential to do just that,” said Representative Jeff Berger, Chair of the legislature’s Commerce Committee. “This bill represents the kind of strategic vision and systematic approach to economic development that we have to take. We have to take full advantage of our state’s many assets. And we must refocus our attention on technology and small manufacturing businesses where many of the new jobs will be created to make Connecticut competitive once again.”

Specifically, the Job Growth Roundtable’s recommendations reflected in HB 6525 include:

• Investing in business growth – Positions Connecticut to be an innovation leader by driving technology-based economic development and manufacturing reinvestment.

• Student loan reimbursement for green tech degrees - Students can qualify for up to $2,500 or 5 percent of annual tuition for 4 years.

• A manufacturing reinvestment fund - Expands and protects manufacturing base through new tax-preferred account where machinery, equipment or facilities can be purchased. Up to $50,000 can be used by 50 manufacturers with 50 or less employees for up to 5 years to reinvest and grow their businesses. Account disbursements are taxed at only 3.5 percent.

• An innovation network created in government – DECD will organize technology leaders and entrepreneurs, to increase the state’s innovation competitiveness using incentives and financial support to strengthen the bond between universities and industry. In partnership with federal research funds, increases corporate-sponsored research and establishes an innovation accelerator linking universities, corporations to start-up technology companies. Strengthens technology transfers and entrepreneurship activities at UConn and links angel networks and incubators.

“As we have argued for the past several years, this legislation will move Connecticut further on the path to quality, affordable healthcare for all,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, who has been a chief proponent of health care reform in Connecticut.

He added, “The Healthcare Partnership and Sustinet have been designed to work together as coordinated steps in health care reform. By allowing towns and non-profits to join the state health care system the Partnership provides an important foundation for the broader reforms that Sustinet will create in the future.”

Under the bill, municipalities and non-profits will be able to take advantage of the increased bargaining power and reduced administrative costs associated with the state plan. The state comptroller will offer the option to municipalities for enrollment beginning July 1, 2012 and non-profits for enrollment starting January 1, 2013.

At least 24 states allow local government employees to participate in the state employee plan.

"Hard work and persistent effort has ultimately resulted in a comprehensive bill that moves Connecticut closer to accessible healthcare for all," said State Rep. Betsy Ritter (D-Waterford, Montville), chair of the Public Health Committee. "This process has been extremely challenging, but I am pleased to see we are making progress in our commitment to provide viable options for those in need. I thank my colleagues and Speaker Donovan for his leadership on this bill and also all the people that helped make this happen."

“Similar to shopping at a wholesale store, buying health care in bulk saves consumers money—it’s the power of numbers,” Speaker Donovan said. The Partnership expands on the successful prescription drug pooling initiative from last year, which is already saving money for some municipalities by allowing them to take advantage of the state’s bulk purchasing power. The City of Harford will save $1.8 million per year by joining the state prescription plan. In turn, the state will save $6 million through Hartford’s participation.

Speaker Donovan said the state employee health plan has been providing good benefits to employees while keeping cost increases to a minimum, in large part due to the efforts of the state’s health care cost containment committee, which would continue to oversee the plan under this proposal.

The legislation, he said, will also stimulate our economy. “Employee benefits are one of the largest expenses faced by our cities, towns and non-profits. This plan would allow these entities to take advantage of good healthcare while providing financial relief to balance their budgets,” he said.

The provisions in the bill move the state toward Connecticut-specific health care reform that improves health care delivery, controls costs and results in savings and better health outcomes by:

• planning for a multi-payer database
• improving data collection at DPH
• establishing the Office of Health Reform and Innovation
• developing mechanisms for expanding access to insurance when the individual responsibility requirement takes effect in 2014
• identifying non-state funding sources to facilitate implementation of the federal healthcare reform
• coordinating Medicaid enrollment planning with the Exchange
• convening a consumer advisory board
• establishing the SustiNet Healthcare Cabinet to advise the Governor on development of an integrated health care system and a business plan for expanding coverage through private or public mechanisms; implementing a Basic Health Program for people 133-200% FPL; and convening working groups on health care system reforms, such as multi-payer initiatives, medical homes and electronic health records.

With this legislation, Speaker Donovan said, Connecticut will be able to attract new federal health care dollars; put in place more effective and sustainable ways to deliver health care, improve quality and expand coverage; provide affordable state options for residents; and implement delivery system and payment reforms to move toward a more coordinated, patient-centered, evidenced-based approach to health care that improves quality and slows cost growth.

“Unfortunately there are people who peddle animals for adoption or sale that they brought here under abusive conditions with little or no care,” Hurlburt said. “Many of these animals are being sold right out of shipping crates in parking lots with disease or injury without ever seeing a veterinarian.”

Animal importers would have pay an annual $100 registration fee before bringing any dog or cat into the state. Before offering an animal for sale to the public, the importer must have each animal examined by a veterinarian. The bill also prohibits importing of a dog or cat under eight weeks old with its mother and the sale of a dog or cat less than eight weeks old. Violators are subject to fines of up to $500 per animal. The provisions do not apply to sales to a licensed pet shop.

Tolland resident and veterinarian Gayle Block submitted testimony in support of the legislation to the Environment Committee noting she has seen a high volume of disease in imported animals that eventually end up in shelters or are euthanized.

Agriculture Commissioner Steven Reviczky of Coventry noted the lack of control of the influx of imported animals and wants to foster a close relationship with legitimate animal rescue organizations under Hurlburt’s legislation.

The bill, which passed the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate, specifies qualifying criteria for attorney general by simply requiring someone to be admitted to the Connecticut Bar Association as an attorney for a continuous period of at least 10 years.

“Voters should ultimately decide if someone is qualified to hold office, not the courts,” said Fox, who led debate on the House floor. “By clarifying and simplifying requirements for attorney general, we should be able to avoid litigation in future elections.”

Since 1897, Connecticut law has required a person to be an attorney with at least 10 years of “active practice at the bar of this state” to be sworn in as attorney general. Under appeal of a Superior court ruling that deemed then-Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz an eligible candidate, the state Supreme Court disqualified her 2010 candidacy by interpreting “active practice” to include some experience litigating cases in court.

“Though court litigation is an important and high profile aspect of practicing law, the elected office of attorney general should not be limited as such,” said Fox. “There are plenty of excellent corporate and other types of lawyers that could make great attorney generals and they should have the right to seek office.”

During a public hearing before the Judiciary Committee last month, the Connecticut Bar Association testified in support of the bill, noting that current statute would disqualify many if not most lawyers from serving as attorney general.

“I commend and thank the Governor and union leadership for their hard work in making the tough choices. To move Connecticut forward, we knew that everyone in the state would have to contribute. In avoiding massive layoffs that would hurt our state, and by working together, we are stronger and Connecticut can prosper.”