Month: January 2024

(Hartford, CT) –Attorney General William Tong this week led a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget, urging the Biden administration to complete its review and swiftly implement proposed FDA Rules, which would prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. In the letter, the coalition specifically highlights calls for action by civil rights and public health groups to remove menthol tobacco products from the marketplace to protect public health and address the systemic and disproportionate impact of these products on minority communities and other vulnerable populations, including young people.

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“Menthol is added to make a deadly and distasteful product more palatable, with disproportionate health impacts in Black communities where tobacco companies have aggressively marketed menthol tobacco. I join civil rights leaders, public health experts, and attorneys general from across the country in urging the Biden Administration to prohibit menthol cigarette and flavored cigar sales,” said Attorney General Tong.

Overwhelming scientific evidence — including the FDA’s own findings and statements — leave no doubt that menthol cigarettes have far-reaching adverse impacts on public health, resulting in more smoking and more death and disease from tobacco use. Cigarette manufacturers add menthol to cigarettes and cigars to disguise the harsh taste of tobacco. As a result, this flavoring remains a primary reason why young people initiate and become addicted to smoking. Menthol cigarette use is also disproportionately high among LGBTQ+ smokers, women, racial and ethnic minorities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

For decades, the tobacco industry has aggressively marketed menthol cigarettes in Black communities through heavy advertising and promotional campaigns. As a result, in 2020, approximately 81 percent of non-Hispanic Black adults who smoked used menthol cigarettes, compared to 34 percent of non-Hispanic White adults.

In the letter, the multistate coalition urges the Biden Administration to finalize its review of the FDA’s proposed Rules without delay. As state and territorial chief legal officers, the attorneys general refute the tobacco industry’s unfounded claims that the proposed menthol ban will likely increase illicit trade or abusive policing in Black communities. The coalition argues that the FDA’s proposed rules are critical for advancing health equity and protecting the public health of all Americans.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that, in Connecticut alone, an estimated 8,200 additional adults who smoke would quit smoking if menthol cigarettes were no longer available.  Banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars would bring the country closer to achieving the Cancer Moonshot, President Biden’s historic push “to end cancer as we know it.”

Attorney General Tong led the coalition, along with the attorneys general of California, Illinois and New York. Attorneys general from Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and District of Columbia also signed the letter.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Heather Wilson, Deputy Section Chief for Tobacco Enforcement, Assistant Attorney General Amor Rosario and Deputy Associate Attorney General Philip Miller, Chief of the Financial and Revenue Services Section, assisted Attorney General Tong in this matter.

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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Treasurer Erick Russell today announced that 7,810 children across Connecticut have been born automatically eligible for the landmark Connecticut Baby Bonds program since it launched on July 1, 2023.

Connecticut is the first state in the nation to fund and implement a baby bonds program aimed at building a brighter future for children born into poverty. Children whose birth is covered by HUSKY, the state’s Medicaid program, are automatically enrolled in the program and are having $3,200 invested on their behalf. Those investments, which are managed by the Office of the Treasurer, will grow over time and can be used when the participant is between the ages of 18 and 30 for specific purposes intended to help build individual wealth. These include purchasing a home in Connecticut, starting or investing in a Connecticut business, paying for education or job training, and saving for retirement.

“In just six months, the first-in-the-nation Connecticut Baby Bonds program has put more than 7,000 working families on a pathway to the middle class and is transforming the future of our state,” Governor Lamont said. “This gives our young people startup capital for their lives and ultimately will help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty for thousands of families. These funds aren’t just an investment, they’re a symbol of hope and a promise that everyone can make it right here in Connecticut.”

“It’s thrilling to see thousands of new residents born with access to resources that will help them shape their own future here in Connecticut,” Treasurer Russell said. “Connecticut Baby Bonds invests directly in people, creating new economic opportunities for families in every city and town. The result will be tens of thousands of new potential homebuyers, skilled workers, and inventive entrepreneurs. My office has been hard at work building the program’s infrastructure and collaborating with stakeholders to maximize its impact. I look forward to continued outreach and support to prepare these kids and their parents for the exciting future that awaits.”

Between July 1, 2023, and December 20, 2023, a total of 7,810 Connecticut births have been covered by HUSKY, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). It is estimated that about 15,000 babies will be eligible for Connecticut Baby Bonds annually. Parents of eligible newborns do not need to take any action to enroll or apply.

Since its launch, children eligible for Connecticut Baby Bonds have been born in 165 of the state’s 169 towns and cities. Over the course of a full year, it is anticipated that eligible participants will be born in every municipality. According to the data, the municipalities with the highest number of participants so far are:

1. Bridgeport, 798
2. Hartford, 621
3. Waterbury, 615
4. New Haven, 560
5. Stamford, 376

“The fact that we have helped set up more than 7,800 newborn babies in the last six months with a head start out of poverty is a tremendous achievement,” DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said. “It is through the leadership of Governor Lamont and Treasurer Russell that we are here today.”

In 2021, Connecticut became the first state to pass baby bonds legislation and funding was secured in 2023 under a plan that lowered the overall cost of the program by more than $200 million than initially anticipated and avoided $600 million in borrowing by investing the full amount required upfront. The Connecticut Baby Bonds Trust was officially formed and funded in August 2023.

Connecticut’s baby bonds funding solution was named “Innovative Financing Deal of the Year” for 2023 by The Bond Buyer, a publication serving the municipal finance community.

For more information about Connecticut Baby Bonds or to sign up for periodic email updates about the program, visit babybonds.ct.gov.

Connecticut Launches New One-Stop-Shop Portal for Jobseekers

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of Connecticut’s new jobs portal, jobs.ct.gov. The portal is aimed at assisting Connecticut residents and those seeking to move to the state in the process of finding a job. It represents the latest development in the Lamont administration’s ongoing journey toward an all-digital state government.

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“The new jobs portal is the next step in our administration’s effort to make information more accessible and available for Connecticut residents and businesses,” Governor Lamont said. “Through jobs.ct.gov, jobseekers can access search tools, tips, and resources to help land a job, as well as training and certification opportunities. The jobs portal is also a tool that will help bring qualified candidates to employers’ job openings. It is another step in the right direction in the state’s digital journey, benefitting both residents and businesses.”

Jobs.ct.gov joins health.ct.gov and business.ct.gov as the next service category to be developed in the new digital, one-stop government ecosystem. Some of the resources available through the jobs portal include:

• Powerful job search tools;
• Job search tips and personal help;
• Free and low-cost training, certificate, and classroom programs; and
• Resources to help employers hire, train, and retain employees.

All of the resources are Connecticut-specific and focus on connecting jobseekers with the variety of employment and workforce development opportunities offered in the state.

“Over the past few years, Connecticut has made dramatic progress on its digital journey,” Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman said. “Jobs.ct.gov is another example of cross-agency collaboration that will lead to a better experience for the resident. We recognize the need to meet residents where they are, making information more easily accessible while working to break down agency barriers. The jobs portal is an exciting development, giving jobseekers another tool to help connect them to opportunities, and we expect more initiatives like this in coming months and years.”

“Connecticut provides many services to support people on their journey to raise their level of employment, however those services were historically spread out across agencies and websites,” Connecticut Chief Information Officer and DAS Deputy Commissioner Mark Raymond said. “Jobs.ct.gov simplifies how people can find these critical resources.”

“This is an important addition to the job seeker’s toolbox,” Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said. “Under Governor Lamont’s leadership, the statewide economy continues to be strong, steady, and add jobs. Yet, employers in some industries still face workforce shortages and jobs.ct.gov will be a valuable resource to them. This portal will help recruiters of all types find and train their workforce, get people into jobs, and keep Connecticut companies growing.”

“Jobseekers need information and tools that will enable them to search and apply for jobs quickly and easily and access training and resources that will support them in attaining a good job,” Connecticut Chief Workforce Officer Kelli Vallieres said. “Jobs.ct.gov provides jobseekers with these tools in one centralized location. Importantly, the new portal also provides employers with information to reach greater numbers of skilled jobseekers from diverse backgrounds, which is critical to a more robust and equitable Connecticut economy.”

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) is applauding the portal’s launch, saying it reflects broader calls from employers and residents for solutions that streamline and improve access to state services and resources.

“An easier front door for jobseekers is exactly what is needed to better connect supply and demand, especially for this who are disconnected from the labor force, unemployed, or underemployed,” CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima said. “We have the jobs, what we need are the people to fill those jobs and jobs.ct.gov will help connect the two.”