Category: State News

https://www.doingitlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ConnecticutStatePo.mp4

ROCKY HILL — Across the state, from Route 15 to I-84, I-91 and I-95 to rural roads, the Connecticut State Police have launched expanded efforts to reduce highway fatalities through targeted enforcement.

These initiatives, which have already begun, include using police data to guide additional patrols and enforcement saturation along highways where crashes and fatalities have become more common.

Gov. Ned Lamont joined Interim Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Ronnell A. Higgins, Interim Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the CSP, and Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto to make the announcement Thursday along I-91 in Rocky Hill.

Connecticut has seen an unacceptable increase in driving and pedestrian fatalities as concern has grown about unsafe and reckless driving on state highways. More recently, there have been 3 wrong way crashes in the state, with 7 fatalities.

“The Connecticut State Police and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting the safety of our roadways and preventing irresponsible drivers from endangering the lives of others,” Gov. Lamont said. “We are sending a clear message that reckless driving is dangerous and illegal, and we have zero tolerance for the poor decisions of those whose negligence puts others in harm’s way. With more ridesharing services available now than at any other point in history, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone who may be impaired not to get a designated driver.”

DESPP, which oversees the Connecticut State Police, is working collaboratively with other state agencies and municipal police departments to improve enforcement and educate motorists.

“We know where the greatest problem areas are. We know that increased enforcement works,’’ said Interim DESPP Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins. “Using data, improved technology, and targeted enforcement, we will work with our other partners in government to reduce highway fatalities.’’

Commissioner Eucalitto said the DOT would continue to work closely with DESPP, the Connecticut State Police, and other partners.

“I am appreciative of law enforcement who are out on the roads day and night keeping our communities safe,’’ Eucalitto said. “We at CTDOT are doing what we can from a design, engineering, and construction standpoint to help people get to their destination safely. Despite all of these efforts, it is the driver who can control their actions. Remember to slow down, pay attention, and drive sober.”

There were 302 deaths along state highways in 2021, 366 in 2022, and 322 in 2023, according to the DOT. There have been 49 fatalities in 2024. Historically, traffic fatalities in Connecticut have been trending downward since 1980, despite a recent surge.

“In addition to patrolling thousands of miles of roads in our state, the Connecticut State Police also regularly plan initiatives to combat distracted driving, aggressive driving, and operating under the influence,’’ Col. Loughman said. “Patrol troopers, in conjunction with our Traffic Services Unit and the DOT, work collaboratively to focus on deterring dangerous driving – including wrong way drivers – on all Connecticut roads.”

(Hartford, CT) – Following an investigation that uncovered nearly 400 deceptive real estate agreements in Connecticut through the company MV Realty, Attorney General William Tong today urged legislators to pass legislation banning the multi-year predatory listing deals and nullifying all existing unfair contracts.

MV Realty is a Florida-based company with two licensed realtors in Connecticut. An investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General revealed that the company has targeted hundreds of lower-income homeowners in Connecticut, offering residential exclusive listing agreements, which MV calls “Homeowner Benefit Agreements.” Through these agreements, MV provides a small cash payment of a few hundred dollars in exchange for the exclusive right to list their homes for sale for a period of 40 years. If a homeowner chooses to sell their home during that period, MV merely posts the home to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). They do not serve as a real estate agent. If the homeowner seeks to cancel the exclusive listing agreement or lists their home without using MV, they are subject to a draconian penalty of 3 percent of the market price of their home—often worth several thousand dollars.  Moreover, the exclusive listing agreements are entered on the land records as a lien.

“MV Realty preyed on hundreds of Connecticut homeowners with scam deals. Their agreements offered small amounts of up-front cash in exchange for decades-long contracts that few people understood or even had the chance to review. Connecticut law should leave no doubt—these contracts must be banned and voided,” said Attorney General Tong.

There are approximately 400 MV Homeowner Benefit Agreements recorded on residential land records in Connecticut. The Office of the Attorney General sent surveys to all 400 homeowners and has received responses from more than 100 people to date.

Many homeowners reported that they did not understand the terms of the agreement when it was offered, were not given time to review the paperwork presented and reviewed and signed the exclusive listing agreements on cracked iPads without a notary present.  Some were not afforded the opportunity to read the agreement at all and had it read to them, while others were not given copies of the agreements after execution.  Many homeowners did not learn of the terms of the exclusive listing agreement until they were preparing to close on the sale of their home or refinancing and the lien was discovered following a title search, forcing them to pay exorbitant amounts to have it removed.

After a handful of states sued MV, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sought to enjoin the states’ actions.  MV was unsuccessful in preventing the suits from going forward and states including Connecticut continue to pursue all available remedies for removing the exclusive listing agreements from homeowners’ land records and seek restitution for consumers who were forced to pay MV. 

Legislation proposed by the Office of the Attorney General would make clear that such unconscionably long exclusive listing agreements are unenforceable and would provide mechanisms for removing existing agreements from land records. The legislation would limit such agreements to one year and prohibit recording such agreements on land records. The proposal would further nullify all existing unfair excusive listing agreements and give homeowners and the Attorney General authority to seek removal of these agreements from land records.

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong submitted testimony and will testify today before the Banking Committee in support of expanded authority to investigate and bring civil enforcement actions regarding bank consumer financial protection failures.

Attorney General Tong will testify remotely at the Banking Committee hearing taking place at 11 a.m. today, February 27 in Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building.

The legislation would empower the Office of the Attorney General to enforce critical provisions of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA), also known as title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to conduct investigations of alleged deceptive and anti-consumer practices. Federal authorities and other state attorneys general have used this authority to investigate and bring civil enforcement actions to hold accountable payday lenders, debt collectors, cash advance companies, for-profit colleges, tribal lending entities, and purported law firms operating mortgage relief schemes. The bill would give the Office of the Attorney General the investigatory tools necessary to enforce CFPA protections against banks chartered in other states.

Federal authorities and other state attorneys general who already have this authority have investigated and brought civil enforcement actions to hold accountable payday lenders, debt collectors, cash advance companies, for-profit colleges, tribal lending entities, and purported law firms operating mortgage relief schemes.

The legislation was first introduced in 2022, and reintroduced last year following the fraught merger between People’s United and M&T banks. To date, the Office of the Attorney General has received over 425 complaints regarding the merger. While the bulk of those complaints were received in the immediate months following the takeover, issues remain. The Office of the Attorney General received 25 new complaints in the past year, including complaints from individuals with challenges related to power of attorney and principal payments on home equity loans.

“We cannot wait for another fiasco to protect Connecticut consumers and strengthen our laws,” said Attorney General Tong. “More than a year after the disastrous M&T takeover, we continue to receive complaints from customers. Connecticut consumers deserve the same protections already in place in nearly every other state nationwide.”

Altice USA experienced a notable 36% surge in its shares on Monday, spurred by reports indicating that Charter Communications is contemplating the acquisition of the broadband company. Charter is reportedly in talks with financial advisors to assess the viability of such an acquisition, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. Despite the spike in Altice USA’s shares, it remains uncertain whether Charter has initiated formal discussions about the potential transaction, and as of now, Altice USA has not been approached by Charter for talks, as reported by CNBC.

This news is brought to you by:

Amid the speculation surrounding the possible acquisition, the larger company, Charter, saw a 2% drop in its shares on Monday. Both Charter and Altice USA have faced stock declines of about 25% and over 40%, respectively, earlier this year, reflecting broader challenges in the industry as major communication companies struggle to retain broadband and cable subscribers. The reported deal would bring substantial consolidation at a time when companies in the sector are grappling with subscriber retention issues. As of now, neither Charter nor Altice USA has officially commented on the reported acquisition discussions.

WEST HAVEN — The Connecticut State Police have disclosed the identities of the four individuals who lost their lives in a tragic wrong-way collision on Interstate 95 early Sunday.

According to state police, the incident occurred at approximately 1:25 a.m. in the southbound lanes near Exit 42. The driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck from New Haven was reportedly traveling in the wrong direction, colliding with a Nissan Altima head-on in the left lane. Subsequently, the pickup truck veered into the center lane, where it also struck a Nissan Sentra head-on.

In the aftermath, all three occupants of the Altima, identified as Husein Alili (25) of Wolcott, the driver, along with passengers Jolie Cierra Lubin (23) of Trumbull, and Samantha Pearl Birchard (22) of Norwalk, tragically lost their lives. The driver of the Chevrolet, Kyle Thomas Bulkley (26) from New Haven, also succumbed to the collision.

The occupants of the Nissan Sentra, a man and a woman from Dix Hills, N.Y., sustained serious injuries and were transported to Yale New Haven Hospital.

The Connecticut State Police are actively investigating the incident. Witnesses to the crash are encouraged to reach out to Trooper Falstoe #849 at 203-696-2500 or nicolas.falstoe@ct.gov.

https://www.doingitlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/News-with-Template-copy-17-1-3-1.mp4

On February 25, 2024, around 0125 hours, Troop G responded to a motor vehicle collision on Interstate 95 south in West Haven. The collision involved a wrong-way driver traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. A Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck collided with a southbound Nissan Altima in the left lane. After the impact, the Chevrolet Silverado entered the center lane and collided with a southbound Nissan Sentra.

The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado and the three occupants of the Nissan Altima suffered fatal injuries. The two occupants of the Nissan Sentra sustained life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital by ambulance. Occupants and vehicle information are currently withheld, and notifications to next of kin are pending.

All lanes of Interstate 95 south were closed for several hours after the collision. The State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Squad assisted with the collision reconstruction. The investigation is ongoing, and any witnesses are urged to contact Trooper Falstoe #849 at 203-696-2500 or nicolas.falstoe@ct.gov. Further details will be provided in an upcoming press release.

blob:https://www.doingitlocal.com/f0ae3111-ddc9-46b9-b1b4-2ee19431a2da

Governor’s Budget Proposal Includes Historic Investments For Both K-12 Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today expressed his support for sending state funding intended for education services directly to classrooms, saying that students will benefit best when this money is used to support the hiring of teachers and the purchasing of necessary classroom equipment.

The governor’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that he presented to the legislature earlier this month recommends:

• Increasing education cost sharing (ECS) funds to K-12 school districts by $128.8 million over the current fiscal year; and
• Increasing state funding for early childhood education by $43.4 million over the current fiscal year.

The increase in ECS funding will help Connecticut reach full funding of the formula by fiscal year 2026, a full two years sooner than the original ten-year goal. Additionally, the increase in funding for early childhood education will increase the number of families eligible for Care 4 Kids and go directly to child care providers, enabling them to support the expansion of services in classrooms, such as through the hiring of more teachers and purchasing of necessary classroom equipment.

Combined, these will be some of the largest investments ever made for Connecticut’s K-12 schools and early childhood education providers.

“Money intended for education works best when it goes to the classroom,” Governor Lamont said. “I am proposing that we use critical state resources to ensure that our state’s children have access to the classroom support they need to succeed.  We can accomplish this by increasing ECS funding for our K-12 schools, working with schools to fully expend the $400 million in remaining ARP ESSER funds, and supporting an expansion of early childhood education services. The ability of our K-12 education system to succeed depends in great part on the success of our early childhood education system, and we have a desperate need to expand these services, including through the hiring of more teachers. There are thousands of families in our state who are unable to enroll their children in early childhood education because of a lack of resources. We have an opportunity this year to increase access to education for our youngest residents, and we should do it.”

“The governor’s proposed budget increases funding for classrooms, providing resources where it can make a real difference in improving student outcomes,” Jeffrey Beckham, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and Governor Lamont’s chief budget advisor, said. “The current budget disguises municipal aid as education funding, essentially sending aid budgeted for magnet and vo-ag students back to their home district as a tuition subsidy rather than adding resources for classroom learning. Our proposal increases ECS funding, fully funds charter schools and vo-ag schools at the statutory amount, and increases the per pupil grant for both magnet schools and open choice schools. It supports the continuation of free school breakfast statewide, subsidizes the student’s share of reduced-price meals, and permanently funds the nationally recognized LEAP program, addressing chronic absence. If the General Assembly is truly serious about ensuring that all Connecticut students will be successful, they will support the governor’s proposal.”

The following chart represents the increase in ECS funding Governor Lamont is proposing to send to K-12 school districts for fiscal year 2025, as well as the balance of federal ARP ESSER funding available to K-12 schools for the year:

https://www.doingitlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Inacollaborativee.mp4

Nearly 400 Recent Lead Poisoning Cases Connected to Recalled Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Highlight Urgent Need for Stronger Protections

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take urgent action to protect babies and young children nationwide from lead and other toxic metals in baby food. In a letter sent this week, Attorney General Tong and the coalition urged FDA to act on their October 2021 petition and subsequent June 2022 petition and letter, which asked FDA to issue specific guidance to the baby food industry to require testing of all finished food products for lead and other toxic metals. The coalition emphasizes the critical need for FDA to act, citing recent findings of hundreds of childhood lead poisoning linked to recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches that were sold in stores throughout the country without first being tested for toxic metals.

“There is zero excuse for toxic metals in baby food. For years, we have urged the FDA to adopt strong, specific guidance around testing for toxic metals in baby food. For years, FDA has delayed its duty. Now, hundreds of children have been permanently harmed due to untested toxic lead in cinnamon applesauce pouches. The FDA cannot wait any longer to protect our children and the safety of our food supply,” said Attorney General Tong.

Despite the agency concluding years ago that babies’ and young children’s smaller bodies and metabolisms make them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of toxic metals, FDA has established only one action level for one type of toxic metal (inorganic arsenic) in one type of baby food product (infant rice cereal) to date. Under current FDA policy, baby food manufacturers are left to decide whether or not to even test their products for toxic metals and other contaminants.

This delay in FDA action is both a public health concern and a matter of environmental justice, as children from low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by lead through exposure to lead-based paint, lead in drinking water pipes, and other sources. Lead in their food only exacerbates the existing inordinate and inequitable hazards these children face.

In April 2021, FDA announced the “Closer to Zero” plan, under which the agency committed to proposing “action levels” for lead in various baby foods by April 2022, inorganic arsenic in various baby foods by April 2024, and cadmium and mercury sometime after April 2024. FDA has since removed those deadlines from its Closer to Zero website. In October 2021, Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a petition with FDA urging the agency to issue clear industry guidance on testing for lead and other toxic metals in finished baby and toddler food products. After FDA denied the 2021 petition, Attorney General Tong and the coalition sought reconsideration of the decision in June 2022. The letter sent today renews the call for FDA to take urgent action to protect families from lead and other toxic metals in baby food products.

In the letter, Attorney General Tong and the coalition highlight recent widespread childhood lead poisonings related to high levels of lead detected in WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce pouches, that were not tested for toxic metals and have since been recalled. The now-recalled WanaBana pouches were sold in Dollar Tree stores throughout the country. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified nearly 400 confirmed or probable childhood lead poisoning cases in connection to consumption of these cinnamon applesauce pouches.

3 things all parents should do following the FDA’s pouch recalls | BabyCenter

WanaBana Recalls WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée Pouches & Cinnamon Apple Sauce Due to Elevated Lead Levels | FDA

Weis brand applesauce pouches among recall for lead levels: FDA, CDC

Consumers who have purchased these recalled products and may still have them in their homes should not feed them to children or anyone else. Instead, these products should be safely discarded by carefully opening each pouch and emptying the contents into the garbage to prevent others from possibly salvaging and consuming the recalled products. For more information on these recalled products, consult FDA.

Joining Attorney General Tong in sending this letter to FDA are the attorneys general of New York, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Assistant Attorney General Jill Lacedonia and Deputy Associate Attorney General Matthew Levine, Chief of the Environment Section, assisted the Attorney General in this matter.

Governor Proposes $43.3 Million Increase for Next Fiscal Year, on Top of the $45 Million Increase Approved in the Current Budget

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is asking the Connecticut General Assembly to approve a $43.4 million increase in funding to support the expansion of early childhood education services statewide when they vote on the fiscal year 2025 state budget in the coming weeks. This proposed increase will come on top of the $45 million increase for early childhood education that was approved last year in the fiscal year 2024 and 2025 biennial budget.

The expansion of early childhood education has been a high priority for Governor Lamont, noting that it is not only needed to give a head start and improve educational outcomes for children, but it also supports parents in their own ability to seek employment. Since he first took office, funding in the state budget for early childhood education has increased from $214.1 million in 2019 to $404.5 million in the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget – an 88.9% increase.

“Expanding access to early childhood education has numerous benefits that include not only supporting children but uplifting entire families and improving economic outcomes,” Governor Lamont said. “Child care access is an investment with payoffs that reverberate. Investments in high-quality child care help optimize children’s brain development and long-term physical and emotional health, as well as their educational achievements. It also supports the economic growth of our state, helping businesses recruit and retain workers. These are some of the best investments we can make to ensure that Connecticut is the most family-friendly state in the country.”

Governor Lamont’s fiscal year 2025 budget adjustment proposal was informed by the work of the Connecticut Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care, which he established last year and tasked with developing a five-year strategic plan to design the next generation of child care in Connecticut.

The proposed $43.4 million will be used for a broad range of investments, most notably an increase in Care 4 Kids, which helps low to moderate-income families pay for the costs of child care. It will also fund a tri-share pilot program in Eastern Connecticut to support more child care options for families with direct engagement of the business community.

As part of the plan, the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, led by Commissioner Beth Bye, will also apply $12.5 million in federal Child Care and Development Fund dollars to increase access to Care 4 Kids.

“As we work to enhance the early childhood workforce, these rate increases, coupled with ongoing stabilization payments will help lift compensation for the field,” Commissioner Bye said. “The proposal to simplify the state’s early childhood teacher credential, coupled with apprenticeship and workforce pipeline programs will help expand the workforce over the next three years.”

Governor Lamont and Commissioner Bye today visited Hyland Early Learning Center in Hartford to highlight these plans. The child care center – which provides high-quality child care to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with the support of School Readiness, Child Day Care, and Care 4 Kids funds – is one of many early childhood education providers that will directly benefit from the increase in funding.

“Our center provides a critical service to children and families living in Hartford, thanks to the state and federal funds that make this possible,” Jennifer Baglin, director of the Hyland Early Learning Center, said. “Governor Lamont’s commitment to increase state support for Connecticut’s early care and education system is a lifeline for our families.”

The governor’s budget proposal is currently being considered by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

Bill would ensure all Danbury Bureau of Prison employees receive competitive pay

[Hartford, CT] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) to introduce the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act to ensure fair pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees in rural areas.

The bill will help to address staffing shortages at Federal Correctional Institution Danbury (FCI Danbury) by allowing for competitive pay that better reflects the cost of living, commute times, alternative careers, and the hard work and dedication of BOP employees.

FCI Danbury’s General Schedule (GS) pay scale employees receive New York locality pay—a cost of living adjustment that bumps pay to be more competitive with the high cost of living area—but non-GS employees such as maintenance workers, plumbers and housekeepers do not receive this benefit. Because of on-going staffing shortages, many of these staff members are required to carry out the duties of correctional officers and should be compensated as such. The bill would expand access to locality pay for these non-GS employees.

 “For years Bureau of Prisons employees in Connecticut have suffered from low wages, and unsustainable working conditions. All workers deserve fair treatment — not just for their sake, but in the public interest.  Our bill would pay people fairly and competitively to improve conditions across FCI Danbury,” Blumenthal said.

“This bipartisan congressional act is a significant step in the right direction for correctional workers at FCI Danbury and throughout the United States. Correctional professionals are a vital part of the Justice System and have been overlooked for far too long. We truly appreciate the work that Senators Blumenthal, Cassidy, and Casey are doing to correct these egregious, bureaucratic oversights,” AFGE Local 1661 FCI Danbury said in a statement.

The shortage of correctional officers has grown each year over the past four years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% decline in correctional officers by 2032. Understaffed prisons and overworked employees have created increasingly dangerous work environments—under current policies, BOP uses cooks, teachers, and nurses to guard inmates when there is a shortage of officers. This temporary fix pulls employees away from their usual duties and negatively impacts incarcerated people by limiting visitations, recreational time, and academic enrichment opportunities.

The bill would address this staffing problem by improving access to locality pay. Locality raises are determined by comparisons of local private sector salary rates, and an individual’s rate is based on where he or she works, not where he or she lives. Places located outside of these locality pay areas are compensated on a lower Rest of US (RUS) pay scale.