Category: State News

Attorney General William Tong tsought a court order forcing Stone Academy’s owners to comply with the state’s ongoing investigation into potential violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act by Stone Academy.

On March 15, Attorney General Tong served Joseph Bierbaum and Richard Scheinberg with civil investigative demands seeking detailed information regarding their financial and legal interests and duties and responsibilities at Stone Academy and other for-profit education entities in Connecticut. The demand also sought information regarding where Stone Academy records are stored, as well as payroll, staffing, enrollment and attendance records. The investigative demand further sought answers from both Bierbaum and Scheinberg as to efforts they made to ensure Stone’s compliance with Connecticut Law, including their awareness or involvement in efforts to allow non-clinical assignments to count toward clinical instruction hours at Stone, efforts to ensure adequate student faculty ratios, efforts to ensure the accuracy of student transcripts, among other questions.

Bierbaum and Scheinberg failed to respond to or even acknowledge the demand by a March 29 deadline. As a result, Attorney General Tong today sought a court order forcing compliance with the CID. 

“Stone took in millions of dollars in tuition from students who spent countless hours away from their families and jobs to become nurses and advance their careers. Stone utterly failed them. What has happened to these students is a tragedy and I am beyond outraged on their behalf. We are bringing everything we’ve got to this investigation, and we are going to get to the bottom of this. If our office finds any wrongdoing, I will not hesitate to hold those responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Tong.

Attorney General Tong first launched the investigation on February 23, after the nursing school abruptly closed its doors leaving students’ education plans in limbo. Attorney General Tong sent initial civil investigative demands to Stone Academy demanding detailed information and records regarding the education provided to and tuition collected from each student, the schools’ marketing practices, faculty qualifications, revenues, and accreditation materials, as well as all complaints received by the school. The demand to Stone also sought information regarding how and when the school decided to close and how that decision was communicated to students. The demand further sought detailed information as to how the school intends to reimburse students for tuition and costs, how it intends to assist students in continuing their education, and how it intends to inform students of their rights and options following the school closure.

Stone responded to the demand. The Office of the Attorney General is reviewing those records, and has conducted numerous interviews with Stone students and others connected with the school with relevant information.  

Attorney General Tong today sent a letter to Stone’s attorneys identifying several specific areas where the school’s responses appear to be incomplete or missing information.   The Office of the Attorney General is demanding full and complete responses.  

The for-profit nursing school abruptly closed its campuses in East Hartford, Waterbury and West Haven on February 15 following serious concerns regarding National Council Licensure Examination rates, faculty qualifications, and clinical training.

The Office of Higher Education, Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Education are all working to assist students in obtaining transcripts, tuition refunds, loan discharges, adjustments to veteran’s benefits, as well as providing support for students attempting to continue their education at other schools.

Stone had initially agreed to pay for and cooperate with an audit of its student records in order to enable students to continue with their education and begin their careers. Stone has since reneged. The state has agreed to pay for that audit, which is now underway.

If you are a Stone Academy student in need of assistance, or a Stone Academy employee with information relevant to this investigation, please provide information via the Office of the Attorney General’s online portal.

Students may also wish to contact the Office of Higher Education for assistance and guidance regarding their educational options via 860-947-1816 or ohe.pcs@ct.gov.

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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont issued the following statement in response to the fiscal year 2024-2025 spending proposal that was released today by the leadership of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee:

“I appreciate the Appropriation Committee’s hard work to deliver a document that appears to respect the fiscal guardrails that have been a key component of our state’s success over the past few years. We’re reviewing the details of the legislature’s spending plan, look forward to meeting with them to discuss their proposals, and will work with them to pass an honestly balanced budget that provides growth, opportunity, and affordability for Connecticut’s residents, families, and businesses.”

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is promoting National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) from April 17-21, 2023, highlighting this year’s theme of “You play a role in work zone safety. Work with us.”

NWZAW has been observed for more than 20 years and was launched as a public awareness campaign to help everyone understand how they play a role in keeping workers, motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists safe on the roads.

“Every day, thousands of people drive through work zones across our state,” said Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “We encourage drivers to work with us in allowing CTDOT crews, construction workers, and emergency responders to make it home safe to their families. Playing a role means slowing down your speed, putting down the distractions while driving, staying alert no matter the conditions, and only getting behind the wheel when you’re sober.”

Over the last four years in Connecticut, there have been over 3,600 crashes in work zones, resulting in 13 fatalities and 37 serious injuries.

Statistics from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse show there were 774 fatal crashes in work zones resulting in 857 deaths in 2020. In addition, 117 roadway workers were killed in work zones.

On Monday, April 17, CTDOT livestreamed a special Connecticut Work Zone Awareness Week event on its Facebook page to raise awareness about increasing the safety of workers, motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists in work zones. Special guest speakers included CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, FHWA’s Andrea Merejo, and additional local and state partners.

On Wednesday, April 19, CTDOT and organizations around the country will participate in Go Orange Day. Members of the public are invited to join CTDOT in spreading the message of work zone safety by wearing orange and sharing photos on social media using the hashtags #NWZAW #ObeyTheOrange and #Orange4Safety.

On Thursday, April 20 at noon, CTDOT encourages the public to join the nation for a special moment of silence wherever you are to honor and remember the people killed in work zone crashes.

CTDOT recognizes and appreciates all highway construction and maintenance workers, town and city public works departments across the state, public utility companies, private contractors, construction industry associations, and state and local police departments who are all affected by safe traveling through work zones.

To learn more about NWZAW, visit NWZAW.org and visit CTDOT’s Work Zone Safety Awareness page.

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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is appointing Karen Pascale to serve as director of the Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office. Pascale has a long career in the field of early childhood with extensive experience being a leader in the Head Start community.

The creation of state Head Start Collaboration Offices were authorized by the federal Head Start Act. These offices facilitate work between state and local entities to improve policies and practices that impact low-income children from birth to school entry their families, and communities. The Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office is housed within the Office of Early Childhood, a state agency serving young children age birth to five and their families.

“I want Connecticut to be a leader in the availability of access to high-quality childcare, and the federal Head Start program is a critical partner in this effort,” Governor Lamont said. “Karen has the experience and skills to hit the ground running and support our administration’s overall goals of building a robust and accessible system of child care that works for families, providers, and the economy.”

Pascale has worked at United Way of Greater New Haven since 2012, most recently as the senior director of early childhood. In this role, she oversaw the Secure Start Initiative to strengthen attachments between parents and caregivers, represented the United Way of Greater New Haven on local early childhood councils, and served as the Early Head Start director. From 2008 to 2012, she worked at LULAC Head Start Inc. as the education/disabilities coordinator and program manager.

She has also been part of many of Connecticut’s early childhood systems efforts, including serving as chairperson of the Connecticut Head Start Association and as the representative for Head Start on the Connecticut Early Childhood Cabinet and the Interagency Coordinating Council.

“I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge and Head Start experience to the Office of Early Childhood,” Pascale said. “Partnerships with the Office of Early Childhood and other state agencies that serve young children and their families are critical to ensuring that they, particularly low-income families, have the resources to succeed in life now and in the future.”

“Karen most recently has led early childhood initiatives at United Way of Greater New Haven, including serving as the Early Head Start director,” Beth Bye, commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood, said. “This experience will be very valuable to the Office of Early Childhood as the agency supports Governor Lamont’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care that is charged with creating a five-year strategic plan for Connecticut that supports family needs, business needs, and prioritizes equitable access to early care and education.”

The position of director of the Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office was most recently held by Elena Trueworthy, who is now serving as deputy commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood.

“Karen comes to this position with strong partnerships at the local, state, and national levels and her leadership in many of the current initiatives supported by the Head Start Collaboration Office will allow her to continue to build upon the critical role of Head Start in Connecticut,” Trueworthy said.

Pascale holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of New Haven. She is a trained facilitator in Circle of Security, CLASS Reliability, and Program in Infant Toddler Care.

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HARTFORD, Conn. (April 10, 2023) — Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced the deadline to apply for the 2023 Broker Academy Program is extended to April 30. To apply for the program, click here.

The Broker Academy creates a pathway to license health insurance brokers by recruiting from, and building the skillsets of, those who live and work in historically underserved communities throughout Connecticut. The program was created as part of AHCT’s mission to increase the rate of the insured and reduce health disparities in the state.

Program applicants must be 18 years or older, hold a high school diploma or GED, have 1-3 letters of recommendation and have community service experience. The Broker Academy is open to all Connecticut residents and preference will be given to applicants who reside or work in underserved areas.

Accepted Broker Academy students will receive free training, a five-month mentorship with an experienced broker, professional development and program support. Weekly training sessions for program readiness will be held in May and in-person classes begin June 5.

“This new deadline gives people more time to apply to the Broker Academy,” said Access Health CT Chief Executive Officer James Michel. “Connecticut residents in underserved communities need access to trusted brokers and information to help them enroll in a health insurance plan. The Broker Academy will train and license people who can then serve as a resource in these areas of the state.”

More Than a Dozen Projects Proposed for the Northeast to Advance Production, Consumption, and Infrastructure for Clean Hydrogen for Use in Hard to Decarbonize Sectors

(HARTFORD, CT) – The States of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts today announced the submission of the group’s proposal for a Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (NE Hub) to the U.S. Department of Energy to compete for a $1.25 billion share of the $8 billion in federal hydrogen hub funding available as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Together with the federal portion, the proposal represents a $3.6 billion investment and includes more than one dozen projects across seven Northeast states that advance clean electrolytic hydrogen production, consumption, and infrastructure projects, for hard to decarbonize sectors, including transportation and heavy industry, among others. Today’s announcement supports each state’s climate and clean energy goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy across all sectors of the economy. Awards are anticipated to be announced in fall 2023.

The NE Hub partnership, formed in March 2022, initially included the States of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In August 2022, the States of Rhode Island and Maine joined the coalition, followed by Vermont in February 2023. In total, more than 100 partners signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with the states in developing the submitted proposal.

Clean hydrogen has the potential to provide an emission-free energy source for otherwise hard-to-decarbonize sectors and promote the creation of clean, good-paying jobs. Connecticut’s longstanding leadership in fuel cell development and manufacturing positions the state to be a leader in hydrogen development. The hub’s coordinated, multi-state strategy is designed to integrate projects across the region and create an ecosystem that connects hydrogen producers and users, technology original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the research and development community, workforce development, and environmental justice organizations, and labor and communities’ representatives.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said, “This is a momentous day for the Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, and I’m thrilled with the compelling application we made to the U.S. Department of Energy. The public-private partners in our hydrogen ecosystem are worldwide leaders in business innovation, and climate leadership. I thank them for the collective effort getting us to this point, and I look forward to a favorable decision from the Department of Energy and the good-paying, local jobs and many other community benefits that will result.”

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(NEWINGTON, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced the implementation of a program to reduce speeding in work zones and improve Connecticut roadway safety. The Know The Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program will be active on April 10, 2023, in Connecticut at work zones in Norwalk and East Hartford, followed by the Route 8 corridor between Shelton and Seymour shortly thereafter.

The Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program is a way to increase safety for the workers on these jobs and the drivers and their passengers traveling through them. Statistics from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse show in 2020, the last year of nationally available data, there were 774 fatal crashes in work zones resulting in 857 deaths. Out of the 857 fatalities, 117 were work zone workers demonstrating that the vast majority of those killed were drivers, their passengers, and pedestrians.

Here’s how the Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera system works:

White SUVs containing radar and camera technology will be deployed to select work zones in Connecticut. Current and future locations will be publicly noticed ahead of placement at ct.gov/dot/knowthezone. Work zones with ongoing enforcement will also have signage 500 feet and 200 feet before the SUV to alert motorists.

At this time, speed safety systems will be active in no more than three designated locations at any one time and can be located within the limits of active highway work zones where the posted work zone speed limit is 45 mph or greater.

The system uses radar to identify vehicles traveling 15 mph or above the posted work zone speed limit. Cameras then capture a series of images of these vehicles, with the rear license plates used to identify registered owners.

If the information captured by the speed safety systems is determined to be accurate, a warning or citations will be mailed to the registered owners of the vehicle captured by the systems. The citations are called “Notices of Liability.” First offenses will result in a written warning with no fine. Second offenses will result in a Notice of Liability along with a $75 fine, and every offense after that will result in a $150 fine.

Similar programs have led to positive results in other states. Pennsylvania began continuously enforcing its Automated Speed Enforcement in Active Work Zones program in April 2020. That year, Pennsylvania saw more than a 19 percent reduction in work zone crashes. Two years after Maryland launched its SafeZones program in 2010, speeding violations in SafeZones construction sites decreased by more than 80 percent. Work zone-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries were at their lowest in over 10 years.

“This program may be new to Connecticut, but it has been implemented elsewhere in the northeast, and the evidence is clear: these systems work. DOT employees, construction workers, laborers, and emergency responders, put their lives on the line every day working on our roadways,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Our goal is to ensure everyone makes it home safe after their shift, and we’ll keep pushing to use the tools proven to reduce crashes and save lives. I want to thank Governor Lamont and members of the General Assembly for supporting this program and prioritizing safety for those working on our roadways.”

The Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program emphasizes data privacy and protecting personal information. Only vehicles traveling 15 mph or greater than the posted work zone speed limit are photographed. If vehicle occupants are visible in any images, those images will be masked.

Additionally, data collected by the speed safety systems is used strictly for this program – no data is used for surveillance or any other law enforcement purposes.

In addition to using speed safety systems, CTDOT is encouraging all who drive on Connecticut roadways to know the zone by being aware of work zones and how to travel through them safely. At first sight of orange, drivers should be more alert, slow down, and follow posted speed limits and work zone instructions. Drivers also need to be aware of emergency responders on the roadway and follow the state’s Move Over Law. When approaching emergency responders, drivers must slow down and change lanes.

More information about the Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program, including speed safety system locations and answers to frequently asked questions about the program, can be found at ct.gov/dot/knowthezone.

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Connecticut State Agencies and Academics Pledge to Partner to Further the Agenda

(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that senior members of his administration – including Chief of Staff Jonathan Dach, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, and Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye – and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro met yesterday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at Yale University’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy in New Haven to discuss how President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda is expanding economic opportunity and boosting productive capacity in Connecticut.

Secretary Yellen’s visit is part of the Biden administration’s “Investing in America” tour that is putting a spotlight on the historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the American Rescue Plan Act, and how those investments are building a clean energy economy, rebuilding crumbling infrastructure, strengthening supply chains, spurring manufacturing, and creating good-paying jobs across the United States. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, states play a critical role in implementing these new investments and research universities are integral to deploying skills and talent in support of essential public policy goals.

To further these efforts, the Lamont administration and the Tobin Center announced a series of new steps that respond to Secretary Yellen’s call for states to implement inclusive and green policies and for academic economists to deploy their skills in support of state efforts.

“Here in Connecticut, we are fortunate to have leading academic researchers like those at Yale’s Tobin Center who we can partner with to ensure that the policies we are implementing are efficient, methodical, and produce the best results for the residents of our state,” Governor Lamont said. “I appreciate their willingness to partner with us, and academics at the state’s other great universities, on these efforts.”

“Secretary Yellen’s visit marks a time when Yale is making historic investments in multidisciplinary social science research,” Yale President Peter Salovey said. “I am grateful to Secretary Yellen for providing thoughtful perspectives regarding the federal administration’s economic priorities in the context of the Yale Tobin Center’s research and policy work. By convening leaders such as Secretary Yellen and working collaboratively with faculty members across the university, the Tobin Center is helping to set the national agenda and informing domestic public policy through evidence-based research.”

“Providing residents with access to high-quality childcare and early childhood education opportunities is critical to unlocking the potential of today’s workforce, as it allows parents to enter the workplace and have the peace of mind that their kids are being well cared for – and it’s also critical to the development of tomorrow’s workforce as it sets our kids up for success in school, work and life,” New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said. “This first-of-its-kind study will help inform and empower both policymakers and parents with evidenced-based findings that help advance the priorities of childcare access, workforce participation, and workforce development in New Haven and beyond.”

The partnerships the Lamont administration and the Tobin Center announced include:

• The State of Connecticut, New Haven Public Schools, and the Tobin Center will produce a first-of-kind study on the connection between childcare access and parental workforce participation. This will be part of a broader, multi-generational, multi-jurisdictional study to provide causal evidence on how access to free public pre-K affects near-term and long-term outcomes for kids and their parents. The research will link the results of 20 years of school choice assignment lotteries data with state data on educational and labor market outcomes for parents and kids. It will also include a survey tracking how parents’ careers have evolved since their child’s participation in the choice lottery. Often called for in policy and research circles, but hard to accomplish given complexities of long-term research, the results will provide comprehensive evidence on the costs and benefits of public pre-K programming. In addition, New Haven Public Schools, with the support of Tobin Center faculty, has launched NHPS Explorer, a platform that parents can use to learn more about schools.

• Connecticut’s Medicaid program and the Tobin center are forming a new public-private partnership to identify long-run sources of cost-growth, evaluate best-practices, and optimize solutions for Connecticut residents. Together, they will create a rapid-cycle learning unit within the Medicaid program, using cutting-edge techniques and approaches to continually improve recipient outcomes and the administration of Medicaid. Faculty will engage and support state Medicaid programs and leaders’ current efforts including using administrative data and resources to accomplish key program priorities like streamlined enrollment and renewal; investigating how Medicaid interacts with other state programs (e.g., education, nutrition assistance, and workforce programs); and more efficiently deploying resources in ways that improve service and save the state money.

• Tobin Center and Yale economists announce a new initiative to further Connecticut’s ambitious efforts to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Although the federal government has recently made a generational investment to reduce emissions, the effectiveness of that investment now depends on successful implementation by states. Connecticut, like all states, faces complex analytical challenges around accomplishing these tasks and the preparation of our electric grid for new demands the federal government is catalyzing. The Tobin Center’s technical experts will help the state optimize its eclectic grid effectively, equitably, and affordably.

• Connecticut’s Chief Data Officer will collaborate with the Tobin Center to advance and support its nationally recognized data strategy to develop effective partnerships with researchers and higher education. The Tobin Center will help the state assess practices from peer states for practical lessons and identify actionable projects where data efforts can deliver near-term value. Tobin Center will also support the state’s efforts to engage with Connecticut’s higher education institutions to identify ways that state agencies can leverage universities’ substantial research and analytic capacities. 

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Department of Correction has closed the Willard Correctional Institution in Enfield as of Saturday, April 1, 2023.

The governor announced his administration’s plans to close the facility in January in a decision that was largely attributed to the significant drop in the state’s incarcerated population. The total population at all correctional facilities statewide currently stands at roughly 10,000 individuals, which is substantially down from the all-time high of 19,894 in February of 2008. Over this same period of time, crime in Connecticut has also substantially decreased. During the last decade, the state’s violent crime rate fell by 43% and its property crime rate declined by 29%. In the most recent year of available data, Connecticut’s violent crime rate was less than half the national rate.

“The closing of the Willard facility fulfills the promise our administration made to close three correctional facilities as part of our larger commitment to reduce the cost structure of state government,” Governor Lamont said. “As both crime and the prison population have significantly decreased over the past decade, this just makes good fiscal sense.”

“Once again, the staff of the Department of Correction has carried out the complex process of shuttering a facility professionally and seamlessly,” Department of Correction Commissioner Angel Quiros said. “Every effort was made to minimize the impact on staff members, as well as to the individuals under our care.”

Willard opened in 1990 as a level 2 facility for sentenced male offenders. When plans to close the facility were announced in January, it housed approximately 260 individuals. All of the individuals who were located at Willard have been transferred to other facilities throughout the state. Approximately two-thirds were relocated to the nearby Cybulski Community Reintegration Center.

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On Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 at approximately 8:34 PM, a two-vehicle collision occurred on Interstate 95 northbound on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Q-Bridge) in the City of New Haven. A Mazda5, driven by Beth Weinstein had stopped on the right shoulder due to a flat tire, while a tractor-trailer was traveling in the right lane, which is designated as the exit #50 exit-only lane. While passing the car, the tractor-trailer collided with it, causing the tractor-trailer to then hit the concrete traffic barrier on the right shoulder and catch fire. The tractor-trailer then traveled across four lanes of traffic and collided with the concrete traffic barrier in the left median, where it was also engulfed by fire. The driver of the tractor-trailer was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the car was transported to Yale Hospital with minor injuries. The identity of driver of the tractor-trailer and next of kin have not been identified at this time, and the investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing.

2023-04-02@9:11pm–#New Haven CT– #cttraffic– I-95 north and southbound is shut down due to a tractor-trailer crash with fire. No word on any injuries.