State News

INVESTING IN AMERICA AGENDA

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…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES CLOSURE OF THE WILLARD CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

(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…

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New Haven News: I-95 Shut Down

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…

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Food Assistance Resources Are Available

With more than one in 10 Connecticut residents experiencing food insecurity, those who may be in need should know there are a number of resources available to the public intended to help. These include the Connecticut Foodshare schedule of mobile pantries, which drive around the state delivering food supplies to this in need; the food pantry locator at https://www.211ct.org/; and https://ctfoodshare.org/get-help/communityresources/ This news report is made possible by:

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Drive to Save Lives 2023 Campaign

Crash-related fatalities are ranked as one of the top causes of death in the U.S. Many of these crashes are caused by highly visible driver-related factors, including speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. The CT State Police is joining forces with other law enforcement agencies along the I-95 corridor in the “Drive to Save Lives” campaign. This campaign is a multi-jurisdictional, high-visibility traffic enforcement initiative to increase traffic enforcement presence along the I-95 corridor from Maine to Florida – including across Connecticut – from Saturday, April 1, 2023, to Monday, April 3, 2023. Motorists can expect to see Troopers working diligently to keep them safe as they travel throughout the state on I-95. This press release was made possible by:

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“Must Carry” TV Stations

In 2011 The Nielson company, you know the company that gives the ratings of TV stations was thinking of changing Fairfield County to be part of the broadcast market. Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, etc. have all been considered the New York news and TV market since people were putting aerials up on their roofs to watch TV. It hasn't changed since the 1950s. "Must carry stations" for cable operators are determined by this. "Cable must-carry" stations are TV channels that cable providers are legally required to carry within a specific geographic area. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established these rules to ensure that local broadcast stations can reach their audiences through cable TV, which has become a primary means of delivering…

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CTDOT Releases Five-Year Capital Plan Focused on Safety, Sustainability, and Accessibility

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) released its five-year Capital Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027, outlining the implementation of funding, policies, and programs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). CTDOT developed the Capital Plan with feedback from stakeholders, including the state’s Councils of Government (COGs). The historic federal investment and ongoing robust state-funded programs will move Connecticut forward in reducing transportation emissions and accelerating investments in a safer, more equitable, and sustainable transportation system that is easier to use for all residents. CTDOT will be presenting the Capital Plan at a public hearing with the Joint Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Transportation Bonding Subcommittee, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Visit cga.ct.gov for meeting room and livestreaming information. “Connecticut’s residents…

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is launching a payment pilot program for all CTtransit and CTfastrak customers on April 1. The pilot program, launched in partnership with Token Transit, will allow customers to buy two-hour Adult, Senior/Disabled, and Youth bus passes for all local CTtransit and CTfastrak buses on their smartphones. To use Token Transit, customers can download the Token Transit mobile app or use Transit App, Moovit, Agile Mile, or Google Maps, which are all integrated with Token Transit. Here’s how it works: As buses approach, customers who purchased passes via Token Transit will be able to open their app and tap on the pass to activate it. The two-hour time period for which the ticket is available begins once the pass is…

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AMERICAN GAMBLING ASSOCIATION’S “RESPONSIBLE MARKETING CODE”

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to a new Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering issued by the American Gaming Association (AGA), which includes a prohibition on college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity: “The American Gaming Association’s new sports betting code of conduct is a serious effort to protect young people from gambling addiction. I applaud AGA for seeking to set meaningful industry standards that specifically prohibit college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports betting. Unfortunately, the benefits of this new code are limited given that not all sports betting companies – in fact, many of the largest ones – aren’t members of the AGA and don’t…

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CT’s Immigrant Community and HealthCare Advocates Demand Connecticut “Invest in Our Health”

Hartford, CT - Today on Monday March 27th at 5pm, immigrant’s rights advocates, community members, and healthcare providers gathered for Rally and Visibility Action demanding that our CT state legislators invest in the health and future of our state by funding an expansion of HUSKY Healthcare program for income eligible immigrants under 26 years of age, which according to estimates, will cost around $15 million or 1% of the total medicaid budget. During the event, immigrants and advocates called for Legislators to include funding in the state budget for an expansion of the HUSKY Healthcare program for income eligible immigrants under 26 years of age, conveying urgency by sharing their personal struggles of accessing healthcare - from having to rely…

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