State News

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG CALLS ON FDA TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER TOXIC METALS IN BABY FOOD

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…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT ASKS LEGISLATURE TO APPROVE FUNDING INCREASE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

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…

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BLUMENTHAL & COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE BILL TO GIVE BUREAU OF PRISONS OFFICERS FAIR PAY

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…

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ELDERLY SCAM THWARTED, ARREST MADE

On February 6, 2024, the Fairfield Police Department arrested Bin Sun) of Brooklyn, NY on charges of Criminal Attempt at Larceny 1st Degree following a reported scam targeting an elderly resident. The investigation began when the victim received an email earlier in the day, purportedly from "Geek Squad," falsely claiming a $525.00 purchase. To dispute the charge, the victim called the phone number provided in the email and spoke with a male who claimed to be a member of Geek Squad. Believing the interaction to be legitimate, the victim unsuspectingly provided bank account information and granted remote access to her computer, under the false pretense of receiving a refund. The scammer manipulated the victim into believing a fictitious refund of…

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STATE REPRESENTATIVE JENNIFER LEEPER, STATE SENATOR TONY HWANG, FIRST SELECTMAN BILL GERBER BACK CONNECTICUT SITING COUNCIL’S VOTE AGAINST UI RAILROAD TRANSMISSION LINE UPGRADE PROJECT AS PROPOSED

  Council voted unanimously against project in its present form  FAIRFIELD, CT – State Representative Jennifer Leeper (D-Fairfield), State Senator Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield), and Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber today supported the Connecticut Siting Council’s unanimous vote against the United Illuminating (UI) Railroad Transmission Line Upgrade Project as proposed.   During Thursday’s Siting Council finding of fact meeting, the Council examined the submitted evidence and made a preliminary non-binding opinion on UI’s proposed project in Docket 516. Not one commissioner voted in support of UI’s project as proposed. Four commissioners, including the Chairman, supported the perspective that the new monopoles should be moved to the north side of the tracks, so as to avoid the creation of a second transmission corridor in such a congested region. One…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES $350 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH MULTINATIONAL MARKETING FIRM PUBLICIS OVER ROLE IN OPIOID EPIDEMIC

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has announced a groundbreaking $350 million national settlement with Publicis Health, a global marketing and communications firm, to resolve investigations into its alleged role in the prescription opioid crisis. Connecticut, part of a ten-state executive committee leading the investigation, will receive nearly $4.44 million from the settlement to address the opioid crisis, along with $332,000 covering the costs of the extensive multistate inquiry. Publicis agreed to the settlement terms, acknowledging the harm caused by its conduct. The firm will publicly disclose thousands of internal documents related to its work for opioid companies like Purdue Pharma and cease accepting client work connected to opioid-based Schedule II or other Schedule III narcotics. The settlement follows revelations in…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG RELEASES REPORT ON CONNECTICUT DATA PRIVACY ACT

In Hartford, CT, Attorney General William Tong released a comprehensive report outlining the efforts of the Office of the Attorney General in educating consumers and businesses and enforcing compliance with the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) since its enactment on July 1, 2023. Mandated by the Act, the report, issued no later than February 1, discloses the number and nature of violations, the status of cured violations, and any relevant matters deemed significant by the Attorney General. The CTDPA, among the nation's first and most robust consumer privacy laws, empowers consumers with rights to access, correct, and delete data, opt-out of personal data sale and targeted advertising. The report highlights actions taken since the law's inception, including over a dozen…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT UNVEILS FIRST LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF 2024: ELIMINATE LICENSURE APPLICATION FEES FOR CERTAIN EDUCATION, CHILDCARE, AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the fiscal year 2025 budget adjustment proposal that he will present to lawmakers when they meet in February to convene the next legislative session will include a recommendation that licensure application fees required for workers to obtain certain jobs in the education, childcare, and healthcare fields be eliminated. The governor said that he is proposing the change in an effort to encourage workers looking for employment to seek jobs in fields in which there is a significant need to fill available openings. The proposal will save these workers about $3.5 million annually. “Right now, there are many job openings in essential fields that employers need to fill, and by eliminating these…

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$30,000 Worth Of Ice Cream Along With Truck Stolen

In a story we told you about while it was still breaking: Travis Jones, 35, was taken into custody on Monday night for the theft of an ice cream truck containing frozen treats valued at $30,000 from a business on Post Road, according to the West Haven police. Jones was apprehended on Interstate 95 in Milford after the truck was pulled over by state troopers and members of a Bridgeport police task force, as reported by West Haven police. The incident unfolded at approximately 9 p.m. on Monday when West Haven police received a 911 call reporting the theft of an ice cream truck from a Boston Post Road business, said Sgt. Patrick Buturla in a news release on Tuesday.…

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Arrest made in fatal hit and run accident

On 01/06/2024 at approximately 12:15 AM, the Shelton Police were dispatched to the area of Howe Ave and White St on a report of a pedestrian lying in the roadway. Responding officers located an unresponsive female, later identified as 64-year-old Stephanie Peterson. Peterson was transported to Bridgeport Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased.An investigation by Shelton Detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Team revealed that Peterson was stuck by a vehicle who evaded the scene. During the investigation the operator of the vehicle was identified as 19-year-old Ariela Treysler of Trumbull. An arrest warrant was later obtained for Treysler. On 01/25/2024 Treysler was arrested and charged with felony Evading Responsibly and released on a $50,000.00 bond. Treysler was given a…

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