State News

Attorney General Wants Facebook To Crack Down

Aug 13, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Hartford, CT -- Attorney General William Tong today joined 19 attorneys general from across the United States in calling on Facebook to take additional steps to prevent their site from being used to spread hate and disinformation. The attorneys general also urged Facebook to provide stronger support for users who fall victim to online intimidation and harassment on its platforms. In a letter today to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, the attorneys general assert that despite its stated commitment to working to keep its user community safe, Facebook has fallen short in keeping hate content off its platforms and protecting users from online harassment. The letter follows the release of a Civil Rights Audit…

State News

BLUMENTHAL STATEMENT FOLLOWING MEETING WITH EVERSOURCE CEO JAMES JUDGE

Aug 11, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

#HARTFORD, CT – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement following a meeting Monday afternoon with Eversource CEO James Judge: “I insisted to James Judge that he must make refunds to customers, and avoid any rate increase or charge for restoring power. He declined to commit to such action. In addition to money back to consumers and businesses for their losses, I also told him that there must be leadership changes, including his resignation. Connecticut residents and businesses suffered severe financial harm because of Eversource’s failure to prepare for this storm, and they should be made whole. I will continue to fight for consumer rebates, removal of Eversource’s senior leadership team, and a complete evaluation of the company’s abjectly poor performance including…

State News

Senator Wants To Dissolve The NRA

Aug 7, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the New York Attorney General’s lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA): “The NRA is rotten to the core – and this legal action will hasten its disintegration. For years, the NRA has been crumbling from within – rife with fraud, abuse, and misconduct. Responsible gun owners should be outraged that this organization has claimed to represent their interests while, instead, executives personally profit from their donations and work against reforms the majority of its membership supports. As the NRA implodes, its vice-like grip on lawmakers is weakening and we are finally seeing overdue gun violence reforms passed in…

State News

BLUMENTHAL & HAWLEY SEEK DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO ZOOM & TIKTOK

Aug 1, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote the Department of Justice (DOJ) today seeking an investigation into “reported violations of Americans’ civil liberties by Zoom and TikTok and the national security implications of both companies’ relationships with the People’s Republic of China.” Both Zoom and TikTok have tried to conceal their ties to China, where “tech firms are notoriously bound to draconian intelligence laws, media regulations, and extrajudicial pressure that compels them to censor and spy for China’s state security services.” Americans’ use of these platforms has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic even following reports of potential threats to the privacy of their data and their freedom of expression. Compounding these concerns, both Zoom and TikTok…

State News

House Passes Bills to Stabilize, Improve Childcare

Jul 31, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

#Washington, DC – The House of Representatives passed the Childcare is Essential Act and the Childcare for Economic Recovery Act. These bills are essential to providing immediate relief for suffering childcare centers and providing long-term stability to the industry. While many childcare centers have remained open during the pandemic, new regulations requiring increased safety procedures and limiting the number of children cared for have increased cost while decreasing revenue. One estimate by the Minneapolis Federal Reserve reports that most childcare centers are currently operating at a loss. Only 6% of childcare centers were able to secure a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and more than 240,000 childcare workers have lost their jobs or been furloughed. “Childcare centers across the country,…

State News

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF BUSINESS.CT.GOV

Jul 31, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of business.ct.gov – an online, one-stop-shop where entrepreneurs can easily find information and quickly create a checklist with everything required to start up or manage their business in Connecticut. The online service will make it easier to do business in the state, support small business owners as a partner in their success, and improve citizens’ interactions with state government. The governor explained that the portal aims to prevent businesses from needing to navigate the sometimes complex nature of state government by merging many of their common needs into one simplified location online. When completing transactions through the portal, users will be interacting with several state agencies all in one seamless interaction,…

State News

CT DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AMENDS DEADLINE EXTENSIONS

Jul 30, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WETHERSFIELD, CT – The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, with the approval of Governor Ned Lamont, has added to its list of extended deadlines for Connecticut residents with expiring credentials. Eligible DMV credentials that expire between August 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020 are automatically covered by this extension. In addition to extending the expiration date of DMV credentials, late fees associated with eligible expired credentials will be waived during the time period of the extension for qualifying credentials. Deadlines have been extended for the following DMV-related items: All Licenses, Permits and Identification Cards Lengthens the credential extension to 90 days for credentials that expire between August 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020. All Registrations Including International Registration Plan (IRP) and Boat…

State News

USH FOR SUPPORT OF SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Jul 30, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 32 of their senate colleagues in a letter led by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue critical flexibilities that have allowed students to access much-needed meals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If extended throughout the 2020-2021 school year, children would maintain access regardless of school opening status, and struggling school nutrition programs would benefit from additional financial relief. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools around the country to close their buildings and shift instruction to online and distance-learning models,” the senators wrote. “For many children, school breakfast and lunch may be the only healthy and regular meals they receive.” The senators continued, “The economic…

State News

MURPHY, WARREN, PRESSLEY, OMAR INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO GET POLICE OUT OF SCHOOLS

Jul 29, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), both members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would prohibit federal funds for police in schools, diverting existing resources towards the use of counselors, social workers, and other services and supports to help marginalized students and improve educational outcomes. Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act would also provide a standalone grant program for districts to replace police personnel with counselors, social workers and other health providers. U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation is supported by the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Center…

State News

Everybody Learns Initiative

Jul 29, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that his administration is launching the Everybody Learns initiative: a $43.5 million investment in remote learning solutions to close the digital divide in Connecticut and empower students across the state to learn from home, especially as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues impacting the country. The governor said that the funding – which comes from the state’s portion of the federal CARES Act, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund – will be used to purchase 50,000 laptops for students, 12 months of access to at-home internet for 60,000 students, create public hotspots free to the public at 200 community sites across the state, and offer…

Attorney General Wants Facebook To Crack Down

BLUMENTHAL STATEMENT FOLLOWING MEETING WITH EVERSOURCE CEO JAMES JUDGE

Senator Wants To Dissolve The NRA

BLUMENTHAL & HAWLEY SEEK DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO ZOOM & TIKTOK

House Passes Bills to Stabilize, Improve Childcare

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF BUSINESS.CT.GOV

CT DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AMENDS DEADLINE EXTENSIONS

USH FOR SUPPORT OF SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

MURPHY, WARREN, PRESSLEY, OMAR INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO GET POLICE OUT OF SCHOOLS

Everybody Learns Initiative

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