State News

LGBTQ Pride Month in Connecticut

State of Connecticut By His Excellency Ned Lamont, Governor: An Official Statement   WHEREAS, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities are an integral part of Connecticut’s population; and   WHEREAS, the fight for dignity and equality for LGBTQ people is reflected in the tireless dedication of advocates and allies who strive to make this a more inclusive society; and   WHEREAS, the State of Connecticut celebrates the diversity of its people and their right to live their lives out loud, free of discrimination, fear, and prejudice; and   WHEREAS, the month of June is recognized internationally as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, when people in the LGBTQ community in New York City…

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Governor’s Statement On United Technologies Corporation

HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont Sunday released the following statement regarding United Technologies Corporation (UTC):   “UTC and its subsidiaries, including Pratt & Whitney, Otis Elevator, and Collins Aerospace, continue to be an important part of Connecticut’s fabric. It’s important to note that nearly all of UTC’s 19,000 employees will remain in Connecticut, with roughly 100 moving to the new headquarters.   “I’ve spoken directly with Greg Hayes and made it clear that Connecticut will always be open should things change, as they often do. This serves as reminder that we live in an increasingly competitive economy, domestically and internationally. As such, it’s critical we invest in education, workforce development, and our transportation infrastructure to stay competitive.   “Our…

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Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie,Explains The Mission Act.

Imagine if Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass reforms that improve the lives of millions of people. And imagine if those reforms put America’s Veterans at the center of their healthcare decisions, leading to better customer service for our Nation’s heroes. This isn’t hypothetical. It happened last year when Congress passed the MISSION Act. Through state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology, and increased clinician recruiting and retention incentives, VA continues to enhance its coordinated care system through high-quality VA health care and community care provider networks. The legislation sailed through Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and the strong backing of Veterans’ service organizations. President Donald J. Trump’s signature put us on a path to implementing these reforms. On June 6, the MISSION…

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Governor To Sign ICE Bill

HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont is applauding both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly for adopting legislation that makes updates to the Trust Act of 2013 and plans to sign the bills into law when they are transmitted to his desk in the coming days.   The Trust Act sets conditions for state and local law enforcement authorities for voluntarily cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials seeking to detain and deport undocumented immigrants. It was created in an effort to strike a balance between assisting ICE agents when it serves the interests of public safety, and maintaining effective relationships between state and local law enforcement officials and those who live in the community.   Legislation that…

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Connecticut Tries To Woo Businesses Over Abortion

Dear Alabama, Georgia and Missouri Women-Owned Businesses,  Your state legislature’s recent decision to severely curb women’s reproductive rights is sending shockwaves across the country, including in the business world. Condemnation of this extreme measure has been swift and calls for corporate boycotts grow stronger by the day.  This is clearly an issue that won't be going away any time soon.  As a staunch supporter of women’s rights, we are appalled at these actions that erode the ability of women to make informed decisions about their health and bodies.  If you are as concerned as we are about this issue, we would urge you to relocate your operations to a state that supports the rights of women and whose actions and…

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Governor On Stop And Shop Strike

Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz today released the following joint statement regarding the tentative agreement between Stop & Shop’s management and its employees:   “We are proud of the women and men of the United Food and Commercial Workers who fought for what they deserve. These are good jobs that provide fair wages, good benefits, and a secure retirement that are critical to the success of Connecticut’s families. It was great to see so much backing from the community in support of the workers who are simply trying to support their families and earn an honest living. Now, the 31,000 hardworking store clerks, associates, and meat cutters can get back to doing what they love – serving…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT: “STATE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT”

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Josh Geballe today announced a series of items to reduce bureaucracy, streamline procurement, and ultimately make it easier for businesses to work with the state. Included in the items is a bill currently pending in the legislature that will eliminate thousands of unnecessary forms processed by DAS annually. The announcement was made during a tour of Infoshred, a document shredding facility in East Windsor.   Currently, every business that wants to sell to the state has to fill out at least seven forms in the procurement process. House Bill 7385 , developed by DAS, will reduce that to one, thereby eliminating unnecessary forms that businesses need to complete…

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Safe to Tell Act Promotes Creation of School Threat Reporting Programs

Washington, DC— Today, Representative Jim Himes (CT-04), along with Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) and Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16), introduced the Safe to Tell Act.  The bill creates a grant program for states to develop systems, such as telephone hotlines, mobile applications, or websites that allow people to anonymously report potential threats to schools. “Too often, in the wake of a school shooting, we look back at the behavior of the killer and see that there were warning signs that went unreported,” said Himes.  “People notice things that don’t seem quite right, or that put them on edge, but don’t know how or where to report it.  The Safe to Tell Act creates ways for people to share their concerns of potential…

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Assisted Suicide Defeated

Family Institute of Connecticut is pleased to inform our members that the assisted suicide bill has "died in Committee" for the fifth time since 2013. Assisted Suicide was on the Public Health Committee's agenda last Friday, March 29th, but was "held" for lack of votes.  Then it was put back on the agenda for Monday, April 1st, and again "held" for lack of votes! It was at this point that Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, the Committee Chairman, declared defeat, an announcement covered by the press. Nevertheless, the bill was not officially dead until Wednesday, April 3rd, at 5 pm, the Committee's deadline. In an abundance of caution, FIC deliberately waited until now to bring you news of this victory. Rep. Steinberg and "Compassion and Choices," the national pro-assisted suicide group,…

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$100 Million Donation to Connecticut Public Schools

Bridgeport, CT – Mayor Joe Ganim joined Governor Lamont, First Lady Annie Lamont, leaders in the General Assembly, and students at a public event in East Hartford for the announcement of two major donors who are providing gifts of $100 million dollars to public schools in Connecticut.  This gift of $100 million dollars donated by Ray and Barbara Dalio of Dalio Philanthropies will be matched by $100 million from the State of Connecticut and will seek to raise another $100 million from other philanthropists and business leaders.  Mayor Ganim attended this event, as Bridgeport will be one of Connecticut’s urban municipalities that will benefit from this educational funding gift for Bridgeport Public Schools. “This major funding donation and financial match by our state…

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