State News Archives - Page 67 of 114

State News

Senators Want Well Being For Veterans

May 9, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, led a group of 24 Senators, including U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), in a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), urging the agency to develop and implement comprehensive mental health care plans to ensure veterans’ well-being during and after the pandemic. “The stress, uncertainty, and isolation associated with the pandemic – all risk factors for suicide in a population where an estimated 17 veterans tragically die by suicide a day— will further increase demand for mental health care among our veteran population, necessitating a comprehensive plan to meet that need,” the Senators wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Robert…

State News

Senator Wants Cash Refunds For Cancelled Flights

May 8, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, D.C.] – During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) pressed Airlines for America President & CEO Nick Calio on why airlines are preventing consumers from receiving cash refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports indicate that airlines are misleading consumers seeking refunds, intentionally steering them toward vouchers. Blumenthal pointed out that these practices are especially brazen given the airline industry received more than $25 billion in taxpayer coronavirus relief funding. “[W]hen you come to us and ask for more assistance, my mind goes back to the bailout we’ve just given you,” Blumenthal said to Calio. “More than $25 billion in taxpayer money and now in effect you are continuing to mislead and…

State News

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG OPPOSES PLAN TO GUT FEDERAL NUTRITION STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL MEALS

May 6, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rollbacks of nutrition standards for school meals. In comments filed with the USDA, the coalition argues that the proposed rule substantially weakens existing standards for the school meals that tens of millions of children rely on every day and lacks any sound basis in nutrition science. “School meals are a main source of nutrition for many kids across Connecticut and nationwide. With millions more parents now unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis, these meals are even more critical. All kids need access to healthy fruits and vegetables and foods not laden with processed fats, sugar and salt. This rule…

State News

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE LAUNCH OF FREE ONLINE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMANTS

May 6, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced the statewide expansion of a program that will make free online learning licenses available to recipients of unemployment insurance, including those who have been impacted by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 public health crisis. The SkillUp CT program will significantly expand access to comprehensive online course work from a leading global provider for thousands of Connecticut residents. Originally launched in eastern Connecticut, a sustained rollout of the program across the state over the coming weeks will enable recently laid-off workers to upgrade their skills and earn industry-recognized certifications even while the doors to most brick-and mortar education and training providers remain closed. The program is coordinated by the Connecticut Workforce Development Council in…

State News

Attorney General Wants Enforcement On Telemarketers

May 6, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today joined a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general in calling on USTelecom and its Industry Traceback Group (ITG) to expand its collaboration with state attorneys general by bolstering technological capabilities to improve enforcement against illegal robocallers. In a letter to USTelecom-- the leading organization representing telecommunications-- the coalition urges further development of robocall traceback and other tools suited to law enforcement needs. “Robocalls are annoying and incessant, and often fraudulent. Attorneys general across the country are working closely with the telecom industry to strengthen our ability to track and trace these scammers and hold them accountable. Our bipartisan letter today outlines several important steps the industry can take to build on that partnership,…

State News

FEMA Approved Declarations

May 5, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved another portion of his ongoing request for disaster assistance as part of the State of Connecticut’s Major Disaster Declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s approval includes funding for crisis counseling under the individual assistance category, which will help support mental health initiatives designed to benefit individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, FEMA approved Governor Lamont’s request for public assistance for Connecticut, allowing impacted state agencies, municipalities, and tribal nations in all eight of the state’s counties to be reimbursed by the federal government for 75 percent of the costs associated with their response and emergency protective measures. A supplemental request from the governor to increase…

State News

AG Files Suit On Clean Water Act

May 4, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Hartford, CT) --Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to gut longstanding Clean Water Act protections by unlawfully narrowing the definition of “Waters of the United States. The EPA final rule removes protections for all ephemeral streams, many wetlands, and other waters that were previously covered under the Act. In the lawsuit, the coalition argues that EPA’s rule directly conflicts with the text of the Clean Water Act, Supreme Court precedent, and the EPA’s own scientific findings. “The whole point of the Clean Water Act was to clean up our nation’s waterways, and that requires a full and comprehensive application of the law. This revised rule,…

State News

Senators Want To Help Fishing Industry

May 4, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

#WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Assistant Administrator to be transparent, expedient, and fair in determining how Fishery Disaster Assistance funding is allocated to fishermen and seafood processors across the country, and urged the agency to consider a minimum allocation for smaller coastal states. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has devastated fisheries, fisheries distributors, and fisheries processors, who are experiencing severe economic losses as domestic purchasing has plunged and exports have slowed. With limited capital, fishing communities – business owners, crews, and processing plant workers – are facing unforeseen financial hardships that put their livelihoods at risk. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)…

State News

Senators Want More SNAP Benefits

May 1, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led a group of twelve of their colleagues, including Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), in urging Senate leadership to support and strengthen SNAP—also known as food stamps—to help ensure that families across America can keep food on their tables despite the mounting economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. “SNAP is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger and is proven to help lifts millions of American families and children out of poverty,” the senators wrote. “The latest estimate by the Census Bureau found that SNAP lifted 3.4 million people out of poverty in 2018 including 1.5 million children. Given the unprecedented disruption to the economy, income and employment with more than 17 million Americans filing unemployment…

State News

Unemployment and Stimulus

Apr 30, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) has successfully programmed its computer system and begun issuing the first round of weekly federal stimulus payments to filers receiving state unemployment benefits, with the first batch of payments having been issued this past weekend. The additional $600 weekly payment, known as Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, was created as part of the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is retroactive to March 29, 2020 and will be provided through July 25, 2020. For those who already received unemployment benefits for previous weeks – such as April 4, 11, and 18 – the agency will be providing retroactive payments as a lump sum by the…

Senators Want Well Being For Veterans

Senator Wants Cash Refunds For Cancelled Flights

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG OPPOSES PLAN TO GUT FEDERAL NUTRITION STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL MEALS

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE LAUNCH OF FREE ONLINE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMANTS

Attorney General Wants Enforcement On Telemarketers

FEMA Approved Declarations

AG Files Suit On Clean Water Act

Senators Want To Help Fishing Industry

Senators Want More SNAP Benefits

Unemployment and Stimulus

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