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State News

Connecticut’s First Vaping Death

Oct 3, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

#Hartford, CT— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement regarding the first known vaping-related death in Connecticut: The vaping epidemic has now hit home - tragically. This epidemic now exploding in force has turned deadly here. Everyday teens are starting lifetimes of addiction and disease, thinking vaping is harmless. As I have warned repeatedly over years, e-cigarettes deliver powerfully addictive nicotine, dangerous chemicals, and unknown poisons. The FDA must act before there are more deaths and more lives put in peril. It should ban flavors immediately, and take other necessary long overdue steps. On Friday at 11 am, Blumenthal will conduct a roundtable conversation with students at A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford regarding the dangers of vaping.…

State News

Blumenthal For Big Cat Protection

Oct 1, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, D.C] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced two pieces of legislation – the Big Cat Public Safety Act and the Captive Primate Safety Act – to protect public safety and improve animal welfare. The Big Cat Public Safety Act prohibits the ownership of big cats, like lions and tigers, and makes it illegal for exhibitors to allow public contact with cubs. The Captive Primate Safety Act prohibits the sale or transportation of nonhuman primates for the exotic pet trade. “These bills will help prevent the exploitation of big cats and primates—reducing risks to public safety by prohibiting the private ownership of animals that should really be allowed to live naturally in the wild. When wild animals—whether lions or chimpanzees—are…

State News

Governor Wants You To Take Precautions on EEE

Sep 26, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is advising people in Connecticut to take proper precautions to protect themselves against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) as state public health officials announced that the second person to be diagnosed with the virus this year in Connecticut has passed away. The patient, an adult resident from Old Lyme, was hospitalized with encephalitis in mid-September and is the second human fatality from the virus in Connecticut since 2013. The governor made the announcement at a State Capitol news briefing alongside the leaders of the Connecticut Mosquito Control Program, including the commissioners of the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Department of Agriculture (DOAG), and the Connecticut…

State News

Blumenthal, Murphy Call For Trump Impeachment

Sep 24, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

Blumenthal: “I am calling today for a House Select Committee to investigate and move forward with impeachment proceedings against the President. I reached this decision with sadness, but also anger, after the President has repeatedly broken laws and betrayed his oath of office. His seeking corrupt assistance from a foreign leader for personal political gain crosses the line. This illegal misuse of the presidency for private benefit is an impeachable act. This most recent lawbreaking follows three years of contemptuous disregard for the Constitution. The Congress must demand accountability. The values and norms of our democracy are precious and vulnerable and they depend on people fighting for them in times of adversity. At this moment, the threat to the rule…

State News

Lamont Wants Special Session On Restaurant Workers

Sep 24, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is urging the members of the Connecticut General Assembly to meet in special session as soon as possible to adopt legislation his administration developed following a series of meetings this summer with the leaders of each legislative caucus to address the ongoing issue of wages for restaurant workers. In a letter delivered yesterday afternoon to legislative leaders, the governor explained that the proposal strikes a proper balance while protecting workers with legitimate claims to unpaid wages. He is hopeful that they will vote quickly on the proposal so that he can sign it into law. “The legislative proposal that I have put forward through our collaborative discussions strikes the appropriate balance by eliminating double…

State News

Service Member Benefits

Sep 22, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced legislation to restore eligibility to servicemembers seeking to transfer their educational benefits to dependents. Last summer, the Department of Defense issued a new policy that requires servicemembers to commit an additional four years of military service at the time of their application to transfer benefits. The policy change also prevents servicemembers with more than sixteen years of military service from transferring education benefits to their eligible dependents. Previously, any servicemember who had served for six years was eligible to transfer their benefits to an eligible dependent. The Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability Entitlement Act would ensure that all servicemembers who have completed ten years of service in…

State News

Call For Aggressive Action on Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Sep 20, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged aggressive federal action, including additional funding for research and development of vaccines and treatment to combat Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile virus, and other mosquito-borne illnesses. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for EEE. Blumenthal will be joined by Dr. Matthew Cartter of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH) and Dr. Theodore Andreadis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) to provide an update on current mosquito and virus activity in the state. This week CTDPH announced that an adult from East Lyme has tested positive for EEE, only the second human case ever reported in Connecticut. The EEE virus has been identified in mosquitoes in 12 towns and horses in two…

State News

Governor On Vaccination Exemptions

Sep 17, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont today said that Connecticut should join the growing number of states that due to overwhelming public safety risks are requiring children who attend public schools – and are medically capable – to receive vaccinations for preventable diseases, citing recently-released statistics from the Department of Public Health (DPH) showing that over the last year the state has had the largest single year increase in claimed exemptions for vaccinations since the state began tracking the data a decade ago. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high vaccination rates protect not only vaccinated children, but also those who cannot be vaccinated – a designation referred to as “herd immunity.” Schools that achieve…

State News

Tax Free Week Begins

Aug 18, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT– Governor Ned Lamont is reminding consumers in Connecticut that the state’s sales tax-free week begins Sunday, August 18 and runs through Saturday, August 24, 2019. During this one-week sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the sales and use tax. This exemption applies to each eligible item under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice. Sales tax free week was included as part of the biennial budget that was supported by House and Senate Democrats and signed into law this summer by Governor Lamont. It is estimated that Connecticut shoppers will benefit from approximately $4.9 million in…

State News

Governor on MGM Lawsuit

Aug 7, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement on the lawsuit filed today by MGM regarding the future of gaming in Connecticut: “As I have consistently said, our state needs to reach a global gaming resolution that will avoid years and years of complex litigation. The gaming industry in Connecticut represents a significant portion of our economy, and as other states have demonstrated, there is room to grow it. It has always been my intention to develop a comprehensive gaming platform that not only strengthened Connecticut’s gaming industry, but protected it from litigation. Our administration remains committed to these objectives and looks forward to working toward a solution that moves the state forward with the General Assembly.”…

Connecticut’s First Vaping Death

Blumenthal For Big Cat Protection

Governor Wants You To Take Precautions on EEE

Blumenthal, Murphy Call For Trump Impeachment

Lamont Wants Special Session On Restaurant Workers

Service Member Benefits

Call For Aggressive Action on Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Governor On Vaccination Exemptions

Tax Free Week Begins

Governor on MGM Lawsuit

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