#Prospect CT–Recently, the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation honored World War II Battle of the Bulge veterans Walter “Bud” Smith and Lou Celentano” as well as the US Navy Sailors killed onboard the USS John McCain when the ship collided with a tanker on August 21, 2017. Also honored were Vietnam veteran Peter G. Curtis. The event was emceed by Miss Fairfield County Outstanding Teen Emerson Forbes. The Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation was found by Mike Mastroni. To see the full ceremony go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTePXqzPmtU&t=2739s
HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Monday, October 8, 2018 in honor of U.S. Navy Water Tender 1st Class Stephen Pepe of Bridgeport, who was killed in action in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and whose remains were recently identified and returned to his family. A burial with full military honors is being held Monday in Bourne, Massachusetts.
U.S. Navy Photo Water Tender 1st Class Stephen Pepe
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) on the backup date of October 3, 2018 due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.
The WEA test message will be sent to cell phones that are connected to wireless providers participating in WEA. This is the fourth EAS nationwide test and the first national WEA test. Previous EAS national tests were conducted in November 2011, September 2016, and September 2017 in collaboration with the FCC, broadcasters, and emergency management officials in recognition of FEMA’s National Preparedness Month.
Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT. During this time, WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message. Some cell phones will not receive the test message, and cell phones should only receive the message once. The WEA test message will have a header that reads “Presidential Alert” and text that says:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test.
The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency. The test is made available to EAS participants (i.e., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers) and is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. The EAS message will include a reference to the WEA test:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
The test was originally planned for September 20, 2018 but has been postponed until October 3, 2018 due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence.’
HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving a $750,000 federal grant to provide mental health support to children and their families who were evacuated from their homes and are living in Connecticut as a result of Hurricane Maria.
The funding, which was granted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be used by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), to provide these services at child guidance clinics serving the most heavily affected cities in the state – Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Britain – that include mobile crisis, outpatient counseling, medication management, and school outreach.
“Thousands and thousands of young children had their homes destroyed by a catastrophic storm that left them displaced and uprooted from the only place that they have ever known,” Governor Malloy said. “Today, many of these families are living thousands of miles away in Connecticut and rebuilding their lives. A tragedy of this proportion is incredibly traumatic for children and can have a lasting impact, which is why it is critical for them to receive these services now so they can lead healthy, productive lives. We are appreciative of the many organizations in our state that are participating with our efforts to ensure these services are available in the wake of this horrible storm.”
“This funding is long overdue for the evacuees who have come to Connecticut, and something we’ve all been advocating for,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, and Congressman John Larson said in a joint statement. “We’re proud of the work that the state and local organizations and volunteers have done to help these families. This money will ensure that the mental health needs of the people who evacuated to Connecticut are being met. While this aid is welcome, far more is needed for states like Connecticut who have opened their arms to evacuees, and for the island that is still struggling a year later without reliable public infrastructure and jobs.”
“Many of the children and families who were evacuated to Connecticut after Hurricane Maria experienced severe trauma, enduring the powerful storm itself, the devastation of losing their homes and then having to acculturate to a new community,” DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said. “We know that addressing trauma early leads to improved mental health outcomes, so providing this support is critical in ensuring families will thrive.”
DCF Commissioner Joette Katz explained that the services will be provided by child guidance clinics that already provide a range of effective services for Connecticut children and their families, including those who were affected by Hurricane Maria over one year ago.
“By expanding support for and enhancing our partnership with our existing community-based service provider network, we will be able to extend help to many more deserving children and families,” Commissioner Katz said.
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College estimates that 135,000 people evacuated Puerto Rico to the mainland United States in the first six months since the hurricane made landfall, and approximately 10 percent of them relocated to Connecticut.
Immediately following the storm last year, Governor Malloy created a unified command to help coordinate assistance for hurricane survivors arriving in Connecticut. Since that time, the state has provided disaster case management services, housing assistance, and support to schools that were impacted.
HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) has been awarded a $2.1 million federal grant as part of the Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) initiative, designed to improve the retention of workers after an illness or injury. The grant, which as a focus on providing more proactive stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) services, will test the impact of early intervention on SAW/RTW outcomes.
“Connecticut is at its strongest when the diverse talents of our workforce are making meaningful contributions in the workplace and to our economy,” Governor Malloy said. “The time is right for this initiative in Connecticut, where there is a significant need for earlier return-to-work communication and services to prevent long-term disability. This grant will help us enhance those efforts.”
The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Employment and Training Administration, and the Social Security Administration. CTDOL’s Office of Workforce Competitiveness will lead the RETAIN-CT partnership in an 18-month pilot project with UConn Health Center, The Hartford, and Capital Workforce Partners. State partners also include the Department of Rehabilitation Services, the Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission, the State of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission, and the Connecticut Business Leadership Network.
“Injury or illness shouldn’t mean unemployment, and this major federal grant will ensure that Connecticut workers have the support and resources they need to stay on the job safely, enabling them to support their family and continue to contribute to our economy,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, and Congressman John Larson said in a joint statement. “Connecticut is once again serving as a model for the nation – building unique partnerships and collaborations that can be replicated nationwide. We look forward to working with the state to ensure Connecticut receives additional funding in future years for this important effort.”
“The RETAIN-CT project represents a new, coordinated effort among several state agencies working in collaboration with healthcare providers and insurers to improve long-term return-to-work and job retention outcomes for workers in the greater Hartford region that have emerging musculoskeletal concerns,” Governor Malloy added. “This state-level intervention program will build a strong partnership between trained healthcare providers, insurance case managers, and return-to-work coordinators.”
Health care providers will ensure best medical practices and will be more involved and supported in RTW planning efforts. Insurance case managers will act as health service coordinators and provide proactive lost time tracking and employer coordination in the first few weeks of a claim. RTW coordinators will be providing more individualized planning and resource coordination and assistance to employers in regard to job accommodations or necessary modifications.
“UConn Health Center, which already works in partnership with our CONN-OSHA unit as a contracted occupational health clinic, will now become the RETAIN-CT training and consultation center under this pilot,”CTDOL Commissioner Kurt Westby said. “UConn will provide specialized training to health care providers and others with the project, and coordination with The Hartford as the insurer will allow for incentive payments to providers that provide early return to work planning.”
“When a workplace injury or illness takes someone out of the workforce, it can have devastating effects for both the individual worker and their family,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino said. “Proactive measures that keep these individuals at work, or return them to regular work as quickly as possible, is of vital importance in restoring their full physical and financial health.”
For participants who are out of work more than 30 days, RTW coordinators from Capital Workforce Partners will bring the necessary programs, partners and resources together to provide participants with more detailed planning and problem solving around return-to-work barriers as well as consultation and support for employers.
#Washington DC– Senator Murphy released a statement in today’s Supreme Court testimony:
“In her appearance today, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was composed, thoughtful, and credible. She clearly did not want to be here, but she set aside her misgivings and faced life-changing consequences because her civic duty demanded it,” said Murphy. “I cannot fathom how any senator could see that and want to continue rushing forward without a full investigation. This is a lifetime appointment – it will weigh heavily on all of our lives for decades. We must take the time to gather the facts. The only reason to take a vote before a thorough investigation is to remain purposefully ignorant of the truth.”
HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving over $20 million in federal funding to enhance the state’s efforts in fighting the opioid epidemic.
“Far too many Connecticut families continue to be affected by the opioid crisis. Far too many lives have been cut short. Far too many communities torn apart,” Governor Malloy said. “It is a public health emergency that knows no socioeconomic or geographical bounds. My administration has made combatting the opioid epidemic a top priority, focusing on the root causes behind this scourge of addiction. The good news is that this year, for the first time in years, we are projected to see a decrease in accidental overdose deaths. Even so, what remains abundantly clear is that we must persist in our efforts to combat this crisis. I want to thank our congressional delegation for their partnership in combatting this dreadful disease.”
The federal funding announced today includes $22 million – distributed in two $11 million grants across two years – from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that will go to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to support a number of activities to prevent addiction and overdoses, as well as treat and support the recovery of those living with opioid use disorders including:
Expand access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) including shelter and street-based MAT in two urban locations;
Increase the number of hospital emergency departments having access to on-call recovery coaches;
Support the Department of Correction to provide pre and post-release treatment and overdose prevention to inmates with opioid use disorders; and,
Purchase 10,000 doses of naloxone (also known as Narcan), a medication to reverse opioid overdoses, for distribution throughout the state.
“This grant award will provide substantial support to our state as we work collaboratively to fight the battle against opioids,” DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said. “This much-needed funding will provide us with the opportunity to continue our efforts to prevent addiction, treat those who want help, and support people in their recovery from this illness.”
In addition, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is receiving a $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that will be used for capacity building and structural changes to aid their department’s efforts in fighting the opioid epidemic, including to support work by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“DPH will be using this one-year grant to build the surveillance systems and increase capacity within the agency and with our partners to be able to more effectively monitor, understand, predict and target services to effectively combat this epidemic well beyond this grant,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino said. “Addiction is a chronic disease, and the opioid epidemic will not be solved easily, so we need to concentrate our resources on building the systems that will allow us to better understand the breadth and depth of this disease, who is most at risk, and what services, preventative measures and other methods we all can use to turn the tide and save our fellow citizens from this horrible disease.”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in introducing the Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act, new legislation that would encourage colleges and universities to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their admissions applications and give more Americans a chance to earn a higher education.
“A good education is a ticket to the middle class,” Senator Murphy. “If someone was convicted of a crime as a juvenile, served their time and got back on the right path, their past shouldn’t doom their future. This bill levels the playing field and gives everyone an equal shot at a good education.”
“Everyone deserves a fair chance to go to college and succeed,” Senator Schatz said. “This bill is about tearing down the barriers that keep people from pursuing a better life through higher education.”
Today, most colleges and universities ask criminal justice, juvenile justice, and/or school disciplinary questions in their admissions processes. Earlier this year, Murphy joined Senator Schatz’s letters
to the “Big Six” higher education associations and The Common Application asking them to remove criminal history questions from their admissions processes. As a result, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the American Association of Community Colleges urged their members to remove these questions. And recently The Common Application decided to remove criminal history questions from their form starting in August 2019. The bill would assist colleges and universities as they change their policies by providing assistance in the form of guidance and training.
“Requiring prospective college students to answer application questions about old criminal or juvenile records is an unnecessary barrier to educational pursuits. We must allow formerly incarcerated individuals to rebuild and move forward with their lives, and a college education can be an important step in that journey. I’m proud to join Senators Schatz and Booker on this bill and help clear this roadblock,” Senator Durbin said.
About 70 million Americans have some type of criminal record. That record, which shows up on all routine background checks, makes it more difficult for those individuals to go to college, find a good-paying job, and rebuild their lives. Studies have shown that application rejection rates for individuals with convictions can be as high as 12 to 13 percentage points more than for those without. And many with a criminal background fail to complete their application once they reach the criminal history question, knowing responding to the questions would greatly diminish their chance of admission.
In addition to Murphy, Schatz, Durbin, and Booker, the original cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).
The Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act would:
1. Direct the Department of Education to provide guidance and recommendations for colleges and universities to:
a. Determine whether criminal and juvenile justice questions are necessary in the initial application for admissions process;
b. Develop a process to determine in what situations criminal or juvenile justice information can be requested of students for non-admissions purposes, and provide a process for prospective students as well as training for staff on the use of such information; and
c. Offer recommendations for colleges and universities that decide to keep criminal and juvenile justice questions, such as delaying the request for such information to avoid a chilling effect, and making transparent, specific, and narrow inquiries that offer prospective students the opportunity to explain their involvement.
2. Direct the Department of Education to provide colleges and universities with the necessary training and technical assistance to meet the above recommendations.
a. The Department will also establish a resource center to serve as a repository for best practices as colleges and universities develop and implement new policies.
b. Remove the drug conviction question from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
“There are still far too many barriers to a high quality higher education, especially for students who have been impacted by the justice system. The Beyond the Box Act would reduce some of these unnecessary barriers, particularly for low-income students and students of color who are disproportionately impacted. We’re proud to stand with Sen. Schatz as we work toward a more equitable and just higher education for all students,” said Wil Del Pilar, Vice President of Higher Education at The Education Trust.
The legislation is supported by over 20 organizations including The Education Trust, Institute for Higher Education Policy, National Association for College Admission Counseling, and NAACP.
#WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), both members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday introduced an amendment to the FY 2019 Defense Appropriations bill that would transfer $40 million to the U.S. Department of State for the Global Engagement Center (GEC), as authorized in law and agreed to in a joint Memorandum of Agreement, to expose and counter foreign propaganda and influence. The $40 million allotted for FY 2018 has not yet been transferred to the GEC.
Murphy and Portman introduced the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, which was signed into law in December 2016. The law improved the ability of the United States to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation by establishing the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which is charged with leading the U.S. government’s efforts to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation.
“Countering Russia will take close coordination with all of our allies, but there are precise actions that Congress can take right now to strengthen our defenses,” said Murphy. “Fighting propaganda will help small democracies resist Russia’s interference and stand on their own two feet.”
“We must ensure the State Department’s Global Engagement Center has the resources to counter efforts to undermine our, and our allies, democratic institutions and values,” Portman said. “Congress has already made clear that the key players in our government, including the Defense Department need to have skin in the game in this effort. That means contributing resources. The State Department has a plan ready to execute on this funding and it’s long overdue for the Defense Department, with Congressional approval, to get this funding transferred. The fact that Russia continues to advance their disinformation efforts makes clear the need to ramp up these programs. Now is not the time for us to shortchange them through lack of funding.”
The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act authorized the State Department to request $60 million annually for two years from the Department of Defense for the GEC to help counter foreign propaganda and disinformation being waged against the United States and our allies by state and non-state adversaries.
#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) has developed an allocation plan utilizing a $600,000 appropriation that was included in the recently adopted bipartisan state budget adjustment bill, which was adopted by near-unanimous votes in both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly, for the purpose of ensuring housing assistance for evacuees from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin islands following the devastation of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria last year.
The plan, which was delivered to legislative leaders in a letter from DOH Commissioner Evonne Klein earlier today, continues the Malloy administration’s efforts to ensure that evacuees do not fall into homelessness.
“There’s no denying that last year’s hurricanes were some of the worst on record, but in the aftermath, the federal response has been shameful,” Governor Malloy said. “Hurricanes Irma and Maria left the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without electricity, without food, and without shelter. These American citizens should receive the same disaster assistance that they would receive if they lived in any other area of our country.”
Shortly after fleeing the devastated islands, many evacuees sought shelter in Connecticut and were offered federal Transitional Shelter Assistance, which allowed individuals and families to secure temporary funding for emergency hoteling. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began terminating that assistance in January, the Malloy administration stepped in to ensure these evacuees would not become homeless. Through the dedication of many nonprofit housing providers working on the frontlines, Connecticut has focused on keeping families together and stably housed.
The devastation left in the wake of the hurricanes has still left many individuals and families unable to return home.
“Since the hurricanes made landfall last year, many evacuees have chosen to make Connecticut either their temporary or permanent home,” Commissioner Klein said. “We’re fortunate to have a Governor and so many other state leaders who have prioritized assistance for these individuals and families. Working with our colleagues across state government and in the nonprofit sector, we have developed a coordinated response that has helped more than 200 households find permanent housing or who have been diverted from homelessness. Disaster case managers continue to work with approximately 100 more households to address their immediate needs. While we are aware there are other individuals and families who are living with family or friends, the exact number is still unknown. They have yet to come forward for assistance, but when and if they do, the State of Connecticut is prepared to help them.”
DOH conducted an analysis of the open cases in the state and determined that the $600,000 appropriation can best be allocated through the following plan:
$250,000 will be used to provide 100 households with first month’s rent/security deposit;
$300,000 will be used to provide 300 to 600 households with general diversion assistance; and
$50,000 will be used to provide six months’ worth of case management services.
