Category: State News

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut has deployed a C-130H cargo plane and seven Airmen from the 103^rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut National Guard to help with Hurricane Maria response and relief efforts in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas.  The unit, which departed from Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby this morning, includes C-130H pilots, crewmembers, loadmasters, and maintainers.

 

First, the crew will drop off supplies in St. Thomas, followed by a second supply drop-off in Puerto Rico.  From there they will fly to Georgia, where they will stand by for potential follow-up missions.

 

“The Connecticut National Guard has proven to be an exemplary group of men and women who once again dropped everything at a moment’s notice to support those who live hundreds of miles away and are in need of assistance,” Governor Malloy said.  “Connecticut stands ready to assist our friends and neighbors in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as they recover from the storm.  I commend the Connecticut National Guard on their readiness and thank them for their service.”

 

“The Connecticut Air National Guard always stands ready to offer assistance and I thank them and their families for their service,” Lt Governor Wyman said.  “Connecticut knows how they are an important part of support and resources during storm recovery.  My thoughts and prayers are with the Airmen and the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected throughout the Caribbean, and the Connecticut National Guard stands ready to provide support to those in need” Major General Thaddeus J. Martin, Adjutant General and Commander of the Connecticut National Guard, said.  “Once again, the National Guard is ready to step up and help people in a time of need, because that is what we train for – no matter where conditions take us.”

 

The Connecticut National Guard has assisted with hurricane relief efforts in several situations over the past few weeks, including the deployment of personnel and equipment to Austin, Texas in support of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, and the deployment of two crews who assisted with Hurricane Irma relief efforts in Puerto Rico and Florida.

 

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#Hartford State Senator Tony Hwang applauded the Connecticut State Senate’s bipartisan approval of the Republican budget proposal.

Three Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans in voting for the amended state budget, which passed by a vote of 21 to 15.

The amended budget now goes to the state House of Representatives for a vote

“Our plan moves Connecticut in a new direction,” Sen. Hwang said. “We want to generate a predictable, sustainable and transparent ecosystem where Connecticut businesses can thrive and grow. We can do it with no new taxes.

 

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut has deployed a C-130H cargo plane and eight Airmen from the 103^rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut National Guard to help with Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts in Texas.  The unit, which departed from the Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby this afternoon, includes C-130H pilots, crewmembers, loadmasters, and maintainers.

 

“We know what it’s like to experience extreme weather events, and we know how vital it is for local and state governments to work together and provide assistance during times of natural disasters or other emergencies,” Governor Malloy said.  “I thank our Connecticut Air National Guardsmen for taking on this mission to give Texas aid during this great time of need.  The State of Connecticut stands ready to provide support in the ongoing response and recovery efforts.  The growing emergence of extreme weather events has transformed the way we respond to emergencies and is a key reason why we must continue strengthening our infrastructure to withstand the types of catastrophic storms that we’ve experienced in recent years.”

 

“I want to thank the Connecticut Air National Guardsmen deploying to Texas, and their families, for their service,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said.  “Connecticut knows firsthand how important additional support and resources are during storm recovery.  This mission will render assistance and bring critical supplies to the people of Texas – and remind them that Connecticut is with them and stands ready to help.”

 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all suffering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey,” Major General Thaddeus J. Martin, Adjutant General and Commander of the Connecticut National Guard, said.  “Even on the heels of the unit’s first large-scale, overseas deployment, the 103^rdAirlift Wing – and the entire Connecticut National Guard – stands ready to aid the men and women of this nation anytime, anywhere.”

 

Less than two months ago, more than 200 members of the 103^rd Airlift Wing returned from a deployment that saw the unit stationed at multiple locations throughout Southwest Asia, supporting Expeditionary Combat Support operations that included tactical airlift, maintenance, security, and logistics support.

 

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HARTFORD, CT– Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has signed an executive order reinforcing the state’s nondiscrimination policies within the Connecticut Military Department following an announcement from President Trump this morning that he intends to ban people who are transgender from serving in the military in any capacity.

The order directs the Connecticut National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and the other armed forces of the state to take no action that discriminates against service members in enlistment, promotion, or any other aspect of their service, on the basis of their gender identity or expression, unless superseded by federal law, regulation, or formal directive from the U.S. Department of Defense.

It also directs the Connecticut Military Department to review existing personnel policies and any formal directive from the Department of Defense or other federal entity, whether issues today or in the future, to ensure that service members are afforded the maximum protection and the greatest opportunity to serve our state and nation, regardless of their gender identity or expression, and to minimize any discriminatory impact on service members from any federal directive.

A recent study estimated that there are between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender service members currently serving on active duty and an additional 1,500 to 4,000 in the reserves – all of whom could be discharged from the military under the President’s new policy.

State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-143), The Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Education Committee, applauded today’s news that Governor Dannel Malloy had signed her education mandate relief bill into law.

 

Rep. Lavielle authored the bill, HB 7276, with input from multiple superintendents, Board of Education members, and education advocates in order to provide local school districts relief from cumbersome unfunded mandates imposed by the state.  Advocating for the bill throughout this year’s session, she assembled a bipartisan list of 62 cosponsors, and it eventually passed 126-23 in the House and unanimously in the Senate.  The governor signed the bill into law on Tuesday, July 11^th.

 

Among the provisions of HB 7276 are eliminating the requirement for school districts to adopt a regional calendar; requiring the state to survey districts’ use of management and reporting software with a view toward eventually providing a statewide option at no cost to districts; allowing districts to decide how they provide education to expelled students; and allowing districts to focus training in procedures for handling highly sensitive behavioral issues on specially designated staff who have direct contact with students.

 

“With this new law, we have done a really positive thing for educators, parents, and students across the State of Connecticut,” said Rep. Lavielle.  “School districts that have been squeezed by delays, uncertainties, and budget cuts related to the state’s fiscal crisis can breathe a small sigh of relief in knowing that they now have fewer vexing mandates to contend with.  The flexibility granted by this new law should lead to savings of time and money for school districts and allow teachers, administrators, and school staff to place an even greater emphasis on serving students.”

 

House Republican Leader Themis Klarides (R-114) also expressed her enthusiasm for the bill’s potential to provide relief to cash-strapped school districts during the ongoing budget crisis, noting how the governor running the state by executive order has frightened education leaders and this bill could lessen the impact.

 

“The innovative ideas in this bill are a particularly welcome development for school districts in our state given that they are right now dealing with grave uncertainties and the threat of funding cuts as a result of the failure to pass a budget this year,” said Rep. Klarides.  “This law won’t cost the state any money, and while it doesn’t solve all of our problems, it will ease some of the pain.  Rep. Lavielle helped the legislature achieve one of its few bright spots this year and I applaud her efforts, as well as the stakeholders who worked to get this bill signed into law.”

 

“This new law was the product of close collaboration with a wide range of education stakeholders, bipartisan cooperation with my fellow Education Committee leaders, and general recognition that one-size-fits-all unfunded mandates get in the way of our students’ success.  I want to thank all of the legislators who helped to pass this bill, as well as Governor Malloy for clearing the way for this significant step forward in good education policy,” added Rep. Lavielle.

 

SafeWise ranked cities and towns based on sex offender concentration, state graduation rates, overall school quality ranking, and FBI violent crime data. Of the top 30 safest communities in America, Connecticut was home to a third of them, including Greenwich, Fairfield, Ridgefield, Southington, Westport Simsbury, Cheshire, Milford, and Glastonbury. Farmington, New Canaan, West Hartford, Newtown, Madison, and Darien all received ‘honorable mention.’

SafeWise noted that the safest cities in America for raising a family are in coastal New England towns, where quiet, suburban neighborhoods have less crime, promote healthy and active lifestyles, and enjoy well-funded school systems.

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#Hartford CT–Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a bill (H.B. 5584) into law establishing a small business hotline to serve as a one-stop-shop for interactions between entrepreneurs and the state.

In response to today’s bill signing, Brett Broesder, co-founder and vice president of Campaign for Tomorrow’s Jobs

, noted that, on average, small business owners spend 200 hours a year dealing with government rules and regulations, according to a Babson College study

. The small business hotline will help cut down on that time by serving as a one-stop-shop for find answers to questions surrounding government red tape.

“This small business hotline, serving as a one-stop-shop, will save entrepreneurs both time and money,” said Broesder. “When small businesses succeed, it’s not just our economy that gets stronger; it’s our families and communities. It’s a win-win for Connecticut.”

The new law requires the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) commissioner to establish and operate a hotline that provides individualized information and guidance to entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state on how to start and develop a business, identify networking resources, and access technical and financial assistance from state and quasi-public agencies. The commissioner may establish, manage, and staff the hotline in collaboration with a nonprofit organization, according to Connecticut’s Office of Legislative Research

.

Also, the DECD commissioner must submit a report on the hotline’s operation to the Commerce Committee by January 1, 2019. The report must describe the hotline’s services and how it is advertised, summarize the most common types of assistance entrepreneurs and small businesses request, and provide statistics on the hotline’s call volume.

“Thanks to Gov. Malloy for signing this bill into law,” said Broesder. “And, thanks to the General Assembly – especially Commerce Committee Co-Chairs State Representative Caroline Simmons , State Senator Joan Hartley , State Senator Scott Frantz  and Ranking Member State Representative David Yaccarino – for leading the charge on this pro-business measure.”

The new law will go into effect on October 1, 2017.

To read more about the new law, click here: http://bit.ly/2m2mIvt

.
To watch a video ad that ran in support of the bill, click here: http://bit.ly/2r7dYoA

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HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today released the following statement regarding Aetna:

 

“While Aetna has decided to move 250 jobs to New York City, the vast majority of their nearly 6,000 employees in Connecticut will stay here.  At the same time, this is an important reminder that to be competitive, Connecticut state government must immediately take the necessary steps to produce a balanced biennial budget with recurring measures to reduce spending and structural solutions to our long-term problems.  We must also continue to invest in the revitalization of our cities.

 

“My budget proposal this year is focused on not just protecting our cities, but in growing them, and making them even more dynamic and exciting places to work and to live.  Make no mistake – Hartford is experiencing a transformation with hundreds of new housing units, a major university campus moving downtown, and an arts and culture scene that grows more vibrant each and every day.  It is imperative that we act expeditiously in taking the necessary steps to address our long-term challenges head-on so that we are able to provide predictability for business and taxpayers alike.”

 

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#Hartford – Last week the Connecticut Senate  passed two bills aimed at combating domestic violence and human trafficking in Connecticut.

 

House Bill 7299, An Act Concerning Strengthening Laws Concerning Domestic Violence, passed the Senate in a bipartisan, unanimous vote.

 

The bill strengthens domestic violence laws in Connecticut and increases penalties for stalking and other forms of violence against women by amending criminal statutes governing stalking to include social media, telephone, and other forms of harassment, tracking and intimidation, and strengthens penalties for those convicted of stalking. It also reclassifies suffocation under the strangulation statutes, and enhances the penalty for violation of the conditions of release of an offender.

 

“It is critical that our domestic violence laws adapt in order to keep up with our changing forms of communication,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “With threats and harassment made through social media platforms increasing, the General Assembly is ensuring that victims are fully protected under the law.”

 

The bill previously passed the State House of Representatives on a unanimous vote.

 

If signed into law, the bill would:

 

• Change the “standard of fear” required for the stalking statutes;
• Include suffocation in the strangulation statutes;
• Delete from the statues the requirement that the contents of a restraining order forwarded to law enforcement include the applicant’s affidavit;

 

The Senate also passed HB 7309, An Act Concerning Human Trafficking which aims to prevent sex trafficking by increasing penalties for sex trafficking, providing greater education to state agencies, and adding members to the state’s Trafficking in Persons Council.

 

“We are sending a strong message that perpetrators of human trafficking will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” said Senator Duff.

 

If signed into law, the bill would:

 

• Increase the penalty for trafficking in persons from a class B to a class A felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison in line with federal statute, and broaden the definition of “sex trafficking”.
• Create a new crime, “commercial sex abuse of a minor,” which would be a class B felony, and a
• Class A felony if the minor is under 15 years of age. Patronizing a minor is currently a class C felony.
• Provide and require training for state public safety, legal, and health care employees, and public school employees for identifying and reporting human trafficking.
• Require an increased number of businesses to post signage with the Trafficking in Persons Council hotline number.
• Expand the membership of the state’s Trafficking in Persons Council, including adding an individual who has been a victim of sex trafficking.

 

The bill passed on a unanimous and bipartisan basis in the House of Representatives on May 17 and in the Senate Friday morning.

 

Both bills now head to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his signature or veto.

 

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#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that all regular construction-related activity on Connecticut state roads and highways will be suspended beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, May 26, 2017 and lasting through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30 in order to accommodate travelers during the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.  Only work of an emergency nature will be performed during this period.

 

“Memorial Day has traditionally been the unofficial start of summer and one of the busiest travel days of the year, and we do not want our state’s residents to worry about any additional delays because of roadwork this weekend,” Governor Malloy said.  “Connecticut has many great places to visit this summer season, and I encourage all of our citizens to plan ahead and drive safely.”

 

“The Department of Transportation does its best to minimize the impact of road work on travelers,” Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner James P. Redeker said.  “We are now at the height of the construction season, with projects all around Connecticut.  Suspending work on a busy holiday weekend only makes sense.”

 

CTDOT is on pace to resurface 255 two-lane miles of state roadways this construction season, which typically runs each year from April 1 through November 30.

 

Commuters in Connecticut searching for real-time travel information should visit the CTDOT’s recently launched Travel Smart website at www.CTTravelSmart.org

 

.  The system incorporates data collected from the state’s robust Statewide Intelligent Transportation System network and Highway Operations Center and consolidates real-time travel information into a customizable, personalized user experience providing dynamic functionality, such as trip planning and subscription services.

 

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