Category: State News

11:40am–#Weston CT– Report of a porta-john on fire at Devil’s Den Nature Preserve on Morehouse Farm Park.  Fire marshal has nothing to go on….

 

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#HARTFORD, CT– Governor Dannel P. Malloy today is applauding the results of an annual census of homelessness in the state, saying that the point-in-time count confirms that the state’s recent efforts to reduce homelessness and increase access to housing are working.

 

Conducted by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, this year’s census found that homelessness in Connecticut has decreased for a fourth consecutive year and is at its lowest level to date.  Among the statistics found in the census, the nonprofit organization’s report found that:

 

• The overall homeless population has decreased 13 percent during the last year and 24 percent since 2007.
• A total of 415 people were unsheltered – a 38 percent decrease from last year.
• Few veterans were counted as homeless – only 34 veterans were identified in emergency shelters (a decrease of 24 percent over the last year) and only 14 veterans were unsheltered (a 67 percent decrease).  Connecticut continues to house veterans who become homeless within about 90 days.

 

“We set high goals to end homelessness, and this census released today showing record lows in Connecticut confirms that our state is moving in the right direction and our housing efforts are working,” Governor Malloy said.  “Ensuring and delivering the availability of housing for everyone is critical to building stronger, safer communities where families thrive and businesses grow.  Over the last several years, our state has built solid partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations to strengthen our housing needs in order to ensure that when someone becomes homeless, it is brief and nonrecurring.  I want to thank everyone who has been involved in these efforts – their work is truly having a positive impact on peoples’ lives.”

 

“This report marks good progress in the effort to end homelessness,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said.  “It’s an issue that impacts everyone in Connecticut – homelessness destabilizes communities and can devastate the people who are cycled in and out of emergency shelters for lack of services.  I thank Governor Malloy for making housing a priority, and all of our partners and advocates for their work.”

 

“Under the Malloy administration, we are working in close partnership with stakeholders across all levels of government, as well as with organizations and providers in the private, and nonprofit sector,” Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein said.  “During Governor Malloy’s tenure, Connecticut has become a recognized national leader in the housing arena.  This year’s point-in-time count reaffirms not only the state’s commitment to preventing and ending homelessness, but also the strong partnerships.  I applaud our nonprofit housing providers for their dedication and commitment.  Together, we’re building a Connecticut where everyone will have a place to call home.”

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This week, State Senator Bob Duff  joined scientists, doctors and legislators at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis to cut the ribbon on two gene-sequencing machines that can map an individual’s genes, revealing the cause of a genetic illness.

This investment highlights Yale’s and Connecticut’s commitment to the advancement of health and innovation in medicine and will have far-reaching and positive impacts on our healthcare, our economy and overall well-being for years to come.

Investments like this are changing the way we do medicine. We are entering into a revolution where medicine is a science of prediction, prevention, and strategic intervention.

Connecticut can be at the cutting edge of that revolution. We know that innovation and the management of big data will be defining characteristics of the most successful economies of the 21st century. With Connecticut’s knowledge economy, we expect investments by early adopters like Yale to continue and to grow, making our state a magnet for entrepreneurs, innovators, start-ups and established organizations interested in expanding–much like Illumina here today.

Hartford – Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Deputy Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) are applauding the state Senate’s passage of a bill that removes barriers to employment by reforming the state’s occupational license laws.

 

Senate Bill 191 phases out occupational licenses for jobs that don’t have educational or professional prerequisites. Currently, Connecticut has many occupational licenses workers are required to pay a fee to obtain even for certain occupations that have no educational or certification requirement. In these cases, such licenses amount to a fee on an occupation. This bill removes barriers to employment while still maintaining health and safety protections for consumers.

 

“Here in Connecticut, we need to create more pathways to career opportunities and jobs,” said Sen. Duff. “I have heard from small business owners from around the state about the need to cut red tape.  I am happy to have been able to work with Senator Witkos to do so in bipartisan manner today.”

 

“This legislation is about cutting red tape,” said Sen. Witkos. “It will allow the state to eliminate unnecessary licensing fees to reduce barriers for individuals pursuing work and careers in a variety of fields. By eliminating financial barriers, we can open up work opportunities to more people. In addition, by eliminating unnecessary fees, this change could also result in reduced costs for customers. I thank Sen. Duff for reaching across the aisle to bring this idea to fruition with bipartisan support.”

 

The bill would eliminate multiple occupational licenses, registrations, and certificates including for the following occupations: Above Ground Swimming Pool Installer, Uniform Student Athlete Agents, Licensed Shorthand Reporters, Itinerant Vendors License, Wholesaler’s Salesman Certificate, Residential Flat Glass or Automotive Glazier and Real Estate Intern.

 

Senate Bill 191 now moves to the House of Representatives. The bill must be passed in the House before the end of the legislative session on June 7 before becoming state law.

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#Bridgeport CT–Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) celebrated the unanimous, bipartisan passage of a bill on Wednesday that will ensure special education teachers are trained to identify and address dyslexia.

 

House Bill 7254 aims to improve the quality of education received by students with dyslexia by requiring special education teachers to complete a course of study and have supervised practicum hours in the detection and recognition of students who have dyslexia.

 

“Children with dyslexia deserve a proper education, but that can’t happen unless they are first properly diagnosed. There are too many cases where children in our school systems aren’t receiving the help they deserve because of misdiagnosis. It’s frustrating for the teacher, for the parent, and most importantly it’s frustrating and detrimental for the student,” Sen. Moore, a member of the legislature’s Education Committee, said. “I applaud my colleagues in the Education Committee for putting forth this important piece of legislation that will aid children in overcoming the hardships associated with dyslexia. Every student deserves a proper education and we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that all children with learning disabilities have the necessary resources to succeed.”

 

Dyslexia is defined as a learning disability that affects reading, specifically spelling and word recognition. Dyslexia is a neurobiological disorder and is often inconsistent with a student’s other cognitive abilities. It is estimated that 15-20% of children struggle with this condition.

 

Early detection of dyslexia allows children to receive proper treatment which in turn saves districts money in regards to their special education service costs. If dyslexia in a child is undiagnosed, a district may believe that the child is suffering from another disability and thus pay for unneeded or inapplicable treatment services.

 

This bill will ensure that special education teachers are equipped to identify students who are struggling with dyslexia, rather than another learning disability, and get them the help they need.

 

HB 7254 passed in the House 136-69 on April 19 and in the Senate on May 3. It will next go to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy for final consideration.

This press release is sponsored by Amazon: http://amzn.to/2q88TwQ

#Hartford CT–Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is re-appointing Elin Swanson Katz of West Hartford to serve another five-year term as Consumer Counsel for the State of Connecticut.  The Consumer Counsel is responsible for advocating on behalf of Connecticut consumers on issues relating to electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, and water.

 

“Throughout her tenure in the position, Elin has been a strong advocate on behalf of the Connecticut’s utility customers to serve as their voice in state government on a wide variety of complex issues,” Governor Malloy said.  “I thank her for her willingness to continue in this role for another term.”

 

“Representing Connecticut’s consumers as Consumer Counsel has been the highest honor of my career, and I thank Governor Malloy for this re-nomination, as well as his support and his leadership on consumer issues, including his support for innovation towards cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy,” Katz said.  “I am humbled by the prospect of serving the consumers of Connecticut for five more years and will work diligently on their behalf.”

 

Katz has served as the state’s Consumer Counsel since being appointed to the position by Governor Malloy in October 2011.  Prior to that, she worked in both the public and private sectors, including as a lawyer for Day Pitney LLP in the Environmental and Land Use Department, and as associate counsel for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.  She also taught at Trinity College, was a professional writing consultant, and served on the West Hartford Board of Education.

 

The Office of the Consumer Counsel is an independent state agency authorized to participate on behalf of consumer interests in all administrative and judicial forums and in any matters in which the interests of consumers with respect to public utility matters may be involved.

(Press Release)

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#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy released the following statement regarding the inability of the state legislature’s fiscal committees to adopt a budget today:

 

“I am profoundly disappointed that neither Democrats nor Republicans could produce a budget that makes responsible progress toward addressing our fiscal challenges.  I stand ready to work with leaders of both parties as they come to terms with the real and growing challenges facing Connecticut.

 

“For now, the only balanced budget proposal is the one I put on the table in February.  I will continue to share and discuss that plan publicly, listen to new ideas, and work toward a substantial cost-saving agreement with our state employees.  What I will not do is sign a budget focused on taxes rather than spending cuts.  I will not push off this year’s problems onto future generations.  And I will not support a budget filled with gimmicks or unsupported revenue projections.

 

“In short, the status quo won’t do.  We cannot be all things to all people.  We have to live within our means by making real, fundamental changes to how we budget.  Deferring hard decisions only makes them harder.  Let’s get to work.”

(Press Release)

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