State News

Governor Sends Guidance On Puerto Rican Students Arriving To CT Schools

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy and State Department of Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell today announced that they are sending guidance to every school superintendent in the state outlining suggested protocols to ensure that any student arriving from Puerto Rico, or any affected storm area, has immediate access to school and expedited connections to the services they may need.  In the days since Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria brought devastation to the island, the administration has received a number of inquiries from superintendents and other school officials requesting information on how to supervise this potential situation.   “When tragedy strikes, it is often our children who are most at risk,” Governor Malloy said.  “We anticipate many families affected…

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CT National Guard To Help Hurricane Victims

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 103rd 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…

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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.  

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Malloy Sends Cargo Plane and 8 Airmen To Texas

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 103rd 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…

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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…

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Governor Signs Education Mandate Relief Bill Into Law

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 11th.   Among the provisions of HB 7276 are eliminating the requirement for school districts to adopt a…

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Connecticut Among The Safest For Kids

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. This press release is made possible by:

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Governor Signs Small Business Hotline In Service

#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…

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Governor’s Statement On Aetna Leaving The State

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…

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Senate Passes Bipartisan Bills Strengthening Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Laws

#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…

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