Under the bill, municipalities may regulate the operation and use of mini-motorcycles on public property and impose penalties on them up to the same limits applicable to dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and snowmobile ordinance violations. In addition, municipal officers and employees may issue citations without first providing a written warning to individuals who violate a mini-motorcycle ordinance. By law, the same is true for citations concerning a dirt bike or ATV ordinance. The bill also authorizes municipalities with a population of 30,000 or more to enforce ordinances concerning mini-motorcycle, dirt bike, or ATV operation by confiscating and destroying any vehicle used to violate them.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy was named the 2016 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award™ for courageously defending the U.S. resettlement of Syrian refugees amid security concerns following the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and personally welcoming a family of Syrian refugees to New Haven after they had been turned away by another state.
The award for political courage was presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston today.
Governor Malloy released a statement: “I’m deeply honored and moved. I believe that when you see wrong happening, you must stand up to do what’s right — that’s what guides us each and every day. Whether it’s reforming our criminal justice system with our Second Chance initiatives, advocating for the LGBTQ community, fighting for fairer wages or working conditions, or standing up to ignorance around the refugee issue, we have tried to do just that. We’ve tried to lead — and we’ve tried to lead by doing the right thing. It is incredibly humbling and moving to receive this award. I cannot thank the JFK Foundation enough.”
#HARTFORD, CT – On Thursday, April 28th, advocates for fair wages in Connecticut presented an invoice for $486 million to a local Walmart on Flatbush Avenue. The invoice represented the annual cost of low-wage jobs to Connecticut taxpayers, who foot the bill when large corporations like Walmart pay wages so low that their employees must rely on public assistance to support their families. The advocates called for these companies either to pay fair wages to their workers or to contribute to the state’s costs for public assistance to working families.
Paul Filson, Director of SEIU State Council, stated, “Every year, Connecticut taxpayers are stuck paying for the poverty-level wages of big corporations. It’s time that the state recognized that it shouldn’t be subsidizing the profits of McDonald’s, Walmart, and others, and that these wealthy corporations need to pay their fair share.”
During the event, advocates and allies of the Raise CT campaign referenced The Public Cost of Low-Wage Work in New England , a study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley. The study calculated that wealthy corporations, like Walmart, cost Connecticut taxpayers $486 million dollars annually for the state’s share of the costs for federal public benefit programs. They described the harmful impacts of the low-wage business model on both underpaid workers and other Connecticut residents.
Lindsay Farrell, Executive Director of Connecticut Working Families, agreed, “In a time when we face an annual budget crisis but large corporations are costing us hundreds of millions of tax dollars annually, we should reject these greedy business models that hurt Connecticut’s most vulnerable families. We need to create an economy that works for everyone.”
Richard Grimes, an employee at this Walmart stated, “Corporate CEOs make thousands of dollars an hour, all we’re asking is that they pay their fair share. It’s time Connecticut realized these corporations are profiting off the backs of hardworking families and taxpayers.”
The advocates called for Connecticut to join New York and California by passing a $15 minimum wage and for legislators to support SB 391, the “Low Wage Employer Fee” bill. This legislation would require large corporations to make a choice: either pay decent wages or contribute to the state’s costs for public assistance for working families. Workers described how, if they were paid higher wages, the state’s economy would benefit from their increased spending to support their families. Advocates described how, alternatively, contributions by large corporations to help cover the costs of their low wages could help alleviate the state’s budget crisis and protect state services that are critical for low-income working families.
$WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Jim Himes (CT-4), joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2) and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), sent a letter to Governor Dan Malloy, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey thanking them for their actions in support of the LGBT community in Connecticut.
After North Carolina and Mississippi recently passed laws allowing for legal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, the sharp divide between states that are welcoming and inclusive toward LGBT individuals and those that are codifying discrimination has never been clearer.
“By enacting laws that openly discriminate against our fellow citizens because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, the leaders of these states are violating the fundamental principles of equality and justice upon which our country is based,” the delegation wrote to the state leaders. “Connecticut has chosen a different path, and we are grateful for the role you have played in making our state more welcoming and more diverse.”
In addition to the moral and legal arguments in opposition to discrimination, the letter also highlights the economic drawbacks of these policies. North Carolina has already seen PayPal cancel a $3.6 million investment in the state, and high profile musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam are canceling concerts because of the new law.
“In today’s very competitive global economy, workers and businesses are abandoning states with discriminatory laws and are choosing to do business with companies in states that promote equality,” the letter continues. “In Connecticut, we are proud to be the home of world-class companies and a skilled and diverse workforce. Our commitment to equality and diversity makes us an even more appealing environment in which to live, work and raise a family.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Jim Himes (CT-04) and Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services’ Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, introduced the Multistate Worker Tax Fairness Act. This bill will prevent the over-taxation of individuals who telework in one state for companies located in another. Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy are introducing companion legislation in the Senate.
The number of Americans telecommuting and working from home at least part-time has increased with technological advancements. Unfortunately, a patchwork of conflicting state tax rules burdens workers and discourages telecommuting.
“If you wake up every morning in Connecticut, and walk downstairs to your home office in Connecticut, it only makes sense that you should be paying taxes to Connecticut, not to New York or whatever state your company’s headquarters happens to be in.” said Himes. “It’s the fairest, simplest way to avoid over-taxation and ensure tax revenue goes to the logical jurisdiction.”
“People who take advantage of technology and telecommuting shouldn’t be punished by outdated tax laws,” said Garrett. “It doesn’t make sense to pay taxes in a state that you never set foot in, and our legislation will bring the tax law into the modern age to protect New Jerseyans from being over-taxed.”
The Multistate Worker Tax Fairness Act establishes a uniform standard based on physical presence in a state. In doing so, the bill prohibits a state from taxing a nonresident’s income earned when the individual was not physically in that state. Other cosponsors include Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Elizabeth Esty (CT-05) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01).
#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today released a revised, balanced budget proposal that addresses the entirety of the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis’s deficit projection by closing a projected $922 million deficit for FY2017. Falling under the statutory spending cap, this is the only budget presented thus far that tackles the full scope of the challenge. It includes no tax increases.
The proposal identifies and maintains funding for core services and:
Asks non-union employees, appointees, and elected officials in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to pay 20 percent for their health care benefits, creating a savings of as much as $5 million per fiscal year moving into the future
Maintains funding for Community Residential Services for the developmental disabled to continue the state’s move toward community based care for the I/DD community
Maintains $11.8 million for the small hospital pool
Supports elderly rental assistance and aid to the chronically homeless
Creates a more equitable distribution of education cost sharing (ECS) grants
Funds the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Office of State Ethics, and Freedom of Information Commission as independent agencies
Begins the transition of Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities to nonprofit status effective December 1
“We have an obligation as elected officials to tackle the full scope of our challenge. That means we must align our spending with the revenue we actually have, not the revenue we wish we had. Our expectations need to change – we cannot afford to fund everything we always have. And we need to change the way we budget,” Governor Malloy said. “If we are to do what’s right for the state, if we are to put Connecticut on a better path for the long-term, then we need to make tough but necessary decisions now to adapt to our new economic reality. That’s what this budget does.”
HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is banning non-essential state-funded travel to Mississippi, following that state’s enactment of a discriminatory law that allows businesses and nonprofit groups to refuse service to people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Government should be in the practice of eliminating discrimination – not embracing it. This law in Mississippi is an active attempt to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. We, as a state, cannot stand for that,” Governor Malloy said. “I am proud of Connecticut’s continued advancement of equality for all residents. Our state prides itself on our diversity. We celebrate it. And we are a stronger, better state as a result. This law, however, is simply rooted in backwards thinking and backwards values. That’s why we’re taking action.”
#HARTFORD, CT – –Senator Ed Gomes (D-Bridgeport) continued his advocacy for reforming Connecticut’s policies around hiring applicants with a criminal record. Testifying in front of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, Sen. Gomes called for the passage of Senate Bill 467: An Act Concerning Municipal Implementation of Criminal Justice Reforms.
The bill is a set of hiring policies for private employers, designed to ensure that applicants with criminal records are evaluated on the merits of their qualifications, not on their criminal records.
“This is an important bill for those with a record to have an opportunity to receive a job,” said Sen. Gomes. “A felony conviction too often haunts a person their whole life preventing them from moving on and joining the workforce. We need to give everyone that is looking for a job a fair shot.”
SB 467, originally known as House Bill 5237: An Act Concerning Fair Chance Employment, was raised by the Labor and Public Employees Committee and passed the committee on March 10 by a vote of 13-0.
The bill would incorporate “ban the box” policies, which remove the criminal history question from job applications and postpone the background check until a conditional offer is made by the employer. The bill would also require employers to take into account the age of the offense when making hiring decisions.
Research shows that once an employer has examined the qualifications of a job applicant, the applicant is more likely to be hired.
Seven states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have extended fair hiring practices to private employers.
The Judiciary Committee deadline for action on the bill is March 30.
#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloyy highlighted the release of a new report on national crime punishment rates by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which shows that Connecticut’s approach of focused deterrence, including prioritizing violent and predatory offenders for incarceration, is reducing crime.
The report introduces a new metric known as the punishment rate, which compares the number of people in prison to the rate of crime for Part I crimes, including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle thefts. The report shows Connecticut ranks 13th nationally in the punishment rate – which is the highest of any state in New England – while its imprisonment rate ranks 34th. That indicates that violent criminals are serving longer sentences even as Connecticut’s crime rate is hitting new lows.
The report comes as the legislature considers the Governor’s Second Chance 2.0 initiatives, which aims to end the cycle of crime and poverty among nonviolent offenders.
“This report validates what we in Connecticut already know – our nationally recognized approach to criminal justice is working,” Governor Malloy said. “Those who commit violent crimes in Connecticut are serving longer sentences, while our crime rate has dropped to a nearly 50-year low. We are not just taking a tough approach to crime, but also a smart approach. Coupled with our Second Chance Society initiatives that are designed to end the cycle of crime and poverty, this report demonstrates that we are making progress to improve our communities.”
