State News

State Troopers Prepare for Thanksgiving Holiday Travel & Road Safety

With tens of thousands of travelers driving through Connecticut during the Thanksgiving weekend, State Police are ramping up their plans to keep highways safe for all during the holiday rush. Beginning on November 22, 2017 at 00:01 a.m. and running through Nov. 26, 2017 at 11:59 p.m., Connecticut State Police will supplement its normal routine patrol personnel with additional Troopers throughout the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Across the state, Troopers will patrol roads and highways across Connecticut, and will focus on aggressive drivers, unsafe drivers, and drunk drivers. Troopers are committed to reducing crashes through preventive enforcement initiatives such as roving DUI patrols. Troopers will also be looking for violators who cause accidents on Connecticut roads and highways. Every effort…

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Lieutenant Governor Will Not Run For Governor

#HARTFORD, CT – Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman today issued a statement regarding the 2018 Governor’s race:   I thank the people of Connecticut for having given me the great honor and privilege of serving as their Lieutenant Governor.   Four decades ago, I ran for a seat on the Tolland Board of Education to be a voice for my children. Many years later, I’ve been humbled and proud to serve with men and women on both sides of the aisle who were strong and honorable leaders, who did their duty in the best interests of their constituents and the state as a whole, and who helped make Connecticut a better place.   I want to thank everyone who has come…

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Senators Want Colleges To Protect Students From Themselves

WASHINGTON – Seeking to cut higher education costs for middle-class families and make college more affordable for American students, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are leading the charge to help reduce student loan debt and protect students from the crippling burdens of student loans.  The senators are introducing the Protect Student Borrowers Act to make institutions of higher education more accountable for student indebtedness by requiring them to assume some of the financial risk of student loan default based on the percentage of their graduates and former students who default on their loans. The legislation will also provide incentives and support for institutions to assist their students to effectively manage their…

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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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