State News

Connecticut State Police Final July 4th Stats

2023 Independence Day Weekend Enforcement Stats(6:00 p.m. June 29 through 11:59 p.m. July 4): Calls for Service: 7,312TOTAL VIOLATIONS(to include unsafe lane change,Following Too CloselyCell Phone, Texting, Speeding, Seatbelt, etc.) : 835SPEEDING: 485SEATBELT: 18DUI Arrests: 43Motor Vehicle Accidents: 489With injury: 49 (2 Serious: Stamford and Manchester)Fatalities: 4 (Greenwich, North Canaan, Westbrook and Harwinton)

Read More

State Police Stats

The stats are reflective of the time period starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 29, 2023 to 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July, 4, 2023. Calls for Service: 6,186 Motor Assists: 275 Motor Vehicle Accidents: 411 Serious Injury (Stamford) Fatal: 1 (Greenwich, North Canaan) DUI: 34 Speeding: 422 Citations Citations (seatbelts, unsafe lane change, distracted driving, etc.): 730

Read More

NEW CONNECTICUT CAPTIVE INSURANCE LAWS

Public Act 23-15 Enhances Captive Insurance Companies and Strengthens Support for the Industry Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, has signed into law Public Act 23-15, An Act Concerning Captive Insurance Companies, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at bolstering the captive insurance industry in the state. The bill, championed by Commissioner Andrew Mais of the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID), marks a significant milestone in advancing a business-friendly regulatory environment that encourages innovation and supports the growth of captives to provide more options for businesses to manage their risk. Public Act 23-15 introduces several key changes to Connecticut’s captive insurance laws, offering increased support and flexibility for captives, owners, and service providers. The legislation, which will become effective on October 1, 2023, introduces the…

Read More

BLUMENTHAL & SCHAKOWSKY INTRODUCE ROAD TO ZERO RESOLUTION TO END ROADWAY FATALITIES & IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY

Traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death for Americans under 54, killing over 100 people every day [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the Road to Zero resolution to reduce traffic fatalities and improve roadway safety for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others on the road. Introduction of the resolution follows yesterday’s announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that over 9,000 people died in traffic crashes during the first three months of 2023. By improving data collection and promoting access to safe, reliable transportation, the Road to Zero resolution aims to end roadway fatalities by 2050.   “Road to zero is reachable and responsible,” said Blumenthal. “Roads must be made…

Read More

$6 MILLION IN VOLKSWAGEN SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO EXPAND ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS IN CONNECTICUT

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is releasing more than $6 million from the legal settlement in the Volkswagen Corporation (VW) emissions cheating scandal to fund 54 electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) projects across Connecticut. Administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the state is making these funds available for the installation of EVSE to encourage the use of electric vehicles. Approximately $1.8 million is being awarded for EVSE deployment at state government sites to advance the sustainability goals of Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 1, with an additional $3.3 million awarded for municipal projects, ten of which are located in environmental justice communities. Additionally, nearly $1 million is being dedicated to…

Read More

FTC AMENDMENTS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM DECEPTIVE AUTO-RENEWALS

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 26 state attorneys general submitted comments in support of Federal Trade Commission amendments to the Negative Option Rule protecting consumers from deceptive auto-renewal programs. Negative options are marketing methods for companies to enroll consumers in subscriptions, continuity plans and programs, automatic renewals, and other reoccurring actions. These plans and programs do not require consent for each attached reoccurring charge; rather, in some cases, a consumer’s silence is consent. Amendments to the existing Negative Option Rule would provide more protection to consumers, clarifying terms at enrollment, offering easy and immediate cancellation options, and reminders of upcoming charges. “My office has numerous complaints from consumers unwittingly lured into expensive subscriptions that…

Read More

BLUMENTHAL STATEMENT ON TICKETMASTER & SEATGEEK’S EFFORTS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AROUND HIDDEN TICKET & JUNK FEES

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, and SeatGeek announced they will begin showing consumers the full price of tickets and fees up front: “Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but no substitute for legislation to provide consumers with transparency and prevent companies from imposing ridiculous junk fees. Rather than a voluntary patchwork varying by company, Americans deserve a basic disclosure standard so they can be fully aware of the prices and fees they’re being charged. The days of padding corporate profits by nickel and diming consumers are numbered. We need the Junk Fee Prevention Act to address the price gouging and…

Read More

BLUMENTHAL & BLACKBURN DEMAND META ANSWER FOR INSTAGRAM’S FAILURES TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM PREDATORS & EXPLOITATION

“Meta’s own failures have made Instagram a safe haven for child abuse,” the senators wrote following The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on the platform’s hosting of a “vast pedophile network” [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Following reporting by The Wall Street Journal about Instagram hosting and connecting a vast network of pedophiles and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), authors of the Kids Online Safety Act, demanded Meta answer for its failures to protect children on its platforms and efforts to stop and report the heinous crimes. The investigation by the Wall Street Journal, Stanford University’s Internet Observatory, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Recue Lab found hundreds of accounts on the platform were…

Read More

Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in court & hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

BLUMENTHAL, SCHIFF, & MURPHY INTRODUCE BILL TO REPEAL THE GUN INDUSTRY’S LEGAL LIABILITY SHIELD [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) led 78 Members of Congress, including U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Dwight Evans (D-PA) and Jason Crow (D-CO), in reintroducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal…

Read More

STRONGER FEDERAL PROTECTIONS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH DATA PRIVACY

(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 24 states supporting stronger protections for patients’ reproductive health information. The Biden Administration is considering adding amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the federal law that governs the disclosure of protected health information (PHI). If implemented, the changes would make it illegal to share a patient’s PHI if the PHI is being sought for certain criminal, civil, and administrative investigations and proceedings against a patient in connection with a legal abortion or other reproductive care. This is especially important as the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade spurred many anti-abortion states to enforce draconian restrictions that could lead to criminal or civil penalties…

Read More