State News

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF THE STATE’S SHARED WORK PROGRAM TO HELP EMPLOYERS NAVIGATE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PANDEMIC

Sep 30, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

MIDDLETOWN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that as companies continue navigating the impact of the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Connecticut will be expanding its Shared Work program, which helps businesses in the state prevent layoffs by allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours and use partial unemployment benefits to supplement lost wages. The program will be expanded beginning the week of October 5, 2020. To highlight the expansion, the governor today visited Pegasus Manufacturing, a 133-year-old design and engineering firm located in Middletown that is participating in the program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor. He was joined by Labor Deputy Commissioner Daryle Dudzinski and representatives from the company. “COVID-19 is impacting businesses…

State News

Governor Calls Special Session

Sep 28, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

The governor’s special session call includes the consideration of legislation on the following policy areas: 1. Establishing a performance-based regulation to hold the state’s electricity, gas, and water companies accountable for the critical services they provide to customers; 2. Ensuring local officials may administer absentee ballots in a secure and orderly manner during the November 2020 general election; 3. Authorizing school construction projects; 4. Updating the state’s Transfer Act; 5. Aligning Connecticut’s hemp program with federal law and providing opportunities for hemp growers and manufacturers in the state; 6. Updating the state’s environmental justice law to require public notice and community benefit agreements in certain circumstances; 7. Providing greater protection for employees in occupations engaged in construction on certain non-residential building, heavy, or highway works projects in…

State News

Friendly Tax Website

Sep 25, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) multi-year IT modernization initiative that will improve the customer’s experience and deliver additional, user-friendly features such as mobile device-friendly design, secure web messaging, and advanced tax filing reminders. The launch is highlighted by the new, online tax filing and payment portal called DRS myconneCT. Certain taxes filed by businesses are included in the initial phase, and the program will include all state tax filings made with DRS in future phases. Information about the portal will be included in business.ct.gov, the one-stop-shop for businesses launched in July, and is part of the broader efforts of the Lamont administration to streamline and modernize government…

State News

Election Security

Sep 22, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) applauded the House of Representatives’ passage of legislation he introduced in the Senate to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime to hack any voting systems used in a federal election and now awaits President Trump’s signature. “As foreign adversaries seek to undermine our democracy, our election systems are in dire need of strong safeguards. Our adversaries have shown a willingness and capability to hack the infrastructure that powers our democracy, however, our laws and enforcement lag far behind this dire threat. This bill provides the Department of Justice with powerful tools to vigorously prosecute and stop malicious hackers. I am grateful to my…

State News

ITT Debt Relief

Sep 21, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong has secured an agreement to obtain $292,874 in debt relief for former ITT Tech students in Connecticut as part of a settlement with 48 attorneys general and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Nationally, the settlement will result in debt relief of about $330 million for former students of the failed for-profit college. The agreement affects about 43,000 loans. The settlement is with PEAKS Trust, a private loan program run by ITT and affiliated with Deutsche Bank entities. ITT filed bankruptcy in 2016 amid investigations by state attorneys general and following action by the U.S. Department of Education to restrict ITT’s access to federal student aid. “This settlement holds PEAKS Trust accountable for its predatory lending…

State News

CT Paid Leave Website

Sep 18, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, in partnership with the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority, announced the launch of a new website – CTPaidLeave.org – with the goal of supporting all Connecticut residents to understand their roles, rights, and responsibilities based on the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA). The site is built to provide information for all employers, employees, and healthcare providers to better navigate this new, comprehensive program, administered by the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. The Connecticut Paid Leave program is set to begin on January 1, 2021, making the new website a vital tool for all impacted employees, employers, sole proprietors and self-employed individuals to understand their roles and responsibilities. Paid Leave program benefits become accessible to…

State News

Wear Your Mask Act In ALL Federal Buildings

Sep 18, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

#WASHINGTON, DC] – Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Wear Your Mask Act today, requiring that all people in federal buildings and facilities across the country – including post offices, Social Security offices, and the U.S. Capitol – wear a face mask any time they are within six feet of another person. “Mask wearing should be considered a moral and health mandate— our single best method to combat the coronavirus,” said Blumenthal. “Backed by both common sense and science, our measure would impose this public health imperative in all federal buildings. Even with a vaccine, mask wearing will be a vital tool in conquering…

State News

SENATORS DEMAND BIG PHARMA ALLOW LOW-INCOME PATIENTS TO ACCESS LIFESAVING, DISCOUNTED 340B DRUGS AND CARE

Sep 17, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of 22 senators, including U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), in demanding that pharmaceutical manufacturers stop withholding medications discounted under the 340B Drug Pricing Program from qualified providers that use contract pharmacies – locking out low-income patients from accessing lifesaving drugs and care. In a letter to the drug industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the senators pointed to multiple retaliatory, burdensome, and likely unlawful efforts by its member drug companies to prevent 340B-covered providers from receiving discounted drugs, including denials to providers using contract pharmacies and excessive claims data requests. “By improperly limiting access to 340B drugs, manufacturers will sever a lifeline to treatment for…

State News

At Home Learning Tools Arriving Ahead Of Schedule

Sep 16, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

#HARTFORD, CT– Governor Ned Lamont announced today that nearly 25 percent of the 81,000 devices purchased through his administration’s Everybody Learns initiative is scheduled to arrive earlier than anticipated, with some districts seeing deliveries this week. Taken together with the 60,000 Dell laptops provided by the Partnership for Connecticut, the State of Connecticut has now provided more than 141,000 devices targeted primarily to high-need districts and their students. The state has also made substantial progress on its delivery of 60,000 at-home internet connections in the way of personal hotspots and broadband service. All of the 12,744 personal hotspots that were ordered have been delivered, and fulfillment of broadband service is underway for approximately 40,000 students. “From the beginning…

State News

Insurance Commissioner Issues Decisions For 2021 Health Insurance Rates

Sep 14, 2020 Stephen Krauchick

Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais announced the Department has made final decisions on health insurance rate filings for the 2021 coverage year. Rates for individual plans were held essentially flat, with an average increase of 0.01%, down from the average requested increase of 6.29%. The average increase approved for small group plans is 4.1%, down from the requested average increase of more than 11.28%. As a result of these decisions, approximately 214,600 Connecticut consumers are projected to save $96 million. “Working on behalf of consumers, the Department was able to reduce the health insurance rate increase requests thanks to the hard work of our actuaries and professional staff,” Commissioner Mais said. “I will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders…

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF THE STATE’S SHARED WORK PROGRAM TO HELP EMPLOYERS NAVIGATE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PANDEMIC

Governor Calls Special Session

Friendly Tax Website

Election Security

ITT Debt Relief

CT Paid Leave Website

Wear Your Mask Act In ALL Federal Buildings

SENATORS DEMAND BIG PHARMA ALLOW LOW-INCOME PATIENTS TO ACCESS LIFESAVING, DISCOUNTED 340B DRUGS AND CARE

At Home Learning Tools Arriving Ahead Of Schedule

Insurance Commissioner Issues Decisions For 2021 Health Insurance Rates

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