State News

Lamont Wants Special Session On Restaurant Workers

Sep 24, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is urging the members of the Connecticut General Assembly to meet in special session as soon as possible to adopt legislation his administration developed following a series of meetings this summer with the leaders of each legislative caucus to address the ongoing issue of wages for restaurant workers. In a letter delivered yesterday afternoon to legislative leaders, the governor explained that the proposal strikes a proper balance while protecting workers with legitimate claims to unpaid wages. He is hopeful that they will vote quickly on the proposal so that he can sign it into law. “The legislative proposal that I have put forward through our collaborative discussions strikes the appropriate balance by eliminating double…

State News

Service Member Benefits

Sep 22, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced legislation to restore eligibility to servicemembers seeking to transfer their educational benefits to dependents. Last summer, the Department of Defense issued a new policy that requires servicemembers to commit an additional four years of military service at the time of their application to transfer benefits. The policy change also prevents servicemembers with more than sixteen years of military service from transferring education benefits to their eligible dependents. Previously, any servicemember who had served for six years was eligible to transfer their benefits to an eligible dependent. The Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability Entitlement Act would ensure that all servicemembers who have completed ten years of service in…

State News

Call For Aggressive Action on Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Sep 20, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged aggressive federal action, including additional funding for research and development of vaccines and treatment to combat Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile virus, and other mosquito-borne illnesses. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for EEE. Blumenthal will be joined by Dr. Matthew Cartter of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH) and Dr. Theodore Andreadis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) to provide an update on current mosquito and virus activity in the state. This week CTDPH announced that an adult from East Lyme has tested positive for EEE, only the second human case ever reported in Connecticut. The EEE virus has been identified in mosquitoes in 12 towns and horses in two…

State News

Governor On Vaccination Exemptions

Sep 17, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Ned Lamont today said that Connecticut should join the growing number of states that due to overwhelming public safety risks are requiring children who attend public schools – and are medically capable – to receive vaccinations for preventable diseases, citing recently-released statistics from the Department of Public Health (DPH) showing that over the last year the state has had the largest single year increase in claimed exemptions for vaccinations since the state began tracking the data a decade ago. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high vaccination rates protect not only vaccinated children, but also those who cannot be vaccinated – a designation referred to as “herd immunity.” Schools that achieve…

State News

Tax Free Week Begins

Aug 18, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT– Governor Ned Lamont is reminding consumers in Connecticut that the state’s sales tax-free week begins Sunday, August 18 and runs through Saturday, August 24, 2019. During this one-week sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the sales and use tax. This exemption applies to each eligible item under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice. Sales tax free week was included as part of the biennial budget that was supported by House and Senate Democrats and signed into law this summer by Governor Lamont. It is estimated that Connecticut shoppers will benefit from approximately $4.9 million in…

State News

Governor on MGM Lawsuit

Aug 7, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement on the lawsuit filed today by MGM regarding the future of gaming in Connecticut: “As I have consistently said, our state needs to reach a global gaming resolution that will avoid years and years of complex litigation. The gaming industry in Connecticut represents a significant portion of our economy, and as other states have demonstrated, there is room to grow it. It has always been my intention to develop a comprehensive gaming platform that not only strengthened Connecticut’s gaming industry, but protected it from litigation. Our administration remains committed to these objectives and looks forward to working toward a solution that moves the state forward with the General Assembly.”…

State News

Governor Vetoes 3 Bills

Jul 13, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT – Following his veto messages issued on Friday evening, Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement regarding the vetoes he penned on three bills: “In issuing these three vetoes, I did so only after careful consideration and deliberation about not only the underlying cause of concern, but also in understanding the message that this action would send. “In all three cases, my veto pen was used on behalf of the workers and consumers in this state who don’t have lobbyists to mount a campaign against the special interests that too often try to determine our legislative agenda and focus. “In particular, on the issue of restaurant workers, this bill deprives these individuals of their day…

State News

Lamont Offers ICE Toolkit

Jul 12, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is encouraging families in Connecticut who are concerned about separation due to raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to utilize a toolkit offered by the state that provides a user-friendly, step-by-step guide for parents who seek to have a plan in place for the safe care of their children in the event that they are detained or deported. Available in nine languages, the State of Connecticut’s Family Preparedness Plan includes a guide on steps people can take on their own – without the help of an attorney – to develop a child care plan, and includes important forms and documents that families can fill out and store in a…

State News

Governor Signs PTSD Law For Police and Firefighters But NOT EMS

Jul 11, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

WATERBURY, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, joined by first responders and state lawmakers, today held a bill signing ceremony at Engine 10 of the Waterbury Fire Department to commemorate the adoption of a state law that will provide workers’ compensation benefits to police officers, parole officers, and firefighters who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing an unnerving event in the line of duty. Previously, workers’ compensation covered mental health injuries only when they were sustained in conjunction with physical injuries. This law extends that coverage, recognizing that first responders in particular can be exposed to events on the job that can cause difficulty coping or adjusting for weeks and months at a time, sometimes leading to…

State News

Senator Murphy Wants Smart Guns

Jun 19, 2019 Stephen Krauchick

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) this week introduced the Start Advancing Firearms Enhancements and Technology (SAFETY) Act, legislation that would provide tax incentives to small businesses and firearm manufacturers for the development of smart gun technologies. The bill also encourages consumers to buy firearms that utilize new breakthroughs in safety to reduce gun violence. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is a co-sponsor of the legislation. U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-4) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Smart guns are an innovative way to control who has access to your gun. If I can use my finger or face to unlock my cell phone, then firearm manufacturers can be innovative in using technology to secure guns. We know…

Lamont Wants Special Session On Restaurant Workers

Service Member Benefits

Call For Aggressive Action on Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Governor On Vaccination Exemptions

Tax Free Week Begins

Governor on MGM Lawsuit

Governor Vetoes 3 Bills

Lamont Offers ICE Toolkit

Governor Signs PTSD Law For Police and Firefighters But NOT EMS

Senator Murphy Wants Smart Guns

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