State News

Sen. Hwang Hosts Forum Regarding Insurance Rate Increases

On Tuesday, Aug. 2, Senator Tony Hwang  hosted an informational forum on Connecticut’s proposed health insurance and long term care rate increases at Sacred Heart University’s Schine Auditorium at  5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield. Senator Hwang is encouraged rate payers to speak out about potential double-digit increases in health care insurance rates. Public hearings on the potential hikes will take place in Hartford on August 3 and 4.  “Average increases on individual and small group employer plans in Connecticut could be as high as 28 percent among plans that cover thousands of workers and their families,” Senator Hwang said. “That’s outrageous, that’s unaffordable, and that’s why people need to know howto weigh in.” Comments can be registered with the state Insurance Department by visiting http://www.ct.gov/cid/cwp/view.asp?a=4059&Q=581302 . Sen. Hwang has…

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Philly DNC Protests

11:25pm--#UPDATE-- 2 people shot on Darien Street (Philly) across from Route 76.  Sounds like a delivery person was robbed.   11:14pm--UPDATE: One officer injured on Broad Street near the CVS according to radio reports.   #Philadelphia Pennsylvania--11:04pm--President Obama addresses Democratic National Convention.  Protesters attack the eight foot tall fencing surround the Citizens Bank Area, police fall back.  One protester on Broad Street  burns his right leg after burning a flag, flesh is peeling according to radio reports.  See map at: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Citizens+Bank+Park,+1+Citizens+Bank+Way,+Philadelphia,+PA+19148/Broad+Street,+Philadelphia,+PA/@39.9087601,-75.1719326,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c6c5ee266feb39:0x90212debd7535fa!2m2!1d-75.1664952!2d39.9060572!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c6c5e934609e5b:0xcf2dd302a256d871!2m2!1d-75.1721555!2d39.9114159!3e0 I will update this thread with updates.   Theses reports are made possible by:

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Murphy Urges White House on Mental Health

#HARTFORD – After hearing continued complaints from constituents living with mental illness and substance use disorders about equal access to treatment, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) led a group of 17 senators on Monday in urging the White House Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force to consider taking a specific set of actions – including conducting random audits and establishing an online public portal – to improve compliance with parity laws and ensure that Americans receive equal access to behavioral health care. In a letter addressed to Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, the senators outlined the most common issues their constituents experienced while attempting to access mental health treatment, and…

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FEDERAL GRANT TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING HOUSING FOR VETERANS

#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that Connecticut is receiving a federal grant of nearly $400,000 that will support 43 new HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers, which combines rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and case management services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support veterans who are at risk of homelessness.   The HUD-VASH program is an essential tool as the state continues to maintain functional zero for the homeless veteran population.  Earlier this year, the federal government certified that due to its investments in housing, Connecticut has effectively ended homelessness among veterans – one of only two states in the nation to reach this milestone.   Among…

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Governor Visits Florida Nightclub

The Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy today released photos of the Governor’s visit to Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on Friday.  Following the mass shooting there last month, the Governor recognized the victims and their families. “What happened at Pulse was a truly devastating moment for the nation.  To visit there personally, you think about the individuals who held their breath in fear inside that building, knowing a madman was nearby.  You think about horror they must of felt – a horror no person should have to experience.  You think about the parents and family-members who woke up to the tragic news that their loved ones would not come home – and the pain that will make their hearts…

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Cooling Centers

Governor Dannel P. Malloy is reminding Connecticut residents that as the state is experiencing its first heat wave of the summer, cooling centers are open in towns and cities throughout the state and can be located by calling 2-1-1. “Today is expected to be humid and the hottest day of the heat wave with a heat index in the upper 90s.  A few simple steps can greatly reduce heat-related issues, especially for the elderly, the very young, and people with respiratory ailments who are more susceptible to the effects of high temperatures,” Governor Malloy said.  “Many towns have opened cooling centers across the state.  Any resident looking for a place to cool off should call 2-1-1 to find out where…

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Did You Notice An Increase At The Pumps?

Did you notice an increase at the pump?  It wasn't the holiday driving causing it but the petroleum gross receipts tax, which is a percentage of the wholesale price of gasoline and is charged to companies distributing petroleum products in Connecticut, increases from 7 percent to 8.1 percent. Also, the state’s diesel tax increases by 3.5 cents per gallon.   This report is made possible by:

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Q Bridge errrr Pearl Harbor Bridge To Be Red White and Blue

  #New Haven CT--#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven – informally known as the Q Bridge – will be lit in red, white, and blue this weekend in observation of Independence Day.  This will be the first time the recently renovated bridge will receive a full lighting, which will include the towers, anchor piers, and cable stays.  This is the first bridge in Connecticut with this type of versatile, commemorative lighting.   “This newly constructed bridge is a major landmark in Connecticut.  We got it done on time and on budget – and now we’re lighting it up as a new enhancement for residents.  We’re thrilled to be…

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CCDL President’s Statement

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA—The United States Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a lower court’s ruling refusing to strike down on Second Amendment grounds Connecticut’s ban on certain semi-automatic firearms including the most popular rifles in the Nation. The Connecticut Citizens’ Defense League (CCDL) and other plaintiffs challenged Connecticut’s ban in 2013, arguing that the ban openly flouts the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that law-abiding citizens have an individual right to keep commonly-owned firearms in their homes for self-defense. According to Scott Wilson, President of the CCDL, the banned firearms are very rarely used by criminals, and the only things that distinguish them from non-banned firearms are external features such as thumbhole stocks…

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