House Democrats – State Representative

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden) labeled the 2012 session of the General Assembly, “a truly historic session.” The session was defined by historic policy changes to education, elections, utility storm response, the death penalty and the state’s Blue Laws.

“We faced historic challenges and passed historic legislation,” Speaker Donovan said. “Education reform, storm response by utilities, ending the last vestiges of the state’s Puritan Blue Laws, repealing the death penalty, medical marijuana – all of these policy initiatives are in a word: historic.”

One of the hallmarks of the 2012 was the passage of a $20.5 billion fiscal year 2013 budget adjustment bill that did not raise additional taxes.

“A year ago, we dealt with a shortfall in excess of $3 billion – 15 percent of our total budget,” Majority Leader Sharkey said. “This year, the House passed a budget adjustment that keeps appropriations under the state’s constitutionally-mandated spending cap and continues our investments in education and job growth.”

The budget bill builds upon earlier successes on:

• Jobs – House Democrats demonstrated a commitment to growing jobs in our state by funding the Youth Employment Summer Jobs Program and adult education evening programs, as well as funding for the Small Business Express program and seed funding for a Connecticut Made program to promote products from local businesses.

• Bioscience – Our decision to become a world leader in bioscience and biotechnology, the budget provides additional economic development funding for Jackson Labs.

• Municipal Funding – Recognizing the challenges that our cities and towns are facing, House Democrats made sure to secure funding for cities and towns.

Another headline-maker of the 2012 legislative session was the education reform bill, which:

• Includes more funding for school-based health centers and family resource centers.

• Recognizes the critical importance of early childhood education by underwriting 1,000 school readiness slots for preschoolers and funding several initiatives to improve early reading success.

• Includes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut.

• Gives the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.

• Reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations.

In the aftermath of the October Nor’easter and Tropical Storm Irene that left much of the state without power, the House of Representatives passed sweeping reforms to better prepare for future severe storms and avoid wide-spread and lengthy loss of utility service, where:

• Utilities will be held to minimum performance standards for emergency preparation and response

• Noncompliance could result in penalties of up to 2.5 percent of an electric or gas company’s annual distribution revenue, approximately $25 million in the case of Connecticut Light & Power

In addition, the House passed many other important bills, notably:

Accountability and Transparency in Elections - modifies state election laws affecting campaign finance and the Citizens’ Election Program.

Capital Punishment Repeal – replaces the death penalty with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. The new law is considered prospective, meaning that it does not apply to murderers already on death row.

Reducing Domestic Violence – strengthens the state’s domestic violence laws to better protect victims and hold abusers accountable by giving police officers the tools they need to better identify and respond to domestic violence. We also improved access to and enforcement of protective and restraining orders to improve victim safety.

Minimum Wage – proposed to raise Connecticut’s minimum wage by $.50 to $8.75 per hour in two steps from the current rate of $8.25 to $8.50 on January 1, 2013, and then to $8.75 on January 1, 2014. In Connecticut, 106,000 workers earn the minimum wage – almost 7 percent of our entire workforce. More and more people are relying on this wage to support their families – but we have more work to do.

Racial Profiling – strengthens an existing law aimed at stopping police from profiling motorists based on race during traffic stops.

Police Lineups & Eyewitness Identification – establishes guidelines for police departments on how eyewitnesses identify suspected criminals in lineups and how that testimony is used in a trial.

Election Day Voter Registration – allows eligible Connecticut residents to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. It would establish Election Day registration (EDR) procedures and eliminate the use of presidential ballots since they will be redundant under the bill’s EDR provisions.

Prevent Sexual Violence On Campuses – protects students by requiring colleges and universities to adopt and disclose policies on sexual assault gives students the tools they need to stay safe.

Sunday Sales – allows package and grocery stores to sell alcohol on Sunday’s from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, as well as on Memorial, Independence and Labor Days, and on Mondays following any Independence, Christmas or New Year’s Days that fall on a Sunday.

Medical Marijuana – eases the pain and symptoms from diseases including cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, the new law allows medical doctors to essentially prescribe marijuana to patients through a licensed pharmacists approved by the Department of Consumer Protection. Connecticut becomes the 17th state to have enacted laws legalizing medical marijuana.

Grandparents’ Rights – protects the rights of grandparents seeking child visitation through the courts. In the end, it is important that decisions are made in a child’s best interests and this legislation helps do just that.

“Caylee’s Law” - sets criminal penalties for the failure to report the disappearance of a child, in response to the death of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. This law applies to any parent, guardian or person who has custody or supervision of the child.

Children with Special Needs – eliminates the unnecessary use of scream rooms, improves the special education student’s IEP and creates a study on workforce development, training and employment of young adults with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats

In the aftermath of the October Nor’easter and Tropical Storm Irene that left much of the state without power, the House of Representatives passed sweeping reforms in a unanimous vote today to better prepare for future severe storms and avoid wide-spread and lengthy loss of utility service.

SB 23, which first passed the State Senate on May 5, incorporates the recommendations of last year’s Two Storm Panel to invest in critical infrastructure and hold utility companies accountable for their performance during emergencies. The bill is now before the Governor for his signature.

“There’s hardly a person or business across the state that didn’t feel the impact of the two storms last year,” said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden). “We understand what worked and what didn’t in terms of how we prepared and how we responded. We created higher standards for utility companies and better communication for state and local officials to respond to major storms. Connecticut will be better protected from power outages for the next, inevitable punch from Mother Nature.”

“This legislation adds a level of accountability on utilities that did not exist before. We are improving the planning process before a storm, we are requiring a review of performance after a storm, we are requiring that standards are developed that hold utilities accountable for their performance during a storm.” said Rep. Vickie Nardello (D-Prospect), House Chair, Energy & Technology Committee. “Creating industry specific standards for acceptable performance to ensure service reliability will go a long way to protect the public’s health and safety by minimizing future power outages.”

“This is a ‘lesson learned’ bill and a ‘plan ahead’ bill as well,” said Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), Vice Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, whose shoreline district was hit hard by TS Irene. Rep. Reed continued, “The bill includes better oversight and tough fines to address the problems we experienced—prolonged power outages and other utility failures; but the bill also directs us to explore promising new technologies such as micro-grids, that may better prepare us for those challenges we have yet to encounter.”

In summary, the bill creates:

Performance Standards for Utilities
Senate Bill 23 will require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to study and then establish minimum performance standards for emergency preparation and response for each electric and gas company in Connecticut.

Following that, all electric and gas utilities will be required submit a plan to PURA on implementation of these standards. PURA will also study and establish separate performance standards for telecommunications utilities, including telephone and cable television companies.

Penalties for Noncompliance with Performance Standards
Noncompliance could result in penalties of up to 2.5 percent of an electric or gas company’s annual distribution revenue, approximately $25 million in the case of Connecticut Light & Power. The penalties would be assessed as a credit on customer bills, and would not be recoverable by the utilities through increased rates. In the event of service outages to more than ten percent of a company’s customers for over 24 hours, that company would be required to provide customers a credit.

Microgrids
The legislation would establish a $15 million micro-grid and loan pilot program to support local distributed electricity generation at hospitals, police and fire stations, prisons, water treatment plants and other critical locations. Funds will be allocated evenly among small, medium, and large towns.

Undergrounding Wires
Senate Bill 23 would also take steps to facilitate the undergrounding of power and telecommunications lines. In addition to the performance standards described above, the bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to notify PURA of any pending road work projects over five miles in length or located a commercial area.

Backup Generators for Cell Phone Towers
The bill will require all telecommunications companies to report to PURA and the Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection (DESPP) annually concerning their ability to provide backup power to any Connecticut based towers or antennas.

Clearing Roads for Emergency Vehicles
In the aftermath of last year’s storms, fallen trees, limbs, and downed wire blocked passage on many roads across the state became life-threatening when police, fire, and ambulance vehicles could not reach people in need of assistance. The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the utilities, DOT, DESPP, and municipalities, develop procedures to for road-clearing for public safety personnel.

Food Spoilage Program
PURA must also study and create a mechanism through which electric distribution companies would reimburse residential customers for spoilage of food or refrigerated medicine after long power outages.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats

The House passed a sweeping education reform package that takes a number of steps to turn around Connecticut’s lowest-performing schools.

Recognizing the value of early childhood education, the bill (SB 458) creates 1,000 new pre-K School Readiness seats, focused in high need, low performing communities. It also creates a pilot program to enhance literacy for students in kindergarten through third grade.

The bill also establishes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut. It grants the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.

The legislation requires at least 10 Family Resource Centers and at least 20 new or expanded School Based Health Centers to be located in education reform districts. It also increases funding for existing Family Resource Centers.

The bill reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations. It also requires the education commissioner to administer an evaluation pilot program in 8 to 10 districts for the 2012-2013 school year.

There are also funding increases for vocational/technical and vocational/agricultural schools, charter and magnet schools, and a new kindergarten through 8th grade science initiative.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats

Chairman of the Commerce Committee Jeff Berger is pleased to announce that Senate Bill 78, An Act Concerning the Learn Here, Live Here Program, has passed the House of Representatives and awaits the Governor’s signature.

“Connecticut has seen an exodus of educated and trained workers over the past few years,” Rep Berger said. “If we are to continue on the road to economic recovery, we must do everything we can to keep them in Connecticut.”

This bill allows the state to expand the Live Here, Learn Here program, which helps graduating students save money toward a down payment on their first home in Connecticut. Under current law, the program is open only to students graduating from regional-technical schools and in-state students graduating from state colleges and universities after January 1, 2014.

The bill opens the program to any student graduating from a public or private college in Connecticut or a health care training school located in the state.

The Live Here, Learn Here program helps students save by putting away a portion of their state income tax payments for up to 10 years after they graduate. The law limits the amount to $ 2,500 per year per student.

To receive the down payment assistance, a student must apply to the DECD commissioner within 10 years after graduation. The payment equals the segregated amount, up to the amount needed for the down payment. Students who receive the assistance and subsequently leave Connecticut may have to repay all or part of the assistance, depending on when they leave. Those who leave within the first year after receiving assistance must repay the entire amount. Those who leave in any of the four subsequent years pay smaller amounts back as follows: 80% in the second, 60% in the third, 40% in the fourth, and 20% in the fifth.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats

House Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee (GAE) Russell Morin said House passage of campaign finance reforms will lead to increased accountability and transparency in Connecticut elections.

HB 5556, An Act Concerning Changes to the Public Financing Act and Other Election Laws modifies state election laws affecting campaign finance and the Citizens’ Election Program. The reforms proved necessary after a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that, in essence, paved the way for unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations.

“It’s about making sure the candidate backed by the voters wins the election, not the candidate backed by the most corporate dollars,” Rep. Morin said.

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations. The decision has lead to the proliferation of corporate donations and of so-called Super PACs – who dispense millions of dollars to influence voters without disclosing the names of their donors.

In 2005, the General Assembly created the Citizens’ Election Program. A voluntary program which provides full public financing to qualified candidates for statewide offices and the General Assembly.

“We need to maintain the integrity of our public finance system. In a time where rich special interests can have too much influence in our elections we need to make sure corporate money does not flood the upcoming campaign season,” Rep. Morin said.

The bill requires any entity making an independent campaign-related expenditure or independent political ad to list the names of their top donors.

“With the Citizens’ Election Program we effectively removed special interest money from Connecticut state elections,” Rep. Morin said. “The Supreme Court was pushing us back to the bad old days. This legislation’s greater disclosure empowers small donors and levels the playing field.”

The legislation now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats

Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee, applauded the House Monday for overwhelmingly approving legislation strengthening an existing law aimed at stopping police from racially profiling motorists during traffic stops.

Holder-Winfield, chairman of the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, led the debate in the House on the legislation (SB 364), which now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who sought the bill and is expected to sign it.

“This important legislation will correct issues in the Racial Profiling Prohibition Act championed by the late Sen. Alvin Penn, and incorporate suggestions made by activist David Samuels and the Community Party,” Holder-Winfield said.

The bill modifies the 1999 law, which currently requires police departments to forward data on traffic stops to the Commission on African-American Affairs to assess for evidence of racial profiling.

The new law sets standards for reporting the information and shifts responsibility for its analysis from the Commission on African-American Affairs to the Office of Policy and Management, which has staff and resources unavailable to the commission.

The new legislation also allows OPM to withhold public safety-related state funds from communities that don’t comply.

According to 2010 data, only 27 of the state’s police departments complied with the reporting aspect of the law and the data that has been reported hasn’t been assessed by the state.

... read more - State of Connecticut - House Democrats