http://www.housedems.ct.gov/donovan/pr084.asp Press Releases en-us “Saturday marked a historic day for our country. For the millions of American families who suffer without access to health care and the millions of small businesses who struggle under the weight of high health care costs—this day was long overdue." statements084.asp#111109 November 11, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today announced formation of a legislative task force that will help formulate Connecticut’s response to challenges faced by victims of domestic violence that have been exacerbated by the recession. pr084-09.asp#110609 November 6, 2009 “We all should be concerned with the Moody’s report and we need to work together to address longer-term structural holes in the state’s finances. We can take some comfort in the fact that our bond rating remains excellent, even as we just begin to emerge from the most difficult recession in decades." statements084.asp#102709 October 27, 2009 “I congratulate Governor Rell on today’s announcement that $26 million in state bond funding will be committed to the development of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail line. We’ve long said the state needs to make this kind of commitment for a project that means so much to our economic, environmental and transportation future." statements084.asp#102209 October 22, 2009 Twitter yesterday agreed with House Democrats that fake accounts set up by the State Republican Party violated their rules and has suspended 32 accounts created by the State GOP impersonating members of the House Democratic Caucus. In all, 34 accounts have now been removed from circulation by Twitter. statements084.asp#101509 October 15, 2009 I was disappointed, though not surprised, to learn that the Governor has vetoed legislation that would have helped small business incubators, protected the Judicial Department from potentially damaging budget cuts, and extended a moratorium on the privatization of residential facilities for our most vulnerable citizens. statements084.asp#100509 October 5, 2009 I am disappointed Governor Rell has decided to veto what is in reality her own proposal. The governor proposed the fee hikes at DMV as well as increased fares on commuter rail and bus passengers. We chose the least harmful of her ideas, a two dollar per year increase to driver’s license renewals to pay for things she wanted added back to the budget. statements084.asp#092509 September 25, 2009 Tough times call for honest leadership. The global financial crisis presented Connecticut with one of its most daunting economic challenges ever. The crisis was not of our own making, but the solution became our responsibility. statements084.asp#091809 September 18, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) offered testimony today against the application for a Certificate of Need to close the High Meadows residential treatment facility in Hamden. The testimony was offered at a public hearing of the Office of Health Care Access. pr084.asp#091809 September 18, 2009 Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said today that the budget passed two weeks ago by Legislative Democrats “mandates funding protections for cities and towns” and said municipalities and school construction projects will be protected in next week’s budget implementer session. statements084.asp#091709 September 17, 2009 During especially tough times it is not unusual to see a range of public opinion. I am encouraged, however, by the vast majority of people who agreed with legislative Democrats that the wealthiest in our state need to be part of the budget solution. statements084.asp#091609 September 16, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said today a “strong state-federal partnership is critical to fixing our broken health care system” and he encouraged the establishment of a public option to increase competition in the health care industry. pr084-09.asp#090909 September 9, 2009 Thanks to the leadership of Democrats in the House and Senate, the people of Connecticut today have a fair and balanced budget that will move the state forward. statements084.asp#090109 September 1, 2009 Hartford - Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) joined Joan Karlsen – CT Head Start Association Executive Director; Juleen Flanagan – Co-chair CT Early Childhood Alliance; and parents, teachers, and children from Head Start programs across the state at a news conference at the Capitol to detail how the on-going budget impasse has – and will continue to – affected thousands of preschoolers. PR084-09.asp#082509 August 25, 2009 Saying Democrats are carrying the fight on health care and citing five vetoes and more than a dozen budget cuts that deny health care opportunities to Connecticut families, House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said today that Governor M. Jodi Rell has “failed to lead on one of the critical issues of our time.” PR084-09.asp#082109 August 21, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) announced today that $1.2 million in federal tax credits for a major renovation of the Chamberlain Heights housing project have been favorably recommended for approval by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) by its Mortgage Committee. PR084-09.asp#081809 August 18, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden), Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Storrs/Mansfield) today called for preserving Connecticut’s heritage through continued funding for culture and tourism programs. PR084-09.asp#081109 August 11, 2009 "The Republican leadership is far behind. I don’t see anything new in their proposal. They seem to be pushing themselves away from the negotiating table." statements084.asp#080409 August 6, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) joined machinists from Pratt & Whitney and members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation today to encourage the company to reconsider its proposal to close its Cheshire plant and airfoil repair center in East Hartford. pr084-09.asp#080409 August 4, 2009 Democrats in the General Assembly and Governor M. Jodi Rell today made public contrasting budget proposals designed to erase the state’s $8.55 billion deficit for the next two years. pr084-09.asp#073009 July 30, 2009 “By overriding seven of Governor Rell’s vetoes today, legislative Democrats told Connecticut families they are willing to lead on issues of critical importance to them and that on key issues like health care the Governor is out of step with residents of the state as well as with national opinion,” House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said today following the General Assembly’s historic override of vetoes issued by Governor M. Jodi Rell. pr084-09.asp#072009 July 20, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today said Governor Rell is trying to justify her vetoes of health care reform legislation for Connecticut with scare tactics and faulty information. pr084-09.asp#071509 July 15, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, legislative and business leaders and advocates today issued strong reactions to Governor M. Jodi Rell’s veto of two landmark pieces of healthcare reform legislation – the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership and SustiNet. pr084-09.asp#070809 July 8, 2009 Anthem Blue Cross announced this past week that it wants to raise individual insurance policy rates by as much as 32 percent. statements084.asp#070509 July 5, 2009 Democratic leaders today said they will continue to "fight for a fair budget that protects families and businesses already hit hard by the recession, and positions Connecticut for economic growth." pr084-09.asp#070109 July 1, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today said Connecticut cannot “afford to wait” on enacting accessible, affordable, quality healthcare reform, and urged Governor M. Jodi Rell to sign historic legislation delivered to her today. pr084-09.asp#062309 June 23, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) is in Washington, DC, today for a series of events designed to encourage national leaders to quickly adopt healthcare reform, including the choice of a public health insurance plan, strong affordability protections, and shared employer responsibility for health care costs. pr084-09.asp#061709 June 17, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today announced the formation of a legislative task force – the Children and the Recession Task Force – that will help plan Connecticut’s response to the increasingly desperate plight of children impacted by the economic recession. pr084-09.asp#061609 June 16, 2009 State Democratic leaders today delivered to Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) a letter “urgently” calling on President Barack Obama and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation to “take up and pass comprehensive health care reform in 2009.” pr084-09.asp#061509 June 15, 2009 One day after the end of the 2009 regular legislative session, Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn), Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden), Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven), and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield) joined legislators and small business owners at a news conference in New Britain to discuss the status of budget negotiations and how small businesses could be affected. pr084-09.asp#060409 June 4, 2009 Effective yesterday, June 1, the Governor has ordered the Department of Social Services to cut prescription drug coverage for Connecticut’s very low income elderly and disabled people across the state, cuts House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) called “shameful and unacceptable.” pr084-09.asp#060209 June 2, 2009 “Democrats in the legislature are working night and day to protect the very same people the Governor is willing to sacrifice in order to protect the wealthy,” House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said. statements084.asp#053009b May 30, 2009 “Tens of thousands of people in Connecticut deserve access to affordable, quality healthcare,” Speaker Donovan said. “We owe it to them give them that access. The time for healthcare reform in this country and in Connecticut is long overdue. Today, we are one step closer to remedying that." statements084.asp#053009a May 30, 2009 In April, the Appropriations Committee put forward a draft Democratic budget for the biennium to jumpstart negotiations with the Governor. After some delay, those negotiations have ensued and are continuing. Just this week, Governor Rell put a supplemental budget on the table that gives all of us a much clearer picture of the work we have to do to produce a balanced budget that is fair to all families in Connecticut. statements084.asp#053009 May 30, 2009 The Connecticut House of Representatives today joined the state Senate in passing legislation that expands health insurance coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The bill now moves on to the desk of Governor M. Jodi Rell for consideration. pr084-09.asp#052709 May 27, 2009 The Connecticut House of Representatives today passed landmark healthcare reform legislation – the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership and SustiNet bills – that will offer greater access to healthcare and allow municipalities and other eligible groups to potentially see a reduction in healthcare costs. pr084-09.asp#052009 May 20, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said today that Meriden and Coventry had been chosen from among 60 applications for the test project. Meriden’s project will be located at the Meriden YMCA Mountain Mist Outdoor Center. pr084-09.asp#051909 May 19, 2009 As part of cost saving measures for both the current fiscal year and the upcoming biennial budget, House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) are proposing the following measures: pr084-09.asp#051209 May 12, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today praised the state’s public service workers for voting overwhelmingly to support an agreement with the state that “makes a valuable contribution to reducing the state’s budget deficit while protecting services the public sorely needs and expects in these troubled times.” pr084-09.asp#050809 May 8, 2009 The Connecticut House of Representatives today approved legislation introduced by Speaker Donovan and Energy Committee co-chair Rep. Nardello (HB 6636) that will change the rules of the retail competitive market for electricity, providing needed rate relief and stability for residential, small business and industrial customers. pr084-09.asp#042909 April 29, 2009 Only days after the discovery of micro-organisms in Hartford-area drinking water, the House of Representatives Wednesday will consider a bill (SB 1021) that will require the public health commissioner to notify the chief elected official of municipalities when test results show a public drinking water supply contains contaminants that exceed EPA standards. pr084-09.asp#042809 April 28, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today called the same sex marriage legislation passed by the General Assembly on Wednesday notable for the civil rights protections it offers Connecticut couples and families and for the protections it offers for religious freedom. pr084-09.asp#042309 April 23, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan today said a Chamber of Commerce healthcare proposal is “a higher cost, lower benefit, mandatory program that is in sharp contrast to the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership bill” he is championing for municipalities, small businesses and non-profits. pr084-09.asp#042009 April 20, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden), a vigorous champion of improved commuter rail service along the I-91 corridor between New Haven and Springfield, today said Connecticut “has a rare opportunity to make this long-anticipated project a reality” thanks to the announcement yesterday of a $13 billion stimulus package by President Barack Obama. pr084-09.asp#041709 April 17, 2009 Legislative Democrats today urged passage of legislation that would expand insurance coverage for individuals and families living with autism and autism spectrum disorders. pr084-09.asp#040809 April 8, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) welcomed the announcement by state employee union leaders and Governor M. Jodi Rell today of a framework for an agreement as “hopeful news that will have an immediate and powerful impact on Connecticut’s ability to manage the current budget crisis and that will offer the public protection for the services they expect.” pr084-09.asp#040609 April 6, 2009 Legislative Democratic leaders today argued that the comprehensive budget passed by Finance and Appropriations Committees yesterday provides real leadership by truthfully addressing Connecticut’s budget problems. It is, they argued, a fair, honest and responsible response to the worst budget crisis Connecticut has seen in decades. pr084-09.asp#040309 April 3, 2009 Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) formally kicks off a statewide conversation on the state budget by Democratic legislators tonight with an event in his hometown of Meriden. pr084-09.asp#032409 March 24, 2009 Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan,Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn), and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield) are among a group of legislative leaders from across the United States that met with President Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today in Washington, D.C. to discuss how states can maximize federal stimulus funding. pr084-09.asp#032009 March 20, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D- Meriden) said he is disappointed with the Governor’s unwillingness to cooperate and work with the legislature to solve the fiscal crisis. pr084-09.asp#031309 March 13, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today encouraged continued investment in energy efficiency and clean energy as a way of maintaining and creating green jobs, spurring Connecticut’s progress in energy efficient industries, and providing for electric system savings for consumers. pr084-09.asp#031209 March 12, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) applauded the Insurance and Real Estate Committee’s passage of legislation establishing the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership (HB 6582). pr084-09.asp#031009 March 10, 2009 House Democrats today released a list of cuts totaling $2.8 billion from the co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee that would be necessary to close the state budget gap without raising taxes or extensive borrowing. pr084-09.asp#030909 March 9, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) told a legislative committee that passage of the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership this year is “an important step toward our goals of saving state dollars, providing relief to municipalities and the small businesses and non-profits we rely on, and expanding access to high quality affordable healthcare options.” pr084-09.asp#030209 March 2, 2009 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) – on the heels of President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress where he labeled health care as one of the nation’s top priorities – applauded the members of the HealthFirst Connecticut Authority (HealthFirst) for their hard work in producing a menu of options to improve Connecticut residents’ access to quality health care. pr084-09.asp#022709 February 27, 2009 The four Democratic leaders of the General Assembly are requesting that the Democratic co-chairmen of the Appropriations Committee – Senator Toni N. Harp (D-New Haven) and Rep. John C. Geragosian (D-New New Britain) – identify $2.8 billion in potential cuts for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 biennial budget. pr084-09.asp#021909 February 19, 2009 House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) today expressed enthusiasm for the appointment of Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele to a working group that will look at health care initiatives, including the Connecticut Health Care Partnership, that can better serve citizens in Connecticut and save taxpayer dollars. pr084-09.asp#021309 February 13, 2009 One day before the start of the 2009 Legislative Session, Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and incoming Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) say the current budget crisis requires legislators to adopt a new approach. The legislative leaders are calling for a number of changes that could help the legislature and Gov. Rell reach agreement on the next biennial budget on time. pr084-09.asp#010609 January 6, 2009