“This additional state funding for Rocky Hill schools is just what the doctor ordered,” Rep. Guerrera said. “The state has demonstrated a real commitment to quality local education.”

The landmark education reform bill (SB 458) included an additional $50 million in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding for public schools across the state – yielding an additional $125,935 for Rocky Hill. ECS is the statutory formula used by the state to calculate municipal education aid.

The new law also reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations. It 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.

Currently, the only project method available to DOT, with the exception of work performed under Emergency Declarations, is the “Design-Bid-Build” method, where contractors submit bids on projects that have already gone through the design phase. This bill allows the DOT commissioner the options of what are known as “Design-Bid-Build”, “Design-Build” or “Construction Manager at Risk - Guaranteed Maximum Price” for certain projects.

“The Department of Transportation is responsible for hundreds of projects at any point in time. We are providing tools for DOT to pursue certain transportation projects faster and more efficiently – saving taxpayer dollars.” Rep. Guerrera said.

Design-Build is an alternate method of project delivery in which the design and construction phases of a project are combined into one contract, allowing for certain aspects of design and construction to run concurrently. This can provide significant time savings compared with the more traditional design-bid-build approach where the design and construction services must be undertaken in sequence.

Construction Manager at Risk-Guaranteed Maximum Price provides DOT with the ability to hire a contractor as well as initiate cost controls by setting a maximum bottom line for a project. The Construction Manager at Risk process involves three primary parties - the state, the architect and the contractor. The state would have separate contracts with the architect and contractor. The state, contractor and subcontractors would work together to come up with the Guaranteed Maximum Price.

In 2010, the legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee studied the DOT project delivery process. The study recommended that legislation be enacted to permit the department to use design-build and other alternative contracting approaches.

The legislation was previously approved by the Senate and awaits action by the governor.

Enermore in Rocky Hill is receiving a $150,000 loan and a $100,000 matching grant. The funds will be invested with $1,450,000 of company money in developing a new line of consumer skin care products and marketing them domestically and internationally. Enermore is creating three new jobs.

“Enermore uses cutting edge research to produce natural hair and skin care products right here in Rocky Hill, Connecticut,” Rep. Guerrera said. “This investment of Small Business Express funding will spur continued economic expansion and job growth.”

“The jobs created by retail and service companies are often the product of hardworking and determined self-employed entrepreneurs,” Governor Malloy said. “The Small Business Express Program is proving very responsive to this important sector of our economy, one that has tremendous potential for job growth and retention.”

In total, EXP will provide $100 million to help the state’s small businesses hire more employees and fund capital investments. The program, administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), offers loans and matching grants to Connecticut companies with fewer than 50 employees at the time of application.

Christine Stuart photo
Rep. Tony Guerrera and Sen. Andrew Maynard, co-chairs of the Transportation Committee.

The debate leading up to the public hearing on red light cameras has been focused on public safety and revenue, but most of Monday’s testimony was focused on the effectiveness of the cameras.

The legislation allows municipalities with populations above 48,000 residents to install these cameras and levy a maximum fine of $50 fine per violation.

Critics of the proposal allege lawmakers are motivated by the ability to collect revenue, but proponents have tried to do their best to address those concerns in the legislation.

For instance, instead of being placed at the “busiest intersections,“ the legislation requires police chiefs to decide where they will be placed.

Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett, who testified in support of the bill, said he would have to place “hundreds” of officers on the street to crack down on motorists violating red light traffic signals.

“We really want to create a sense of order, especially in our downtown area,” Gaudett said.

Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said this bill, at least as far as advocacy from the city of New Haven is concerned, has come from a very impressive grassroots coalition of neighborhood groups and safe street advocates.

“The proposal was not a proposal from the city administration, but from a group of energized community advocates,” Looney said.

He said the legislation strikes a balance between public safety concerns and civil liberties. He said it’s not a “gotcha effort” like the caricature of the small town sheriff hiding behind a billboard in the center of town near the one traffic light to catch unsuspecting motorist. He stressed that the measure was about public safety.

He said proof of that is the bill will sunset after six years to allow municipalities to evaluate the impact of the red light cameras.

State Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, said there seems to be an underlying concern and distrust of government because other cities and states have decided to manipulate the length of the yellow light signal to increase the number of red light tickets. He said Connecticut’s legislation could be written to prevent that type of tampering.

“Generating revenue should not be a priority, nor should we create a system that’s sort of rigged in order to enhance revenue,” Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra told Lemar.

And as for the oft repeated story of a funeral procession in Florida being ticketed despite a police escort, there’s language in the bill to prevent a similar situation from happening in Connecticut, Lemar said.

Gaudett testified that the legislation requires a review of the red light violations by a police officer and an officer would have to be present if a particular violation was appealed by a motorist.

Others, like University of South Florida’s Richard Large, don’t believe the studies both for and against red light cameras collectively point in favor of the cameras.

Large said by studying other studies he and his colleagues discovered that the studies in favor of red light cameras were statistically flawed. Since Large and his colleagues did the study in 2008, they’ve done 100 interviews and only received phone calls from four public officials over the past four years. Large was brought to Connecticut Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut.

He said the studies that favor red light cameras admitted that rear-end accidents increase as a result.

Richard Retting, vice president of Sam Schwartz Engineering, who supports red light cameras said that’s true. Red light cameras result in more rear-end accidents, but he said it’s the same affect they see when they install a traffic light where there wasn’t one previously.

“Angle crashes go way down, and rear-end crashes go up,” Retting said.

But the increase in rear-end crashes in no way outweighs the savings from injury crash reductions, he added.

“This is a lot like penicillin where there can be side-effects. Lots of things that we do to improve safety have side-effects,” Retting said.

Airbags are a good example, because they’ve saved thousands of lives, but they’ve also killed children, he said.

“When you put in red light cameras there’s a dramatic drop in red light running anywhere from 40 percent up,” Retting said. “Sky’s the limit.”

“The culture of driving changes. People drive through intersections differently than they’ve done before,” he added.

Retting’s trip from Washington D.C. to Connecticut was paid for by Redflex Traffic Systems, one of the two largest red light traffic camera companies.

Retting said he took the train, stayed in the Holiday Inn, and ate a tuna sandwich for dinner last night.

“I’d be happy if these cameras raised no revenue,” Retting said. “I’m a traffic safety engineer my goal is to see streets and roads become safer.”

A common refrain of opponents at Monday’s hearing was that communities around the country are scrapping their red light cameras.

The ACLU of Connecticut pointed out that claims the Los Angeles’ now-defunct traffic-light program improved safety were unsupported, according to a 2010 audit of the program. And a 2011 municipal audit in Denver concluded that no safety benefit had been demonstrated for red-light cameras and recommended removing them if no safety improvements could be shown.

Retting said 95 percent of the communities who have installed the red light cameras currently maintain them. Only 2 percent have scrapped their programs due mostly to state constitutional issues.

ACLU Executive Director Andrew Schneider said he sees communities and states dropping these programs all the time. If 14 states have already scrapped these programs he questioned where Retting was getting his numbers.

But it’s only enabling legislation which allows municipalities to decide whether they want to install the cameras.

“We’re big kids down in New Haven. Let us decide whether red light cameras are right for us,” New Haven Alderman Justin Elicker told the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

In an appearance on WTIC AM 1080’s State and Church show with former Governor John Rowland, Rep. Guerrera said the state’s bridges are deteriorating and the gas tax is no longer able to cover the costs of bridge repairs and upgrades.

“Many of our bridges were built with a functional life expectancy of 50 to 60 years and they were built in the 1950’s,” Rep. Guerrera said. “We cannot rely on our gas tax to fix our roads and bridges. That is why we need electronic tolling.”

Rep. Guerrera believes electronic tolls along the state’s borders would provide upwards of $600 million per year in revenue for our transportation infrastructure.

Audio of Rep. Guerrera’s appearance on WTIC is available at http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/audio-on-demand/wtics-state-and-church/#.

Under Malloy’s proposal, Rocky Hill would receive an additional $125,935, an increase of 3.75%, under the state’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, increasing Wethersfield’s total education grant to $3,481,162 for 2012-13.

“The state’s commitment to education is strong,” Rep. Guerrera said.

In his State of the State address Wednesday at the State Capitol, Malloy outlined his education reform agenda, including:

• increasing the access to and quality of early childhood education slots
• allocating new funding and implementing new approaches that will improve low performing schools
• expanding slots for public schools of choice including charter schools
• removing red tape and other barriers that stand in the way of local school districts
• repositioning our vo-tech schools to promote job readiness and job linkages
• improving teacher preparation so professionals have the skills they need to excel when they enter the classroom
• revamping teacher tenure

“There is free help out there for your state and federal tax preparation,” said Rep. Guerrera.

Since beginning in 2003, IRS Free File has offered low-to-moderate income taxpayers free access to leading commercial tax preparation software. This year, every taxpayer with a 2011 Adjusted Gross Income of $57,000 or less may visit www.IRS.gov/efile to prepare, complete and e-file their federal and state tax returns at no cost.

Taxpayers may visit the IRS website, www.IRS.gov, and click on the “Free File” icon. Users will find a list of Free File Alliance member companies and may either choose the one that fits their needs or utilize the “help me find a company” tool. After selecting a company, taxpayers will be transferred to the company's website to prepare, complete and electronically file their federal income tax returns. Three of the 19 participating software companies also offer services in Spanish.

Free assistance in completing Connecticut returns is available from the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) by telephone at (800) 382-9463 or in person at their Hartford Office. Residents can also call 2-1-1 to find local tax preparation assistance options.

Wethersfield received $500,000 for improvements to the 111 acre Mill Woods Park. Improvements are part of the 2002 Master Plan for Mill Woods Park and include a new parking area for the little league field, park road reconstruction and beach drainage improvements.

“Mill Woods is the crown jewel of our town parks,” State Representative Russ Morin (D-Wethersfield) said. “It is a recreation destination in town and this grant will help ensure it shines for years to come.”

“Wild weather has wreaked havoc on Mill Woods over the past few years,” State Representative Tony Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Newington) said. “I am happy the state could pitch in to make sure the park’s infrastructure gets some much needed TLC.”

“Local leaders have done a tremendous job advocating for their communities and ensuring that these important projects are getting the attention and support they need,” Gov. Malloy said. “State government has stepped up as a partner in the effort to improve the quality of life for residents.”

The State Bond Commission allocated $20 million for 2012 STEAP grants in September 2011.

“Job growth is our top priority,” said Rep. Guerrera. “The fact that this legislation received bipartisan support shows that creating and retaining jobs is not a political issue. From small business to Fortune 500 companies, Connecticut is committed to business.”

The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation and foster long-term economic growth. Incentives for small business, cutting red tape, incentives for innovation, economic development tools and workforce development and training are all addressed in the bill.

One of the key components of the legislation is the Small Business Express Package which will make $50 million/year available to small businesses through incentives, grants and loans.

Another vital component is aligning programs at vo-tech schools, community colleges and universities with high demand job needs of employers, including the state’s manufacturing technology companies.

Other components of the jobs bill include:

• Consolidating and increasing the tax credit for new hires
• Incentivizing investments in emerging technology (Angel Investors)
• Building innovation centers in key cities and investing in innovative ventures
• A second “First Five” program
• Cutting the business entity tax
• Streamlining the business permitting process
• Remediating old industrial sites/brownfields
• Computer upgrades to foster seamless communication between business and the state
• Workforce development, education and training
• Allowing the Airport Authority to designate new Development Zones
• Investments in roads and bridges
• Replenishing the Manufacturing Assistance Act (MAA)
• Main Street commercial centers improvement initiative

The grant will go toward renovating Willow Road Senior Housing, a 40-unit rental senior housing complex. Renovations will include electrical upgrades, energy and weatherization improvements, installation of four new gas boilers and replacement of kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

“Anything we can do to the improve quality of life for seniors is a step in the right direction,” Rep. Guerrera said. “Residents of Willow Road deserve a safe and affordable home.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program, administered by Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development, provides grants to eligible municipalities for economic development, affordable housing, community facilities and other revitalization projects.

“For most Connecticut towns and smaller cities, budgets are stretched thin but their infrastructure needs and the housing needs of their residents haven’t diminished,” Governor Dannel P. Malloy said. “That’s why the Small Cities program — and the federal grants the program awards — are so critical. The funding is key to these communities and their efforts to improve the lives of residents through housing programs and community projects.”

“I am very happy that ADS has chosen Connecticut and especially Rocky Hill, my home town, as their location and I certainly hope they will continue to grow here in Connecticut,” said Rep. Guerrera.

The Rocky Hill office expects to employ more than 30 people.

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. was founded in 1966 and serves the storm and waste water industry through a global network of 51 domestic and international manufacturing plants and 23 distribution centers To learn more about ADS, visit www.ads-pipe.com.

State Representative Antonio Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill) cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) office here. Joining him, from left to right, are Frank Seymour, vice president, sales, ADS; Kelly McCartney, technical services manager, StormTech, a division of ADS; David Mailhot, P.E., engineering manager, StormTech; Jim Talarico, regional sales manager, ADS; and David Click, sales manager, StormTech.

HARTFORD - The Malloy administration has scrapped plans to permanently close two I-84 rest areas in Willington on July 1 - on the way to closing all seven of Connecticut's noncommercial rest areas on interstate highways in the next two years, the legislature's transportation committee co-chairman, Rep. Antonio Guerrera, said Wednesday. Now, he said, all seven areas will remain open.

Reached by The Courant about his weeklong fight to reverse the plan, Guerrera confirmed that amended language had been prepared to undo part of a budget-implementation bill passed earlier this week. The bill had called for the closing of the two Willington areas, one on each side of I-84, on the eve of a big holiday weekend when drivers take to the highways. The amended language was approved later Wednesday, the last day of the 2011 legislative session.

But even beyond the technical language, Guerrera said, "The administration has assured me that the rest areas all will stay open" — not just the two to be immediately closed in Willington, but also the other five set for closing in the following fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012.

The other five locations are spread throughout the state: on I-84 in Danbury and Southington; on I-91 in Middletown and Wallingford; and on I-95 in North Stonington.

"I'm just happy to have worked this out with the administration," Guerrera said.

The change of mind by the governor's office came only two days after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, said the closings would not be reconsidered. Repeated newspaper stories about the closings elicited strong public objections that might have grown into lasting political trouble by giving the state a reputation as inhospitable.

Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, and the president of the state's trucking industry association, Michael Riley, argued that the claimed annual savings of $1.3 million for closing all seven areas would be a pittance in the context of the state's annual budget of about $20 billion. And they said that the small savings would bring big danger for drivers.

"We preach safety on the roads — we say, 'If you're tired, pull over, rest, take a break.' Closing the rest areas sends the opposite message," Guerrera said.

Truckers need their rest to prevent accidents, he said, but so do regular drivers who need to take a nap on a late night to avoid falling asleep or swerving into another car or off the road. "We need these rest areas,"

Guerrera said. "Everyone uses them. They are a valuable asset. The Boy Scouts hold their events to give people coffee so they can stay alert."

The plan to close the rest areas, announced abruptly last week by the state Department of Transportation, came as a surprise to key lawmakers such as Guerrera, whose committee never had a chance to consider the proposal or discuss it in a public hearing.

On Wednesday, Occhiogrosso was asked about his previous statement that the closings would not be reconsidered.

"Sometimes things change around here, and they change quickly," he said. "As long as we are not adding new spending" — and he said other savings would offset the money spent to keep the rest areas open — "then you have to be open to reasonable compromises right up until the end of the session."

Although the governor's office adopted the plan and didn't want to deviate from it in the past week, Occhiogrosso said the idea to close the rest areas originated with legislators on a budget-related committee.

The popular rest areas are used by thousands of regular drivers and commercial truckers on any given weekend for their restrooms and large parking areas, which provide extended rest that truckers are legally required to get; Riley had said the state has too few places for truckers to rest as it is.

Meanwhile, drivers of passenger cars and their families would have to exit the highway to use the bathroom at a convenience store or a restaurant.

Officials who wanted to close the areas said there is a problem with the septic system at Willington that will need to be fixed sooner or later, at what they claimed would be a cost of several million dollars. Guerrera's solution: Even if it really costs that much, fix it; it's worth it, as part of preserving all of the areas as public resources.

The now-reversed closings of the noncommercial rest stops never would have affected the service plazas along I-95, I-395 and the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways that have commercially run food and restroom facilities.

HARTFORD, Conn. - Two leaders of the General Assembly's Transportation Committee said Wednesday they have been assured by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office that some noncommercial highway rest stops in Connecticut will remain open, despite plans to begin shuttering them on July 1 because of state budget woes.

The state Department of Transportation recently announced it would close the Willington rest areas on Interstate 84 eastbound and westbound on July 1 because the funding was cut in the new, two-year $40.1 billion budget that was approved last month and takes effect on July 1.

The DOT also planned to close the noncommercial rest areas on I-84 in Danbury and Southington, on I-95 in North Stonington and on I-91 in Middletown and Wallingford next year. But Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, the Transportation Committee's House chairman, and Rep. David Scribner, R-Brookfield, the committee's ranking House Republican, said Wednesday, the final day of the legislative session, that they've been assured those will not be shut down either.

Both lawmakers said they were unaware of the plans to close the rest stops, which include only rest rooms, vending machines, tourist information and parking. The budget change did not affect the commercial service plazas with gas, restaurants and other amenities.

Late Wednesday night, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed an amendment that keeps the Willington rest areas open. They will be funded with some of the $15 million set aside for tourism promotion, said Sen. Toni Harp, D-New Haven.

The state's trucking industry was both surprised and upset by the planned closures. Motor Transport Association of Connecticut president Michael J. Riley said federal rules require truckers to rest at least 10 hours a day. He said parking for the rigs is already very limited and the truckers rely on the rest areas.

"And If they don't do it there, where else? Side of the road, exit ramps," Scribner said of the rest stops.

Besides the truckers, Guerrera said he received numerous calls from motorists who were outraged.

"It has taken everybody by surprise here. We have gotten emails, phone calls, not from just truckers, we're talking about people from West Hartford, Conn., from Danbury, from Southington, from Cheshire saying, 'What are you doing? I use that every weekend to go to the Cape, to pull over and go to the bathroom, get a cup of coffee from the Boy Scouts … tell me this is a joke,'" Guerrera said. "This is real stuff and we've got to try to help them."

Malloy's office referred questions about the rest areas to the DOT.

Judd Everhart, a DOT spokesman, said the idea of closing the rest stops was part of a list of budget-cutting ideas the DOT submitted to Malloy earlier this year for the governor and the legislature to consider. The cut was intended to save $400,000 during the next fiscal year and ultimately $1.3 million per year in staff and maintenance.

Electronic signs along I-84 began warning motorists on June 1 of the pending closure of the Willington rest stops. Barriers would have been installed at the entrances and exits, blocking access, according to the DOT. Harp said lawmakers originally intended to keep only the parking areas open and did not want them entirely closed off.

"It was on our list of possible options, but we certainly understand it's entirely up to the governor and the General Assembly about what to ultimately do with any of our options," Everhart said. "We'll figure out a way to make it work."

Furor over the possibility of the rest stops being closed has drawn attention to the sites, most of which were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are in need of updating.

"Maybe this is kind of a blessing in disguise, if you will. I think what it's going to do is to draw some focus on the potential of those rest areas," said Scribner, adding how lawmakers are looking at what improvements can be made given federal restrictions. "We think there is potential and opportunity to enhance these rest areas so we can effectively utilize them to market the state of Connecticut to out of state travelers and create a facility that's something to be proud of but also serves a good public safety service, which is necessary."

“We preach safety on the roads – we say, ‘If you’re tired, pull over, rest, take a break.’ Closing the rest areas send the opposite message.” Rep. Guerrera said.

Rep. Guerrera noted that truckers have mandated rest periods and even non-commercial drivers need to stop on long trips.

“The summer vacation driving season is just about here. People will need these rest areas and I am happy Governor Malloy was so receptive to keeping them open,” Rep. Guerrera said.

The state Department of Transportation was scheduled to close the two rest stops on I-84 in Willington on July 1 and the other five non-commercial rest areas in 2012.

HARTFORD — Critics in the Connecticut legislature and trucking industry attacked on Monday the Malloy administration's decision to close all seven noncommercial rest areas on interstate highways in the next two years — but the governor's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, said flatly that the closings would not be reconsidered.

The first two rest areas — in Willington, on either side of I-84 — are scheduled to close July 1. They are in an area of relatively sparse population and development, and are often busy — especially on weekends, when Boy Scout troops and other nonprofit groups offer travelers coffee and snacks.

"I will do my very best" to find the $400,000 a year it would take to keep the Willington areas open, said the transportation committee's co-chairman, Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill. "I hear a lot of people complaining — a lot of people, and not just truckers, by the way."

"People are saying they travel through the state and like to use the rest area for the ladies room or the men's room," Guerrera said. "And there's a serious impact to this, which people don't realize: If we close these, a lot of trucks will get off the highway, start going on your local roads looking for areas to sleep, or looking for somewhere to go to the bathroom. And we'll see an uproar now saying, why are all these trucks traveling on the secondary roads."

Guerrera said the administration's plan to close the rest areas never went through his committee's public hearing process this year and only emerged as part of the Malloy budget package.

He said the $400,000 that the Department of Transportation says it costs to maintain the two Willington rest areas is a small sum in the context of an annual state budget of $20 billion. "I know to the average person it might sound like a lot of money," Guerrera said, "but in the scheme of things, it's not," considering how useful the rest areas are to travelers and truckers.

Closing all seven of the noncommercial rest areas would save a total of $1.3 million a year, including the $400,000 for the two Willington areas, the DOT says. Occhiogrosso said that every $1 million in savings counts during a budget crisis, and hard decisions have to be made about where to cut.

Michael J. Riley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, said last week, when the DOT announced the closings in a brief press release, that the savings was so small that it didn't justify the removal of the rest stops and the large lots that they provide for truckers to take their legally required rest.

In addition to the Willington rest stops that are to close July 1, the other five noncommercial areas would be shut down a year later, the DOT says. Those areas are in Danbury and Southington on I-84, North Stonington on I-95 and Middletown and Wallingford on I-91.

Concrete barriers would be used to block the entrances and exits to the rest areas.

“People who don’t stop for school buses put our children at risk,” Rep. Guerrera said. “By videotaping cars that fly by school buses, we can make sure they think twice before doing it again.”

Under current law, drivers must stop at least 10 feet from a school bus displaying flashing red signal lights. This bill allows towns and school boards to install cameras on school buses to record motor vehicles that violate this law. Violators would receive a ticket in the mail.

The legislation increases the minimum fine for failure to stop for a school bus from $100 to $450. It also provides that 80% of all revenue collected for this offense be sent back to cities and towns.

The bill awaits action by the Senate.

“My Italian heritage and my family history are very important to me,” Rep. Guerrera said. “I am so honored to be recognized during La Festa della Repubblica.”

Rep. Guerrera’s parents emigrated from Pontelandolfo, Italy.

“My parents believed in the American Dream,” Rep. Guerrera said. “They came to this country and worked so hard to make sure we had a better life. It is important for me to honor their hard work and sacrifice.”

La Festa della Repubblica celebrates the founding of the Italian Republic 65 years ago. During the event, the Italian national flag was raised above the State Capitol.

“My Italian heritage and my family history are very important to me,” Rep. Guerrera said. “I am so honored to be recognized during La Festa della Repubblica.”

Rep. Guerrera’s parents emigrated from Pontelandolfo, Italy.

“My parents believed in the American Dream,” Rep. Guerrera said. “They came to this country and worked so hard to make sure we had a better life. It is important for me to honor their hard work and sacrifice.”

La Festa della Repubblica celebrates the founding of the Italian Republic 65 years ago. During the event, the Italian national flag was raised above the State Capitol.

“I am proud to have advocated for this important funding,” Rep. Guerrera said. “It will be a terrific opportunity for young people to see how the Civil War touched people in Wethersfield – both soldiers and their families.”

The exhibit, Love Letters and Uniforms: Wethersfield During the Civil War, explores the local impact of the war.

“Wethersfield has always honored its role in history,” Rep. Morin said. “I am so pleased our investment at the state level in culture and tourism has paid dividends for Wethersfield.”

In a letter to Reps. Morin and Guerrera, Rachel Quish, administrator and collections manager for the Wethersfield Historical Society, said, “On behalf of the Wethersfield Historical Society, I would like to thank you for your support of cultural programs in Connecticut and for recognizing the important role the Connecticut Humanities Council plays in providing heritage-based programming for Connecticut residents and tourists.”

CHC is a public foundation incorporated in 1973 as a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The State of Connecticut is a major financial sponsor of the council.

Chartered by the state in 1932, the Wethersfield Historical Society owns two historic houses: the Hurlbut-Dunham and Captain James Francis Houses; and manages four properties owned by the Town: the Wethersfield Museum and Visitor Center at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, the historic Cove Warehouse, the Old Academy and the Deming-Standish House.

“Our servicemen and women make enormous personal sacrifices for each and every one of us; this is money well spent to ensure that we’re doing all we can to care for them,” said Rep. Guerrera. “This funding is a tribute to the hundreds of veterans who call the Rocky Hill campus home.”

The Connecticut Veterans’ Home is currently undergoing safety upgrades and other renovations to multiple buildings on its Rocky Hill campus, including the Commissary and East and West Domicile Buildings. Scheduled repairs include partial roof replacements on all three buildings, and improvements to antiquated elevators.

The federal Department of Veterans Affairs provided 65 percent of the original total cost of the $9.2 million project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The State Bond Commission approved $1 million today in additional construction costs.

Approximately 380 veterans live at the Rocky Hill Veterans’ Home, which provides long term care to veterans with chronic and disabling medical conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to: heart disease, lung disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The program also provides hospice care, palliative care and respite care.

According to the state Office of Police and Management, locating toll at the state’s border crossings could yield up to $600 million a year in revenue, or $18 billion over 30 years.

“Border tolls would allow us to lower the gas tax,” Rep. Guerrera said. “We should make sure that people from neighboring states, who use our roads every day, help pay for their maintenance.”

Rep. Guerrera noted that revenue from tolls should be securely set aside to pay for improving the state’s transportation infrastructure.

The legislation approved by the Transportation Committee would authorize tolls on new or unfinished highways but could be amended on the floor of the House to include border tolls.

Speakers at the forum included Rep. Peggy Sayers (D-Windsor Locks), whose district includes Bradley Airport; representatives of the Bradley Advisory Board; Bradley Development League; Metro Hartford Alliance, Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts; and State Rep. Timothy Larson (D-East Hartford, South Windsor) who is Executive Director of Tweed New Haven Airport. Members of the legislature’s Transportation and Commerce committees also participated.

“Bradley is like a star quarterback without a good offensive line,” Rep. Guerrera said. “It is in a perfect location, yet it’s difficult to get there. Bradley needs strong teammates like public transportation and strong local businesses.”

For the first time in five years, Bradley Airport served more passengers going from 5.3 million in 2009 to 5.4 million in 2010. New airline carriers and additional destinations along with terminal renovations and upgrades are credited with the increase.

“It’s an investment and the return on investment won’t happen tomorrow,” Guerrera said. “But, it will happen.”

Pending legislation (HB6139 and SB1003) aims to better utilize state airport assets to encourage economic growth by increasing the independence and authority of airport governing boards.

“Veterans sacrifice so much for our country,” Rep. Guerrera said. “It must be the policy of this state to support its veterans as much as possible.”

 Among legislation that passed the committee:

• Senate Bill 371 - Allows for the inclusion of status as a veteran a motor vehicle operator's license or identity card.

• House Bill 5956 - Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to maintain an internet web site that provides information concerning services, benefits and programs available to veterans or their families.

• House Bill 6478 - Waives the payment of tuition for certain veterans and members of the National Guard enrolled at Charter Oak State College.

• Senate Bill 367 - Allows an active member of the armed forces to obtain the special license plate for veterans.

“The more than 60 thousand daily commuters on the Metro-North New Haven Line can let out a collective sigh of relief – the new rail cars are finally here. Today’s launch of the first batch of new M-8 rail cars is a positive signal that Connecticut is committed to mass transit and its transportation system.”

The M-8 is an electric multiple unit railroad car built by Kawasaki. More information about the M-8 can be found at www.kawasakirailcar.com.

Tolls could yield the state $600 million a year in revenue, or $18 billion over 30 years.

“Tolls are the answer to our revenue needs for transportation infrastructure,” Rep. Guerrera said. “We should make sure that people from neighboring states, who use our roads every day, help pay for their maintenance.”

The Transportation Committee public hearing will be held Friday, February 18th at 10:00 a.m. in room 2C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Connecticut lawmakers, facing a gaping budget hole, appear ready to discuss the possibility of reinstating tollways, a measure the state hasn't used in decades and an issue that carries a tangled local history.

The idea, to implement electronic, overhead tolls along a handful of entry points around the state, isn't new. Rep. Antonio Guerrera has proposed tolls for several years now to no avail. But some believe the push by the Democrat, chairman of the legislature's Transportation Committee, will get a bigger hearing this time because of the depth of the state's fiscal problems.

Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who took office earlier this month, and the state he leads face a $3.5 billion shortfall, equivalent to about 18% of its total spending.

"I think the proposal is going to get some attention from [lawmakers], because we're all looking for different revenue sources," said Sen. Kevin Witkos, a Republican who opposes the idea of electronic tolls.

Said Senate President Donald Williams, a Democrat: "I think this is the year where everything is on the table and we have to take a serious look at things that we've rejected in the past."

Mr. Guerrera, citing a 2009 study by Cambridge Systematics Inc., said electronic tolls in the state could generate an average of $600 million a year if motorists were charged $5 to cross through checkpoints.

He said he hadn't hammered out the proposal's specifics yet—including the toll costs and exactly where the tolls would be located. But he said all tolls would be collected electronically and the move would likely include offering a reduction in the gas tax in an effort to offset the toll charges.

"We're dealing with an almost $4 billion budget gap," he said, adding that he planned to hold public hearings on the issue in the next month. "We hear all the time about how we've got to fix the infrastructure, but we don't have they money to do it. Now is the time to start considering the alternatives."

In an interview Tuesday, Mr. Malloy declined to commit one way or the other on the issue. He said he'd have to have agreement with the legislature on what exactly the funds would be used for before signing such a bill.

"I would not sign off on it unless there was specific and unbreakable language saying that the funds could only be used for transportation," he said.

Tolls have been a nonstarter in the state since a tragic accident in 1983, when a tractor-trailer hit three cars, killing seven people, at the Stratford toll plaza on the Connecticut Turnpike. Following the accident, Connecticut phased out its toll system, making it just one of two states in the Northeast without tollways.

Some, like Mr. Witkos, question the legality of such a move, as the government doesn't allow charging for tolls on federally funded roads. Mr. Guerrera said he'd seek a waiver for the tolls if necessary, but said he expected the federal government to relax its provisions because of its reduced infrastructure funding to states.

Peter Tesei, a Republican who serves as Greenwich's chief executive, said he was opposed to reinstating tolls, citing the impact it could have the town's congestion level.

"A lot of our residents may get on I-95 to go to the movie theater in Port Chester [in New York]. But if they know they're going to get hit with a toll, they may just take back roads to get there," he said. "If a lot of people think that way, it's going to compound the problem. We're already dealing with enough congestion," Mr. Tesei said.

“We know we have more than $3 billion in infrastructure needs in this state, just to repair what we have. We know that raising the gas tax won't do it — cars are getting more mileage, we're hearing gas could cost $5 by next year, people are driving less. So that's not going to work. The federal government doesn't have the money. They've said they can't keep up with all the work that America's infrastructure needs. Tolls are a way to bring in $600 million a year for 30 years.”

Antonio "Tony" Guerrera represents Rocky Hill, Newington and Wethersfield in the State House of Representatives. The Rocky Hill ferry landing is in his district.

Unless the state builds additional bridges, these ferries are far from just nostalgia – they are an integral part of our transportation infrastructure. During upcoming construction on the Arrigoni Bridge between Portland and Middletown, the Rocky Hill and Chester ferries will be the closest option for many commuters seeking to cross the Connecticut River.

I urge the state Department of Transportation to join with me and protect the Connecticut River ferries.”

Antonio "Tony" Guerrera represents Rocky Hill, Newington and Wethersfield in the State House of Representatives. The Rocky Hill ferry landing is in his district.