Rep. Mushinsky and Executive Director of the CT Early Childhood Alliance, Maggie Adair.

“Rep. Mushinsky was chosen as a 2012 Children’s Champion for demonstrating a strong level of commitment to early childhood through leadership on policy issues during the 2012 legislative session, and active involvement on local early childhood initiatives," said Maggie Adair, Executive Director of the CT Early Childhood Alliance.

The Early Childhood Alliance is a group of organizations and individuals committed to improving developmental outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety and economic security for children ages birth to eight and their families.

Mushinsky said her interest in early childhood education is related to safety and success of children in school. "Children who are fortunate enough to participate in early childhood education have an academic and social advantage over those who do not. Our goal is to give more children this advantage and prepare them to be successful in the global marketplace," Mushinsky said.

The group also recognized other lawmakers who have contributed to children-related issues throughout their service in the state legislature, as well as other public elected officials.

Rep. Mushinsky testified that Senate Bill 450 would be beneficial to consumers and the environment. The legislation would exempt cutting edge vehicles like electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars from sales taxes until 2014, establish a fuel-blind approach to efficiency that would include customers who live in municipal utility territories, establish and fund a fuel oil account and promote collaboration between oil dealers and customers to increase efficiency.

Additionally, Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP) would have the authority to examine the cost/benefit of developing programs to convert fuels and increase the efficiency of oil-burning appliances.

Rep. Mushinsky said if oil dealers do not join in the effort to help customers become oil-efficient, the DEEP should help customers switch from oil to natural gas and alternative energy.

Another proposal, SB 451, The Establishment of a Heating Furnace and Boiler Replacement Program, would add boiler replacement to the list of eligible expenditures.

“I would like these bills to be combined because many of my constituents live in old housing stock, heated by oil,” Rep. Mushinsky stated. “Without an energy audit followed by furnace replacement and plenty of insulation, they face impossibly high energy bills. People who never applied for heating assistance in their lives applied this year and in 2011 because their small monthly incomes cannot keep up.”

“Last year, when I met with business owners and chief executives on my Jobs Tour, I heard firsthand about the tough the challenges they face and what they needed to overcome them,” said Governor Malloy. “The Small Business Express Program is designed to provide an accessible source of much-needed funding that will help our small enterprises make a big impact in their communities. It’s just one more way we’re trying to begin an economic revival in cities and towns across our state.”

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.

“EXP is a program that was designed with small businesses in mind. This program is about getting working capital out the door quickly and efficiently so that our smaller companies can put it to work for them immediately and start putting more of Connecticut’s resident to work,” said DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith. “This program is building momentum — we’re constantly getting new submissions from interested business owners and we’re approving new applications every day.”

The five small businesses announced today are:

• Elka Precision of Plainville is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of hydrostatic spindles, tables, and slides that improve grinding accuracy and reduce grinding times for the overall improvement of machined products. Elka Precision plans to begin an aggressive campaign to market its products overseas, including European and Asian markets. The company, which plans to hire eight new employees, will receive a Job Creation Incentive loan of $250,000 to use for equipment, training, travel, and other related expenses.
  
  “What great news for Elka Precision and great news for Plainville,” said State Senator Jason Welch (R-Bristol). “The bipartisan jobs bill puts small businesses first by providing much needed assistance for companies wishing to expand and hire more employees. This announcement is a perfect example of how the policies we create in Hartford can keep and grow jobs right here in central Connecticut.”
  
  “This is a solid investment in job growth,” said State Representative Betty Boukus (D-Plainville). “This commitment to Elka Precision sends an important message that Governor Malloy and the legislature are committed to growing manufacturing jobs here in Connecticut.”

• Norwich Printing Company was founded and incorporated in 1992 as part of the Minuteman Press Franchise and has been growing ever since — going from a two-person operation to eight full-time employees. The printing company plans to grow and expand even further by using its $48,357 grant to buy four new pieces of equipment.
  
  “Small businesses are pulling our economy out of the muck,” said State Representative Melissa Riley (D-Norwich). “I want to thank Governor Malloy for this grant to Norwich Printing and for his commitment to small businesses across the state.”
  
  “I am so happy that the Norwich Printing Company is getting this funding to expand its production capabilities,” said State Senator Edith Prague (D-Columbia). “News like this is proof that the Governor’s jobs bill is working, which is why I voted for the measure last October. This is wonderful news for the Norwich community, and the Governor should be commended for his vision for job creation.”

• Connecticut Casket Company started designing, making, and selling custom environmentally friendly caskets in Willimantic in 2010. The company, which will retain three employees and hire three more within a year, will receive a $100,000 grant to buy equipment, improve the shop, train workers and expand its inventory. Connecticut Casket also will receive a Job Creation Incentive loan of $250,000.
  
  “Bill Covey and his employees represent the small business success story that is critical to Connecticut's economy,” said State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn). “The programs we passed last year are making a difference at a time when our businesses need it the most.”
  
  “This investment will be a big help to the Connecticut Casket Company. It will allow this Windham business to hire more workers and grow our local economy,” said State Representative Susan Johnson (D-Windham). “Governor Malloy is clearly focused on the needs of small businesses in eastern Connecticut and I want to thank him for his strong support.”

• Wooden-it-be-Nice, Inc., a consignment furniture company based in Marlborough with a facility in Glastonbury, provides a retail solution for selling second-hand furniture and accessories. The company will use its $11,500 grant in working capital for inventory and processing, marketing, and job creation/retention efforts, including training.
  
  “I’ve been talking to businesses in my district for months about this new program, and I’m glad to see they’ve been listening,” said State Senator Steve Cassano (D-Manchester), who represents Glastonbury, Manchester, Bolton and Marlborough. “Obviously, our October investment in growing Connecticut jobs and its economy is paying off, and paying off handsomely. And it doesn't make a difference if you’re a high-tech medical device manufacturer or a furniture consignment shop – if you’re a small business looking to expand, if you’re looking to hire, Connecticut is here to help.”
  
  “While the much of the attention on state economic development efforts has been on incentives for large employers and corporations, Governor Malloy and Commissioner Smith of the Department of Economic and Community Development have been equally focused on partnering with small businesses to assist them in building capacity and creating jobs in communities all over Connecticut,” said State Representative Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford, Glastonbury, Manchester). “Small businesses provide and create the vast majority of jobs in Connecticut and grants like this one will go a long way to strengthening our overall state economy.”
  
  State Representative Pam Sawyer (R-Andover, Bolton, Hebron, Marlborough) said, “This new approach, giving grants to small businesses in a short time frame, often in small amounts, can have a big impact on a company. Wooden-it-be-Nice is a perfect example. It is what was envisioned when the jobs bill passed last October.”
  
  “Wooden-it-be-Nice is an exemplary member of the Glastonbury business community and I am thrilled that they are receiving some much-deserved assistance in order to help spur business growth, encourage job creation and provide employees with quality job training amid this challenging climate,” said State Representative Prasad Srinivasan (R-Glastonbury). “I am proud to have supported the bipartisan Small Business Express Program responsible for this grant, and I look forward to passing more legislation this session that will help small businesses stay and grow in Connecticut.”

• My Three Sons (Petrini Six Enterprises) is an indoor family entertainment center in Norwalk. The company will use a $50,000 grant from DECD to purchase new equipment that will increase customers and revenue.
  
  “The grant award means news jobs in Norwalk,” said State Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “My Three Sons is a popular destination for families. This local success story highlights the critical role the new Small Business Express Program will play in connecting small, local businesses with the resources they need to grow and hire more workers.”
  
  “Petrini Six Enterprises is a longstanding, family owned business that has provided family entertainment in Norwalk for years,” said House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. (R-Norwalk). “Small businesses such as Petrini form the backbone of our economy. This grant is an example of how government can provide direct assistance to small businesses and foster economic development.”
  
  “Small businesses are the backbone of Connecticut’s economy and I am so pleased to see DECD choose to support Norwalk’s Petrini Six Enterprises,” said State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-Norwalk, Wilton). “My Three Sons and Cathy's Castle are real institutions in Norwalk that are beloved by families from all over the city. This grant will help the company grow and serve even more of Norwalk’s families.”
  
  “I applaud the Connecticut Department of Economic Development and the Malloy Administration for choosing to invest in Petrini Six Enterprises,” said State Representative Chris Perone (D-Norwalk). “Not only is this going to help them purchase new equipment and generate more revenue, but it is also indicative of DECD’s commitment to helping small businesses become more successful.”
  
  “I’m thrilled to hear Petrini Six Enterprises took full advantage of what our state is offering,” said State Representative Terrie Wood (R-Darien, Norwalk). “We need to further our efforts to make sure more businesses, like Petrini Six Enterprises, are aware of the numerous opportunities that are available in the Small Business Express Program so we can keep small businesses growing strong throughout Norwalk and the rest of Connecticut.”

For more information on EXP or to apply for the program, visit the Small Business Express Program website or contact Michelle Lugo at DECD at 860-270-8052 Michelle.Lugo@ct.gov.

“Connecticut’s new Earned Income Tax Credit, like the longstanding federal Earned Income Tax Credit, provides an economic incentive for low income working families,” said Governor Malloy. “Higher than anticipated EITC applications show just how hard hit these families were during the recession. The additional income the credit provides will help families pay for essentials such as clothing for children, medical care, reduction of household debt, or other living expenses and perhaps even begin to save for the future.”

To date, the Department of Revenue Services (DRS) says that approximately $49.3 million in EITC credits have been approved to qualified applicants. DRS said this follows the trend of other EITC states with the majority of EITC claims being submitted in January and February. In all, the state expects as many as 190,000 Connecticut taxpayers to request the CT EITC.

“We are early in the first year of Connecticut’s EITC,” Governor Malloy said, “but we believe it is already making a difference in residents’ lives. At the same time, it’s a real reinvestment in the state’s consumer economy.”

The maximum CT EITC payment is $1,725. Combined with the federal EITC, the maximum payment a Connecticut family can receive is $7,476. Both programs are expected to put as much as $500 million into the hands of state residents. The EITC program also includes strong safeguards against fraud.

Taxpayers can learn more about this program at the DRS website.

It is estimated that at least 200,000 working families will qualify for the credit across the state. Workers who earned under $48,000 who were raising children and single workers without children who earned less than $13,460 may qualify. The average CT-EITC payment will be approximately $540 and the maximum payment up to $1,700.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time for the more than 700 Wallingford families that are eligible,” Mushinsky said. “We have been working to get this credit included in the budget for the last few years, and finally, despite tough budget negotiations, we can bring some relief to our hard working families in the state.”

Mushinsky added, “I encourage workers to file their income tax early and ensure they inquire about CT-EITC. We have heard that many families miss the credit due to the lack of knowledge that it even exists. There will be several organizations readily available to help poor families with their income tax filing free of charge, including the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and many others.”

The CT-EITC is expected to put about $108 million into the hands of working families in need. Combined with the federal EITC, this means at least $500 million to help state residents.

Mushinsky said, “"Defending our natural resources is immensely important, and I am happy I was able to do my part in this effort. I thank the League of Conservation Voters for their environmental vigilance and close scrutiny of legislation affecting the environment over the years.”

CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard assesses both lawmakers’ votes on environmental legislation and their roles in championing specific issues. Twelve bills dealing with environmental issues were presented this year including some that passed such as banning the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) in thermal receipts, a program to collect paint and paint containers for disposal, a forest conservation program and clean energy legislation.

CTLCV Co-Chair David Bingham said of the legislators who received high scores, “despite the pressures of economic distress, they upheld policies that are critical to providing clean air and water and make Connecticut an inviting state to do business.”

About 60 people gathered at Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford on Saturday, Oct. 22, to honor the memory of Maj. Gervais Raoul Lufbery, ace World War I fighter pilot, as the sign renaming the road connecting I-91 and Route 5 in Wallingford (Exit 13 off of I-91) was officially unveiled.

Several members of the Lufbery family attended the ceremony, as well as many area veterans and other interested onlookers.

Despite the fact that a street, a municipal park, and VFW Post 591 bear Lufbery's name in Wallingford, the major's remarkable achievements in the Great War are largely unknown to the vast majority of Connecticut's residents. However, thanks to the lobbying efforts of Post 591 Commander Robertson "Doc" Sheehy, veteran Bob Maloney of Middlefield, and Lufbery family members, state Rep. Mary Mushinsky of Wallingford sponsored legislation that will help raise public awareness of Lufbery's achievements.

In recounting Raoul Lufbery's personal history at the ceremony, Rep. Mushinsky noted that he was the son of Wallingford native Edward Lufbery and a French woman. Born in France in 1885, Raoul Lufbery spent much of his early life there with his maternal grandmother. However, at the age of 19, he arrived in Wallingford, where he spent about two years working in a silver factory before joining the United States Army, thereby gaining his American citizenship. A chance encounter in the Philippines with barnstorming French aviator Mark Pourpe, however, was to change his life forever.

Lufbery became Pourpe's mechanic and learned about flying under his tutelage. When World War I broke out in August of 1914, Pourpe and Lufbery joined the French aviation corps. Vowing revenge upon the Germans after Pourpe's untimely death in 1914, Lufbery became a fighter pilot. He was officially credited with shooting down 17 German aircraft, though many believe he actually shot down as many as 42. America's best-known aviator in the Great War, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, said of Lufbery: "Everything I learned, I learned from Lufbery."

Maj. Lufbery died 93 years ago last May when his plane was shot down by a German Albatross gunner near the French village of Maron. With his plane ablaze, Lufbery fell or jumped from it, falling several hundred feet and impaling himself on a farmer's picket fence. His body is interred in Paris near the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Paris — a place of great honor.

Rep. Mushinsky spearheaded the legislative effort to have State Road 702 — the connector between Route 5 and I-91 in Wallingford — designated the "Major Gervais Raoul Lufbery Highway." The successful passage of Public Act 11-256 last summer by the legislature brought the honor to fruition. In addition, Rep. Mushinsky noted that last July the state of Connecticut bestowed the Connecticut Veteran's War Service Medal to Lufbery's family — 93 years after the war ended. Furthermore, she noted that the United States military had belatedly awarded Lufbery the Purple Heart in 2005.

Speaking on behalf of the Lufbery family, Bob Stickle of Avon, CT, voiced thanks for the "collective dedication" of many individuals who worked with Rep. Mushinsky to insure that Maj. Lufbery was properly honored. He also noted that the U.S. Air Force Academy annually bestows the Major Raoul Lufbery Award to the top foreign-language student in its graduating class. In addition, he noted that Lufbery is a member of the United States Aviation Hall of Fame. After introducing several members of the Lufbery family, he acknowledged his 103-year-old mother-in-law, Marie Germain Lufbery, the oldest living relative of the great aviator. She is Maj. Lufbery's niece.

Following the ceremony at Wharton Brook, VFW Post 591 in Wallingford — the "Major Raoul Lufbery Post" — hosted a reception in honor of the major. The Wallingford Historical Society generously displayed a wide variety of Lufbery memorabilia, including a piece of his airplane and a thick scrapbook donated to the society in 1919 by Edward Lufbery, father of the fallen hero.

Though it took many years to accomplish, Connecticut and the federal government eventually have come to acknowledge what the French people have known for many decades: that Maj. Raoul Lufbery was a significant hero during World War I. Many Connecticut drivers will now be reminded of this fact.

HARTFORD — An analysis by the legislature’s Program Review and Investigations Committee found that more than half of the full-time employees in the Connecticut State University System are not in the classroom.

“I was struck by the fact that 60 percent are in non-instruction, which I thought was striking. I don’t know if that is true in other schools around the country, but it is a striking statistic. It’s eye-opening information,” said Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, a member of the committee.

The committee was charged with looking at the rate of growth of administrative functions at CSUS, the cost of those services and whether the work was redundant. The total number of non-instructional staff is 1,609, with combined salaries of $108 million, or about 20 percent of the system’s operating budget.

The CSUS is composed of Central, Eastern, Southern and Western atate universities.

The committee suggested further study of what appeared to be duplicated positions, whether consolidation would disrupt students' experience and the individual character of the four-university system. It also wanted to know why there were different levels of administrators at the universities.

Eastern Connecticut State University had the highest, with one administrator for every 33 students, while Central Connecticut State University had the lowest, with one administrator for every 50 students.

The PRI staff said time constraints did not allow it to perform a workload analysis of each job to pinpoint duplication, although it appeared to exist.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has recommended that CSUS, the community colleges, the online Charter Oak State College and the Department of Higher Education be overseen by a Board of Regents. Cuts are built into Malloy’s budget on the assumption that the consolidation will save money at the administrative level, particularly among the 200 people in the central offices.

Several of the committee members said an analysis should be made of the community colleges and the University of Connecticut, as well as a deeper look at CSUS in terms of administrative cuts, to be fair.

“I think this would be invaluable to the governor and the legislature because cuts are coming,” said Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-Trumbull. While the legislative session will wrap up by June, Rowe said the committee would do its best to get the information in a timely manner.

The four state universities were independent before they were joined as part of a system with the central office added later as another layer. The study is not a performance-based analysis, for instance, looking at which college had the best graduating rate.

Sen. Steve Cassano, D-Manchester, who taught at Manchester Community College for 28 years, said looking at graduation rates to determine performance is a false measure and perhaps lawmakers should look at drop-out rates.

To comply with the federal definition, colleges can only count the graduation rates for students who enter as freshmen and not those who transfer in or, in the case of the community colleges, those who leave early to go to a state university.

Scott Simoneau, a PRI analyst, said federal data calculating the number of administrators at colleges nationwide was flawed and did not offer a fair comparison, but data from the state Department of Higher Education showed CSUS, since 1993, was among the most expensive state university systems in the U.S.

It ranked 11th in the country, but was fourth of the eight state systems for the region as defined by New York, New Jersey and New England based on in-state tuition and fees, but excluding housing costs.

Bernard Kavaler, spokesman for CSUS, said he was happy the report confirmed that state support has not kept up with student growth and that increases in tuition and fees have been below the national average and represent a lower percentage of median household income than their peer institutions.

Two area lawmakers are co-sponsors of a bill to issue an official photo identification card for the state’s war veterans.

State Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, and state Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, say giving Connecticut war veterans the card would enable them to take advantage of retail discounts offered by some merchants to those who serve their country. Mushinky and Fasano testified recently before the General Assembly’s Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in support of the bill.

The two lawmakers wrote the bill after meeting with John Anzidei, an Army veteran from Wallingford, who said he believes the problem of veterans being denied discounts to which they are entitled is more widespread than people realize.

“I’m not doing this for myself; it’s for the people who might fall thorough the cracks without something like this to help them,” Anzidei said. “I have four other members of my family who are all veterans and none of them have been able to take advantage of the discounts because discharge documents don’t come with a photo ID. I figured if there’s that many people in my family alone who had this happen to them, there must be plenty of other veterans who could benefit from this.”

Anzidei said about nine states in the U.S. issue some form of identification cards with pictures.

Mushinsky said that the Veterans’ Affairs Committee co-chairman, Rep. Jack Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, indicated it might be possible to create a veterans insignia on photo drivers’ licenses.

“The committee needs to be flexible and choose the most cost-effective method of identifying veterans so this bill may have a bright future,” Mushinsky said.

Anzidei praised Mushinky and Fasano for working together to promote the legislation.

“It’s great when politics can be put aside for the good of the people,” Anzidei said.

HARTFORD — The lack of a strategic higher education policy for Connecticut that would set goals, tie degree training to the marketplace and offer incentives for improvement is putting the state’s economic competitiveness at risk.

That was the conclusion of the legislature’s Program and Review and Investigations Committee report that was adopted Thursday by the committee.

A separate look at the administrative structure of the Connecticut State University system was delayed until January because of confusion over data on personnel. A separate report on CSU, issued by the Office of Policy and Management, was highly critical of the system, which estimated the state could save $6 million by eliminating the central office.

State Rep. Roberta Willis, D-Salisbury, chairwoman of the legislature’s Higher Education Committee, said three years ago it started to put a strategic plan in place, but said it stalled when “we did not get buy-in by the administration.”

Willis was referring to the outgoing administration of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, which took away funding for the project when it was faced with multiple budget crises.

“We clearly need to do this,” said Willis. “Shame on us,” she said of a state that spends some $2.5 billion every year on higher education with no strategic direction.

State Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, co-chairwoman of the program review committee, said her town has a strategic plan and that the state higher education lacks one “is pretty bizarre.”

The committee’s principal analyst, Scott Simoneau, said during the state’s last major fiscal crisis in 1991, lawmakers reduced funding with a block grant to colleges in exchange for more autonomy for the 12 community colleges, the four CSU state universities and the University of Connecticut.

Simoneau said there was a lost opportunity for influence at that point to build in an oversight body that would look at outcomes and tie funding to goals. The current Board of Governors of the Department of Higher Education is basically a reporting system.

Simoneau said the current system “has not concretely helped advance the state’s overall public interests of increased educational attainment, elimination of the achievement gap, or sufficient accountability.”

“I’m beginning to feel we have been taken advantage of,” Willis said of the deal that was brokered two decades ago.

He recommended a leadership group develop a public needs report looking at education, work force and economic needs for the next 20 years and a better alignment of funding.

A report PRI did last year found major disconnect between degrees state college students were earning, mainly in education, rather than tech jobs growing here.

Both Mushinsky and state Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, the other program review co-chairman, were interested in using a portion of the education block grant, possibly 10 percent, that would be performance-based incentive funding.

Kissel said it is also time to finally fix transfer problems for students among state colleges.

He also was concerned with cost of allowing college staff and professors to take courses tuition-free, but Simoneau said that benefit is pretty consistent across the country and ending it would put Connecticut at a disadvantage.

The value of the benefit was $6.19 million last year and is usually part of collective bargaining with CSU and community colleges allowing spouses and children to take advantage of it, while this did not extend to the family members of clerks. CSU officials said it is not a cost in that they can only participate if there are extra spaces in a course. There are different policies at UConn, depending on what department people work in, with space-available rules for workers and spouses, but not dependents.

A bi-partisan committee of state legislators is recommending that state support for its public colleges and universities be tied to performance goals, such as affordability, graduation rates, and meeting the workforce needs of employers.

"Let's get this done in the next couple of months," Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield and co-chairman of the Program Review and Investigations Committee, said Thursday. "We need to tie something to a portion of the dollars we are giving them."

But the idea is likely to face opposition from higher education officials, who collectively get $554 million--about a quarter of their total budget--from the state's general fund.

Sen. John Kissel and Reps. Mary Mushinsky and Roberta Willis listen to a presentation on funding higher education

The state's public colleges and universities currently have complete authority over their budgets. They got that during a state budget crisis in the early 1990s as a trade-off for funding cuts.

Mary Anne Cox, assistant chancellor for the state's dozen community colleges, said she would not support linking state funding with performance benchmarks, unless there is more money on the table--an unlikely proposition given the massive budget deficit projected for next year.

"I am very concerned if this can be used effectively without increasing funds. To me, I see this as another reduction," Cox said after the PRI Committee meeting.

Bernard Kavaler, spokesman for Connecticut State University, said officials plan to review the proposal and will then make a comment on the proposal.

Kavaler said CSU routinely supports providing incentives for students to earn degrees in workforce-shortage ares, such as special education. However, he would not say whether the current funding the state gives CSU should be tied to their ability to graduate students in certain degrees.

University of Connecticut spokesman, Michael Kirk, said officials plan to review the recommendations and plans to inform lawmakers of any concerns they may have.

About half the states in the country have report cards for universities tied to their levels of state spending, PRI staff told the committee. The amount of funding tied to meeting benchmarks ranges state-to-state, from 5 of state funding in numerous states to 100 percent in Ohio.

"We want to make sure our money is spent most efficiently as possible," said Rep. Mary M. Mushinsky, D-Wallingford and co-chairwoman of the PRI Committee.

The contest is open to K-8 students to walk or bike to and from school in an effort to promote a healthier lifestyle while encouraging schools and communities to establish safe biking and walking routes.

This year’s contest kicks off on October 6, International Walk to School Day.  Midway through the school year, the first class that walks and bikes the distance of the perimeter of Connecticut, 375 miles, will be recognized and awarded prizes.

“I am thrilled to join with the CT Department of Transportation in this exciting initiative,” Mushinsky said.  “The earlier we start promoting healthy habits in our children, the better overall results we will have not only in their health, but in the environment as well.” Mushinsky is a member of Activate Wallingford steering committee, a community-wide effort to reduce child obesity and promote healthy habits.

In April 2011, the top three student groups that walk and/or bike the farthest will be recognized.  All participating schools are invited to attend the celebratory “Walk the Capitol Steps” ceremony, which will be held in May 2011 at the State Capitol building to recognize the top three student groups.

The SRTS Program was established in August 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

Last year, student groups from across the State walked and biked more than 11,000 miles.

For additional information please visit the contest website at www.walkitbikeitct.org

The legislature did not take up the bill by the end of the veto session Monday when it became clear to legislative leaders that the bill still needed more support in the House to reach the required 2/3 vote of those present. A small number of legislators were absent due to illness or previously scheduled family vacations.

Mushinsky, a strong supporter of the bill, said the defeat was a blow to democratic election of tenant commissioners. "The bill would have established a process for housing authority tenants to establish their own tenants' organization, and then elect one of their own to speak for them on the housing authority. Tenants are limited to one of five seats on the authority - it is only fair that they get to choose their own person," Mushinsky said.

Failure of the bill left tenants with the option of suggesting who they want to fill the post, but no requirement that the appointing authority take their suggestion, Mushinsky added. Sponsors said they would file the bill again in the next legislative session.