Ron Napoli, Jr

Today I joined Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, members of the city's state and federal delegations, representatives from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to announce $3.3 million in state funds for the ongoing work at the abandoned Anamet site (17.5 acres on the Naugatuck River) in Waterbury.

I co-sponsored legislation that was passed by the Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees Committee. HB 6508, An Act Concerning Investment in the Construction Job Workforce for Low-Income Residents, will be voted by the House this session.

The bill aims to create a construction job career path for low-income residents and ensure successful employment through state hiring requirements in state construction contracts.

Today the Public Safety and Security Committee discussed House Bill No. 7332, “An Act Concerning Public Safety and the Welfare of Repeat Juvenile Offenders and their Victims.” The bill aims to require juveniles charged with theft of a motor vehicle to have their cases transferred to criminal court when they have a history of prior felony adjudications or convictions.

Small businesses are the lifeline of our economy. They create jobs, increase productivity, and capitalize on growth opportunities here and globally. We must continue supporting small businesses by providing them with the tools they need to succeed, so Connecticut remains poised for economic growth.

Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly announced joint priorities for the 2019 legislative session. The legislative priorities include establishing a paid family and medical leave program, raising the minimum wage, investing in job training and the state’s workforce pipeline, supporting small businesses, making prescription drugs more affordable, creating a Green New Deal for Connecticut and increasing access to the ballot box. 

Quick action today in Hartford will help our friends and neighbors who are in desperate financial straits due to the federal shutdown.

The impact on federal employees from the prolonged government shutdown is increasingly affecting the livelihood of over 1,500 Connecticut residents and their families. Each additional day they work for no pay - child care, mortgages, food and car payments, to name a few, are falling behind and there is no indication for when paychecks will resume.