State Capitol for the Week of August 24

August 27, 2020

I had a confluence of events this week that focused on public goods: things that are, or should be, available and accessible to all of us.  They include the US Postal Service, the ballot box, clean air and water, mental health care, and utilities like electricity, phone and internet, for example.  The way we make these accessible is different in each case, but there are market failures with each that make it necessary for the government to play a role to ensure equitable access.  Attorney General Tong and I discussed some of these issues in our conversation on Facebook yesterday evening, bringing both the legal investigative authority and bully pulpit of his office to bear with respect to the US Postal Service, electric utilities, and generic drug makers, for example. 

 

Another set of conversations took place when I had two simultaneous Zoom calls with the Appropriations Committee and a roundtable discussion based in Kent with local, state, and federal elected officials and leaders and advocates working on substance abuse and addiction in general, and opioids in particular.  In Appropriations, part of the discussion focused on programs that provide heating assistance to low income families (otherwise known as LIHEAP), and the conversation laid bare the needs of our families suffering economic distress as a result of the pandemic.  The roundtable discussion, brought about by the uptick in opioid overdoses during the pandemic, went to the social and emotional needs of people in our communities, who are under a great deal of economic stress, often exacerbated by social isolation during this pandemic.  We will need to fight to make sure that people have their basic needs met in the coming months: heat in their homes, and social and emotional support for those suffering from addiction or other mental health challenges. 

 

The accountability process also began this week with respect to our electric utilities, and in particular Eversource, and their failure to meet our basic needs, in the wake of both Tropical Storm Isaias and a significant rate increase in July.  The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) began that process on Monday by holding an informational hearing on the rate increase, which went on for so long that not everyone who wished to was able to testify (see section below re further opportunities for public comment.  As we speak, the Energy & Technology Committee’s informational hearing on the storm response is ongoing.  Eversource officials testified first, and the committee is now working its way through PURA, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, municipal official, and regional energy producers.  As if to focus that conversation most keenly, as the hearing was ongoing, a new storm swept through, hitting Kent in particular, and I heard from several who lost power, so I expect to be staying in close contact with Eversource.

 

Below is the letter I submitted to the Energy & Technology Committee for their hearing today:

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  • Connecticut Department of Public Health acting commissioner issues order expanding nursing home visitations
  • Connecticut Department of Public Health issues citations against two nursing homes for violating governor’s COVID-19 testing order
  • $266 million package for Connecticut schools is one of the largest per-student funding plans in the region
  • Office of Consumer Counsel requests additional opportunity for public comment re Eversource rate increase
  • UConn public dashboard on the presence of COVID-19 on campus
  • Happy Women’s Equality Day (yesterday)!

 

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus, and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

 

Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

 

The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities. If a facility is not listed, that means it is reporting that it does not have any residents who have tested positive.

 

**DownloadReport from August 27, 2020 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes

**DownloadReport from August 27, 2020 COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

 

 

Connecticut Department of Public Health acting commissioner issues order expanding nursing home visitations

 

Connecticut Department of Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford today issued an order expanding visitation in Connecticut nursing homes and clarifying for all long-term care facilities their obligations to facilitate visitations however possible to keep residents connected to loved ones on the outside on a regular basis. Since March 9, 2020, in-person visitation has been prohibited in Connecticut nursing homes, except for compassionate care visits only in the case where the resident is in the end stages of life when death is imminent. Beginning in May, socially distanced visitation has been permitted outside at nursing homes. 

 

Commissioner Gifford’s new order on visitation takes the following actions expands options for visitation, and requires facilities to develop visitation policies. 

 

 

**DownloadCommissioner Gifford’s order expanding nursing home visitations

 

 

Connecticut Department of Public Health issues citations against two nursing homes for violating governor’s COVID-19 testing order

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today announced that it has issued citations against two nursing homes – one in Hartford and one in Hamden – for violating Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7AAA, which requires nursing homes to test staff and residents weekly for COVID-19. In each case, the nursing homes failed to properly implement the testing policy, under which all staff and residents are required to be tested for COVID-19 weekly until the facility records 14 days of testing with no new positive cases. Testing is being 100 percent funded by state and federal dollars through October 31, 2020.

  

The citations can be found online on the Department of Public Health’s Nursing Homes Inspection Documents reporting system. To find a specific violation, enter a date range for documents from between August 1, 2020 and today.

 

 

$266 million package for Connecticut schools is one of the largest per-student funding plans in the region

 

Governor Lamont today highlighted his administration’s commitment of $266 million to assist school districts with offsetting additional, unbudgeted costs associated with safely reopening schools and providing all children with equitable access to a high-quality education. The funding package accounts for one of the largest PK-12 state funding plans per-student in the region and country, and is derived from three sources: the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds, the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.  To read the district-by-district allocation amounts for ESSER and CRF, click here.

 

 

Office of Consumer Counsel requests additional opportunity for public comment re Eversource rate increase

 

On Monday, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) held an initial informational hearing regarding Eversource’s recent rate increase, which lasted for over eight hours. The hearing began with comments from elected officials and was followed by a formal evidentiary portion, during which Eversource witnesses were subject to cross examination under oath by various parties, including the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) and the Attorney General. By the time the public comment portion of the hearing commenced, it was after 4.00 p.m. and of the over 600 initial participants on the Zoom conference, more than half had logged off.

 

In order to give the public further opportunity to comment, the OCC is requesting that PURA reserve additional time at the outset of an upcoming hearing tentatively scheduled for September 10th to take further live public comment from those consumers who were personally unavailable to attend or unable to remain in the initial hearing.   

  

PURA is still accepting written public comment and those Eversource customers who wish to comment in writing are encouraged to submit their written comment to PURA via e-mail at pura.executivesecretary@ct.gov referencing Docket No. 20-01-01. Up to date information on upcoming hearings and registration information may be accessed on PURA’s Calendar of Events.  

 

In addition, PURA has scheduled three upcoming public comment hearings for October 21st, 22nd, and 23rd at which time the public will have the opportunity to comment on Eversource and United Illuminating’s responses to Tropical Storm Isaias. Members of public seeking more information should contact PURA at the e-mail address above referencing Docket No. 20-08-03. 

 

UConn public dashboard on the presence of COVID-19 on campus

 

UConn has created a public dashboard that provides a summary on the rate of positive versus negative tests on campuses, plus other information. The dashboard will be updated daily on UConn’s Reopening Page, it can be accessed anytime.  We plan on sharing updates with you weekly.   

 

Happy Women’s Equality Day (yesterday)!

 

Yesterday was Women’s Equality Day, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.  I celebrated the day with some colleagues from the House as we witnessed the hoisting of the Women’s Equality Flag above the Capitol.  A windy day, it was excellent for flag flying.

 

In honor of that occasion, and as an opportunity to carry those issues forward into the election season, check out this 2020 Voter Guide from Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, which serves as a tool for voters and candidates to center the needs, voices, and experiences of women in this election cycle. 
 

Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system

 

Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

 

Providing information to Connecticut residents

 

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

 

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Relay services can be accessed by calling 7-1-1. Anyone who is out-of-state or using Relay can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 toll free by dialing 1-800-203-1234. The hotline is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.