Maria Horn

Plans are beginning to solidify for the Connecticut General Assembly to hold a Special Session before the end of September.  This time, the Senate will convene first: we expect that to happen next week.  The House will follow, and we expect to convene on either September 29 or September 30.  The agenda is still under negotiation, but the focus will be on bills which have had hearings during the truncated regular session, that have strong bipartisan support, and/or that address urgent situations that need immediate attention.  I thought I’d highlight a few of those, with the caveat that they are part of a long list of potential bills under discussion, and we don’t know yet what will make the cut.
 
One potential bill proposes modifications to Connecticut’s Transfer Act, and the Environment and Commerce Committees held a joint Listening Session on that bill today.  The Transfer Act regulates the transfer of certain polluted properties and businesses in the state, and there is widespread agreement that it has failed both the environment and the business community.  Under the current act, remediation is only triggered when a property is sold (or transferred), which has caused many properties, even with minor levels of contamination, to languish, unavailable for new development: only 25% of properties that entered this process have completed remediation.  CT is one of only two states in the country that manage environmental remediation this way, and the proposed bill would move us away from a “transfer-based” program toward a “release-based” program, which would allow for different tiers of remediation, all triggered upon the release of the contaminants.  This is clearly an area where we need reform, but it’s complicated and there are a wide array of opinions on how to achieve that reform, so reaching consensus will be a challenge.
 
Another potential bill concerns sexual assault on college campuses.  This bill has gained urgency as our colleges and universities re-open with a new set of restrictions on social gatherings.  The immediate concern is that a student who attends an event in violation of those rules, and is the victim of, or a witness to, a sexual assault, might be reluctant to report that assault because of the potential consequences for attending the event.  The proposed bill would provide protections for students who report. 
 
I also hope we get to vote on some portion of the energy bill that had a listening session more than a week ago.  That bill, drafted in response to a significant increase in recent energy bills, followed by significant failures, by Eversource in particular, to respond adequately to storm damage from Isaias.  That bill, among its many provisions, would require that ratepayers be compensated up to $500 for spoiled food or medicine, would increase staffing levels, and would re-align the way we pay Eversource from a cost-recovery system to one in which the company is rewarded for serving ratepayers.

A few upcoming events:

• The Secretary of State has mailed applications for absentee ballots to all registered voters. [follow with the rest of the paragraph, through “…on October 2.”]
• Friday, September 18 at 6:00 pm (tomorrow): I’ll be on Facebook Live for a Kent Conversation with Kent First Selectwoman Jean Speck. 
• Saturday, September 19 from 9:00am to 12:00pm: Drive though food drive to benefit FISH and the Soup Kitchen in the Torrington Library Parking Lot
• Saturday, September 19 from 4:00 - 7:00pm: Drake Volunteer Fire Department Annual Pasta Dinner, 1349 Marshall Lake Road.  Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children. Diners may eat indoors, outdoors, or take advantage of drive-up ordering.  For more information:  https://www.facebook.com/drakevillevfd/

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 9B (re travel advisory, and new fines)
• USDA program provides free meals to all children ages 3-18
• Veterans Stand Down Event on September 24^th and 25^th
• DPH Commissioner orders discharge of all residents of Three Rivers Nursing Home in Norwich to other facilities
• Pavement preservation project on Route 272 in Torrington and Goshen

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.”
 
Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 9B enacting the following provisions:
 

• Amendments to mandatory self-quarantine for travelers from states with high COVID-19 levels: Modifies the state’s previously issued self-quarantine and travel advisory order for people arriving to Connecticut from impacted states, expanding the testing exemption to all travelers who test negative for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arrival. This takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2020.
• Authorization for the issuance of fines: Authorizes the commissioner of Public Health, local health departments, municipal chief elected officers, and state and local police to issue fines for violations of certain COVID-19 protective measures. These include:
  • A fine of $100 for an person who fails to wear a mask or cloth face covering as required under Executive Order No. 7NNN;
  • A fine of $500 for any person or business entity who organizes, hosts, or sponsors a gathering that violates the gathering size restrictions set forth in the DECD Rules for Gatherings and Venues and Sector Rules for Outdoor Events; and
  • A fine of $250 for any person who attends a gathering that violates the gathering size restrictions set forth in the DECD Rules for Gatherings and Venues and Sector Rules for Outdoor Events.

• Repeal of executive orders extending liquor permittee credit period: Repeals Executive Order No. 7OOO, Section 2 and Executive Order No. 7S, Section 3 effective September 17, 2020, returning to normal statutory provisions.

 
 
USDA program provides free meals to all children ages 3-18 
 
The US Department of Agriculture is offering a program to school districts that provides free meals to all children in our communities ages 3-18.  This program will be in place until December 31 or when the federal funding is depleted.  Families with children ages 3-18 that are not attending school should contact your local school’s main office to begin receiving a free breakfast and lunch on days that school is in session.  These meals are also available free of  charge to all students who are distance learners, so please inform school offices if you would like meals for your at-home students also.  You will be given specific details about the meals that will be available for pick up at the school.  All students who are in school are also eligible to receive their breakfast and lunch meals free of charge while this program is in place. 

 

Veterans Stand Down Event on September 24^th and 25^th
 
Stand Down 2020, begins on Thursday, September 24^th with a kickoff ceremony at 9:00am at the Rocky Hill Campus which will be broadcast live via social media.  Following the ceremony is a day of online informational sessions including information on a variety of federal and state agencies and community service providers on topics including housing and homeless services, State labor/employment and vocational resources, Veteran caregiver support, legal assistance, education resources and much more. The schedule of all sessions available is attached.  On day two, Friday, September 25^th, there will be four locations throughout Connecticut, Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwich and Rocky Hill at which we will be staffed by representatives of regional Vet Centers, CT Bar Association and the DVA to provide benefits information, pro-bono legal services and free COVID-19 testing and flu shots by medical professionals to Connecticut's Veterans.  COVID mitigation protocols will be strictly enforced and only a certain number of individuals will be allowed to enter at scheduled times, which is why pre-registration is necessary.
 
For additional information and to register for Stand Down 2020, please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/DVA/Pages/Veterans-Stand-Down.
 
 
DPH Commissioner orders discharge of all residents of Three Rivers Nursing Home in Norwich to other facilities
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) announced an emergency order for the immediate discharge and transfer of all residents of the Three Rivers Nursing Home in Norwich.  The facility has been experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 since late July that has so far infected 22 residents and six staff at the facility.  A number of the impacted residents needed to be hospitalized, and four have died.  An investigation conducted by DPH into that outbreak revealed numerous violations of infection control, staffing, and other practices at Three Rivers that warranted the appointment of a temporary manager to run the facility.  That temporary manager, Kathrine Sacks, took over operations at the Three Rivers late last week and has subsequently reported to DPH that the serious, systemic problems still existing at the nursing home were too great to be corrected by the date of September 30, 2020 as required under federal regulations.  In addition, these challenges posed a serious ongoing risk to the health and safety of Three Rivers residents.
 
Documents related to the investigation into Three Rivers Nursing Home including the statement of deficiency related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the violation letter outlining the appointment of a temporary manager, are available online by searching for it by date (between August 25-September 16).   A copy of the signed and executed emergency closure order with charges listed is attached to this news release.
 

Pavement preservation project on Route 272 in Torrington and Goshen
 
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is developing plans to rehabilitate the pavement on Route 272 in Torrington and Goshen. The purpose of the project is to preserve the pavement condition on Route 272 between mile markers 0.00 and 6.02.
The present schedule indicates that the design will be completed in fall 2020, with construction anticipated to start in spring 2021, assuming acceptance of the project and availability of funding.
 
 
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.