Maria Horn

After many phone calls and letters from legislators to leadership, from leadership to the Governor, and yesterday from the Governor back to legislative leadership: the Governor has called the legislature for a special session this summer, which we agree should focus on COVID-19 response, making absentee ballots available in the general election in November, and police accountability and transparency in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. 

There is much work to do in the next few weeks on the specifics of those items, and I got the chance to talk to the Governor about those priorities over lunch today in Torrington, joined by Representative Michelle Cook, Mayor Elinor Carbone of Torrington, Rista Malanca, Torrington’s Director of Economic Development, and Torrington Police Chief William Baldwin.  I’ve thought a lot about the many law enforcement agents I’ve had the privilege to work with in my career, and what enabled the best of them to leave a positive impact on their communities, so I appreciated the opportunity to share that with the Governor. 

After lunch we toured Charlotte Hungerford Hospital together, and got a chance to speak with medical leadership and staff who faced COVID head on.  Today there are no COVID-positive patients in the hospital, but during the height of the pandemic they had to increase their ICU size twice to accommodate the urgent need.  These professionals made it clear that we should continue to be cautious, and exercise protocols like washing our hands, wearing masks, and keeping physical distance, so as to keep us on the right track.

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Executive Order No. 7YY (including court deadlines, DMV modifications)
• PURA encourages eligible residents to access federal Lifeline Program to access affordable broadband and telephone services during COVID-19 crisis
• Governor Lamont notifies legislative leaders that he intends to call a special session
• State reaches resolution on access to visitation for persons with disabilities in health care facilities during COVID-19 pandemic
• Federal Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act eases some of program’s restrictions
• Grants for nonprofit humanities and cultural organizations that are facing financial hardship
• Current Road Work and Closures

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. 7YY enacting the following provisions:

·       Resumption of court filing deadlines: Amends Executive Order No. 7G, Section 2 to provide that the suspension of requirements or deadlines related to Supreme or Appellate Court filings in cases pending before those courts to assist the Judicial Branch in its plans to resume more court business.

·       Modifications to DMV functions: Makes several adjustments to the functions administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles to allow customers to conduct more business remotely and reduce the need for in-person visits to DMV branches and affiliates.

·       Modifications to Executive Order No. 7E: Repeals Executive Order No. 7E, Section 2 effective June 15.

PURA encourages eligible residents to access federal Lifeline Program to access affordable broadband and telephone services during COVID-19 crisis

In light of the continued financial difficulties attributable to the ongoing public health crisis, Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is reminding Connecticut residents that the federal Lifeline Program has available resources to support low-income customers experiencing connectivity issues with broadband and telephone services.

Administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company, the Lifeline Program is available to help eligible low-income customers gain access to more affordable broadband internet and phone services by offering monthly discounts on certain products. Benefits are limited to one per qualifying household. Residents are eligible for the Lifeline Program if one of the following criteria are met:

·       Customer participates in certain federal benefits programs, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Federal Public Housing or the Veterans Pension and Survivor’s Benefit; or

·       Customer’s household income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

LifelineSupport.org provides detailed information about how to apply for benefits, eligibility requirements, and other specifics of the program, including the recent relief offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that relaxes qualifications around qualifying for the Lifeline Program and expands access to the Lifeline Program’s National Eligibility Verifier.

Governor Lamont notifies legislative leaders that he intends to call a special session

Governor Ned Lamont sent a letter to the bipartisan leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly notifying them of his intention to call the legislature into a special session to resolve the issue of absentee ballots in the November general election and to take immediate action on police accountability and transparency in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. The governor has directed his chief of staff, Paul Mounds, Jr., to commence discussions with each of the leaders on the details of proposed legislation on those topics.

 

**Download: Governor Lamont’s letter to legislative leaders regarding a special session

 

State reaches resolution on access to visitation for persons with disabilities in health care facilities during COVID-19 pandemic

The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced that it has reached an early case resolution with the State of Connecticut regarding visitation policies for persons with disabilities in short-term hospitals, outpatient clinics, and outpatient surgical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the resolution, the Connecticut Department of Public Health today released an order ensuring that people with disabilities have reasonable access to support personnel in hospital settings in a manner that is consistent with disability rights laws and the health and safety of patients, health care providers, and support persons. The order includes establishing a statewide policy requiring hospitals and other acute care settings to permit the entrance of a designated support person for a patient with a disability and permitting family members, service providers, or other individuals knowledgeable about the needs of the person with a disability to serve as a designated support person. Where patients with a disability are in such a setting for longer than one day, they may designate two support persons, provided only one is present at a time.

For more information, read the press release that was issued by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Federal Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act eases some of program’s restrictions

The U.S. Congress just passed a bipartisan bill called the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act that makes several important changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The new law eases some of the program’s restrictions, giving small businesses more time to use their loans and letting borrowers spend more of their loans on non-payroll expenses.

Key changes to the PPP include:

·       Extends the period to use PPP funds from 8 weeks to 24 weeks

·       Reduces the minimum payroll spend to 60% (from 75%)

·       Borrowers can now use the 24-week period to fully restore their workforce levels and wages (December 31 instead of June 30)

·       Businesses now have five years to repay the loan, instead of two

The new legislation also includes a number of updates and exceptions related to loan forgiveness, the rehiring of employees, and the payment of payroll taxes. We encourage businesses to read the new legislation and work with a financial professional to ensure they fully understand the updated requirements.

While demand for PPP loans has slowed, funding remains available. More information can be found on the SBA website, including a tool to find lenders that are still issuing PPP loans.

Grants for nonprofit humanities and cultural organizations that are facing financial hardship

Connecticut Humanities is providing rapid-response funding to nonprofit humanities and cultural organizations that are facing financial hardship resulting from COVID-19. These grants are funded by the CARES Act via the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

Connecticut Humanities is re-granting a total of $470,000 in CARES Act funding, with grant awards that range from $2,500 to $15,000 with no match required. Grants may be used for general operating expenses only (such as salaries, rent, utilities, supplies, and equipment). Full eligibility and grant guidelines can be found on their website. 

Current Road Work and Closures

The Department of Transportation has been taking advantage of the relatively light traffic to get a lot of projects underway, and I wanted to draw your attention to two that might disrupt your travels (keep in mind that schedules may change due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions):

 

• Milling and Resurfacing Project, SR 827 (South Kent Rd.) in Kent (from the New Milford town line to Route 341): The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 3.44-mile segment of SR 827 (South Kent Rd.). The milling of this project is scheduled to occur and be completed on Friday June 12, 2020. The resurfacing of this project is scheduled to occur on Monday, June 22, 2020 and be completed Thursday, July 2, 2020. Motorists can expect delays and one-lane alternating traffic. Traffic control personnel and signing patterns will be utilized to guide motorists through the work zone. The regular work schedule for this project is 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. (Monday through Friday) 

 

• Weekend Road Closure for Drainage Installation in Torrington: drainage repairs will be performed on Route 183 in Torrington between Trotters Way and Cedar Swamp Road in Torrington, Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, 2020.   Motorists can expect Rt 183 S/B to be closed at Trotters Way, and RT 183 N/B to be closed at Cedar Swamp Road. A detour will be in place. (Pinewoods Rd. to RT 8 South to Kennedy Drive.)  Traffic control personnel and signing patterns will be utilized to guide motorists through the work zone detour. The regular work schedule for this project is 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Saturday & Sunday).

For further information, check their website at www.ct.gov/dot​ or call (860) 594-3062.  Please drive safely!

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.