State Capitol Update for the Week of June 14.

June 17, 2021

Okay, now we’re really done with session.  Until they call us back, anyway. 
 
Last week our “regular” session ended, and yesterday we came back for a “special” session to address two big unfinished pieces of business: the legalization of cannabis, and the “implementer,” which provides the policy underpinning the budget we passed during regular session.  And they were both big, both in terms of the policy changes they represent and for the sheer size of them, with the former coming in at nearly 300 pages, and the latter at over 800 pages.  Both are the result of many hours of negotiation (in the case of cannabis legalization, many years), culminating in complex compromises. 
 
Both also happened to pass first in the Senate, which amended both during their special session on Tuesday.  The votes in the House had long been counted on both of these bills, which we expected to pass, but those late amendments presented a challenge for us, as they changed the deals that had been struck.  In the case of the cannabis bill, the change was serious enough that the Governor threatened to veto the bill.  So we in the House began our day of special session with a long caucus meeting – where we close the doors and have an honest, sometimes painful and emotional, discussion about what action we wanted to take.  We decided, on both, that we would stand by the deal that had been struck in many hours of work by legislators and staff, and pass the bills that represented the original terms of those thorny compromises.  That meant that we had to remove the recently added language, and hand them both back to the Senate.  Both bills passed the House, and both were subsequently passed by the Senate earlier today. 
 
I wish you all a Happy Father’s Day weekend filled with lots of time with family and friends. 
 
Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  • Connecticut Legalizes Cannabis. Click here.
  • Register Your Business on CT VISIT. Click here.
  • How to Host a Vaccine Clinic. Click here.
  • DMV Update. Click here.
  • CTDOT Update for Our Community. Click here.
  • FCH Medical Education Fund. Click here
  • News from Region One Career Experience Office. Click here
  • Sharon Hospital Earns Second Consecutive 5-Star Quality Rating. Click here
  • Expanding Access to Capital for Rural CT. Click here.
  • Make Music Day. Click here.

For  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, “Data Tracker.
 
AnchorConnecticut legalizes cannabis: HB 1201
 
Both the House and Senate have now passed HB 1201, which legalizes adult recreational cannabis, and we expect the Governor to sign soon.  I voted in favor of legalization, as I did in 2019 in the Judiciary Committee.  My vote was motivated largely by costly failures of the war on drugs, the explicitly racial nature of the original criminalization of marijuana and the subsequent impact of that on particular communities, and the difficulty in rationalizing the treatment of cannabis versus alcohol and tobacco. In addition, the fact that these laws, at both the federal and state level, are simply not being evenly enforced across the country, as many states act to legalize.  This reflect changing social views, and a discomfort with criminalization that has already taken effect. Laws that aren’t evenly enforced invite capricious enforcement against people we don’t like for other reasons, another reason that it was time for a change. 
 
In the course of the debate, I heard from many of you – overwhelmingly in favor of legalization, but not uniformly.  Your comments concerned the equity issues above, but also the status of home-grown plants, billboards, concerns about driving impairment, whether regulation will make cannabis safer by limiting adulteration of other toxic chemicals, and opportunities for local businesses.  Some of those concerns made it into the bill we passed, and some will be the topic of future conversations as we revisit this policy in the years to come.  Thank you for sharing them with me. The complete text of the bill can be found here.

AnchorRegister Your Business on CT VISIT
 
The Connecticut Office of Tourism is requesting that business owners update or add their business listing on CT VISIT. This will allow local tourism related business to be highlighted on the state’s tourism website www.ctvisit.com.

  • If you are not already a registered user, you will need to become one. You do this by logging onto https://www.ctvisit.com/new-partner-application. Complete the information and submit. You will then receive an email approving your registration. Once you receive the approval, you then go back into the management website to update your property information.

AnchorHow to Host a Vaccine Clinic
 
If you are interested in hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic with a DPH Mobile Yellow Vans to help reach your community, please submit an Intake Form here

You can also find out more about the DPH Mobile Vans program here. Once you submit a form, a member of the DPH team will reach out to you to discuss hosting a free, walk-up vaccination clinic and answer any questions that you might have.
 
AnchorOnline license renewals are now outpacing in-person transactions at DMV offices
 
Since the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) implemented the ability for residents to renew their licenses over the internet earlier this year, the agency processed 85,370 online renewals between the months of January and May. In comparison, the agency processed 60,377 renewals in-person at DMV branch offices during this same period, demonstrating that the choice to renew licenses online is quickly becoming the preferred method for Connecticut residents.
 
Other DMV services that can now be completed over the internet, like the ability to change addresses, have also seen significant uptake online, with 22,052 of those transactions having been completed online between March, when that service launched, and May. In comparison, there were 7,549 change of address requests processed in-person at DMV offices during this same period.
 
In total, Connecticut residents and businesses have completed 131,846 transactions over the internet with the DMV so far this year across the services recently moved online. These expanded online services include:

  • License and non-driver ID renewal;
  • License and non-driver ID duplicate requests;
  • Change of address;
  • Drive history requests;
  • Vessel registration renewal;
  • A commercial vehicle operators (CVO) portal that serves as a one-stop-shop for CVOs; and
  • A commercial driver’s license (CDL) medical certificate portal that gives CDL drivers the ability to upload their medical certificates drivel to the DMV’s Driver Services Division from their mobile devices.

Connecticut residents can find all the information they need about online license renewals, and a variety of other online services available, by visiting ct.gov/dmv.
 
AnchorScheduled Three-Day Detour on Route 7 and 44 (Main Street) in North Canaan
 
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing the scheduled three-day detour of Route 7 and 44 in North Canaan beginning at 7 AM, Monday, June 21, 2021, to approximately 5 PM on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. The detour is necessary to facilitate railroad grade crossing improvements.
 
A detour on North Elm Street to Railroad Street will be in effect for all Route 7 and 44 traffic going in both directions. Local traffic will be permitted and business access will be available.
 
 
AnchorFoundation for Community Health (FCH) Medical Education Fund
 
Funds from the FCH Medical Education Fund were historically used to host FCH’s annual Medical Education Event. These funds are now available to non-profit organizations to support their efforts to provide educational programs that enhance the daily work of health care professionals in our community. The information can be available for the larger community, but the primary focus must be in FCH’s service area. Funds can be used for planning and operating costs for the event such as speaker honorarium or fees, staff time for content and program development, or partner recruitment and coordination. 
 
Please visit the online grantee portal to apply. Applications will be accepted until July 31, 2021. Applicants may request between $500 to $4,500. Grantees will have a year from the award date to complete their event.
 
AnchorNews from Region One Career Experience Office
 
The Career Experience Office at Housatonic Valley Regional High School (Region One) is always full of resources for students and community members. 
 
The spring edition of the Career Experience newsletter Sticky Note is out, featuring these stories:

  • Building Tomorrow's Workforce Externship Program with BD Canaan
  • Perla Makes History at Sharon Historical Society
  • Maggie, Avery, and Natalie Prescribe Success for Their Careers in Healthcare with the Healthcare Career Awareness Certificate Program
  • Ms. Colligan's Health 12 Class Become Public Health Ambassadors
  • Tips for Graduating Seniors Entering the Workforce
  • HVRHS Alum Valerie Uses the Power of Networking from HV@NYC Trip to Land Internship

AnchorSharon Hospital Earns Second Consecutive 5-Star Quality Rating

Sharon Hospital is one of just four in Connecticut and 455 in the nation to earn the top score for quality patient care, awarded by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Patient experience, readmissions and overall patient safety were areas where Sharon ranked above the national average of the more than 4,600 hospitals measured by the federal agency.
Read more about the accolade here.

AnchorExpanding access to capital for rural Connecticut
 
The SBA, CT DoAg, DECD, FSA, SBDC and USDA, will partner on June 30th at 3pm for a panel discussion to guide local growers and producers on direct funding opportunities and a wide network of additional support services for community and economic development.

Register Here!

AnchorMake Music Day: June 21, 2021
 
Held annually on June 21, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique, taking place in more than 1,000 cities across 120 countries. The daylong, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, nearly 100 U.S. cities are organizing Make Music Day celebrations, encompassing thousands of concerts nationwide, including many locations in Northwest Connecticut:  https://www.makemusicday.org/nwct/
 
Make Music Day is presented by the NAMM Foundation, and coordinated by the Make Music Alliance. For more information, click here.