State Capitol Update for the Week of September 26th

September 30, 2022
Dear Friend,

This is my State Capitol update for the week of September 26th.

If you prefer to watch rather than read, click on the play button to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter.
 
 
As September comes to an end, the next few weeks will bring the return of a number of local fall festivals that have been on hold the last couple of years, including my own hometown Fall Festival in Salisbury, which will take place from October 7 through October 9.
 
This week the state’s annual crime report was released, revealing that crime in 2021 was down overall relative to 2020, including a 9% reduction in violent crime and a 2% reduction in property crime.  More details are included below, but Connecticut remains one of the five safest states in the country, alongside several of our New England neighbors. 
 
Several new laws go into effect on October 1st.  Among them are juvenile justice reforms, streamlining  juvenile arrest and delinquency proceedings, creating more intensive responses to juveniles with serious repeated charges, and focusing on motor vehicle thefts. Legislation investing in children’s mental health will also become effective, increasing the number of health care providers, creating a statewide emergency service telecommunications plan, and expanding Connecticut’s emergency response team.
 
In addition to bringing those fall festivals, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Women’s Support Service (WSS) will hold its annual community vigil on October 6th at 6:30 pm, beginning at Community Park, 10 Sharon Road, at the corner of Routes 41 and 44 in Lakeville.  For more information, check the WSS website.  This year WSS is partnering with the Red Sand Project, a participatory art project designed to raise awareness of human trafficking.  That exhibition will begin at 6:00pm.
 
The Susan B Anthony Project will also hold its annual candlelight vigil on October 6th, at 6:00 pm at Coe Memorial Park in Torrington.  For more information, click here.
Here is a list of today's topics:
  • COVID-19 Weekly Update. Click here.
  • Annual Crime Statistics report released. Click Here
  • New laws going into effect on October 1. Click Here
  • Job Fair in Winsted October 5th. Click Here
  • Sharon Hospital Community Forum on August 8: how to listen if you missed it. Click here
  • Green Energy Initiative on October 15 at Kent School. Click here
  • 2022 Clean Energy Procurement Plan for CT announced. Click here
  • Food assistance for Connecticut residents to increase beginning October 1
    . Click here
  • Deadline to apply for Connecticut Renters’ Rebate Program is October 1
    . Click here
  • Community Health Worker Survey Click here
  • DEEP to hold oak defoliation woods tour on October 9. Click here
COVID-19 weekly update
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, “Data Tracker.”
 
Annual Crime Statistics report released, showing violent and property crimes down from previous year
 
This week, the annual crime statistics report that compiles data on crimes reported to state law enforcement agencies was released, and it shows violent and property crimes are down from the previous year, which preserves Connecticut's status as one of the safest states in the country.
 
The report shows that between 2020 and 2021, Connecticut saw a reduction of: 
  • 3% in overall crime
  • 9% in violent crime
  • 2% in property crimes

Additionally, the data during the last 10 years shows overall crime in the state has fallen 30%, including a 43% reduction in violent crime and a 29% reduction in property crime. 
The state budget adjustment bill that we passed during the 2022 legislative session also makes significant investments in crime prevention and reduction, especially involving gun violence, as well as victim services and support to clear backlogged court cases from the pandemic.
 
The investments include: 
  • $32 million to speed up the processing of court cases
  • $18 million to help victims and survivors recover from crime through safety planning, crisis counseling, mental health treatment, and support for survivors of domestic violence
  • $11 million to trace firearms to their sources, reduce stolen cars, reduce violent crime, and promote safety on rural roads
  • $8 million for community and public health-led strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence
  • $4 million to invest in the latest forensic science technologies to speed up investigations and clear criminal cases

We also recognize that our police and courts need additional tools to hold offenders accountable and protect the public. This session, we passed a law that becomes effective Saturday, which will: 

  • Toughen penalties for vehicle thefts
  • Address lab and case backlogs
  • Expand the use of GPS monitoring in some cases
  • Provide more hands-on training and crisis training to police

We must focus on further reducing crime by working together with law enforcement and community partners to ensure Connecticut remains one of the safest places to live and work in the country.
  
Download Full Annual Crime Statistics Report Here
New laws going into effect on October 1

This weekend, several new laws in Connecticut will go into effect on October 1. These laws are a result of my colleagues' hard work during the 2022 session. Below are just some of the laws that will take effect and what they mean for you.
Establishing Juneteenth as a State Holiday
Public Act 22-128 designates June 19, known as Juneteenth Independence Day, a legal state holiday.
Juvenile Justice Reforms & Firearm Background Checks
To respond to pandemic-related crime, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 22-115. Provisions taking effect will streamline juvenile arrest and delinquency proceedings; create more intensive responses to juveniles with serious repeated charges, focusing on motor vehicle thefts; and the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) will notify local law enforcement if a resident fails a background check when trying to purchase a firearm.
Addressing Children's Mental Health Concerns
Public Act 22-47 is a transformative piece of legislation that takes steps to bolster Connecticut's children's mental and behavioral health system and improve the delivery and accessibility of services. Parts of this law will take effect to increase the number of qualified health care providers by permitting out-of-state providers to apply for edited licensure in Connecticut; create a statewide emergency service telecommunications plan addressing mental health, behavioral health, or substance use disorder needs; and expand Connecticut's emergency response team.  
 
Connecticut Clean Air Act
Public Act 22-25 takes steps to cut transportation-related emissions, improve air quality, and realize a greener, more sustainable state for all. Parts of the law will go into effect:
  • electrifying state vehicles
  • establishing the "right to charge" allowing renters to request electric charging stations at their residences
  • transitioning to zero-emission school buses
  • prohibiting planned community associations from adopting rules that would prevent unit homeowners from installing solar panels
Fair Rent Commission Act
Public Act 22-30 requires municipalities with populations of at least 25,000 to establish a fair rent commission, where they conduct studies and investigations, hold hearings, receive rent complaints, and intervene in matters between tenants and landlords.
Timely Reporting by the Police of a Death
In light of an investigation of Bridgeport police officers who failed to properly notify the next of kin of two women who died in December 2021 and similar incidents across our state, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 22-61 to require the timely reporting of a death to the next of kin. Police officers will have 24 hours after identifying a victim to report the death. Failure to report a death as required will trigger an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.
Written Consent from Patients Receiving Intimate Examinations and the Development of Endometriosis Data and Biorepository Program
Public Act 22-33 requires hospitals and outpatient surgical facilities to obtain a patient’s express written consent to an “intimate examination." The law also requires UConn Health Center to develop a plan to establish an endometriosis data and biorepository program.
Click the button below to view the full list of laws taking effect on October 1  and to read a related news story, please click here.
Click Here
Job Fair in Winsted on October 5
 
On Wednesday, October 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Culture 4A Cause will be participating in a Job Fair in Winsted at the East End Park. Rain date, Thursday October 20 in the Northwest Community College Gym.
 
A variety of local businesses with job openings will be present. Please bring copies of your resume. Food trucks will be available. Music presented by Frank and Sam.
 
Sponsored by: Connecticut Department of Labor, Northwest Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Connecticut Community College, Northwest Regional Investment Work Force Board, Town of Winsted, and the Winchester Economic Development Board.
 
Brought to you by Culture 4A Cause, Building Community through music and the arts
Sharon Hospital Community Forum on August 8: how to listen if you missed it

Sharon Hospital hosted its first semiannual community forum of the year on August 8, in accordance with the 2019 agreement with the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS). If you were unable to attend the community forum, you can watch the recording by click the button below.
Watch Here
The discussion included facility developments, recruitment efforts, the affiliation that created Nuvance Health, and an open forum for listeners to ask questions. The independent monitor engaged by Nuvance Health also shared its report on compliance with the OHS agreement. 
 
Green Energy Initiative on October 15 at Kent School

On October 15, Kent will be hosting a major presentation on recent advances in Clean, Renewable Energy. The free forum will describe long term strategies by which Kent's homeowners, renters, businesses, and municipal facilities can individually and collectively move away from the carbon-intensive energy sources that are responsible for Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming to a sustainable, secure, affordable, "net zero" future. Attendees will get the latest information on energy audits and weatherization to advanced developments in photovoltaics and community solar, wind capture, heat pumps, geothermal, battery storage, and electric vehicles.  
 
The program, which will be presented on Saturday, October 15, at 3pm at Kent School's Mattison Auditorium, is sponsored by The Kent Conservation Commission and Kent Memorial Library. It will bring to Kent the unique expertise of  PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy). Speakers from this Connecticut non-profit organization will tell their remarkable story through audio-visual descriptions, graphs and local examples. And they will detail the practical steps people can take to reduce energy costs, enhance comfort, and minimize dependence on the carbon-based fuels that cause of Climate Change. Just as importantly the PACE team will provide information on all the new state and federal financial incentives that make these investments more persuasive than ever before. I will be the keynote speaker.
 
The Green Energy Initiative will have something in this program for everyone who wants to know more about how Clean, Green Energy can make a difference in their lives. We hope to see home owners, renters, technology geeks, business owners, high school students and their teachers, Climate Change skeptics and true believers. We also welcome architects, builders and contractors interested in learning about new best practices in energy-efficient building codes, as well as members of municipal commissions who want to learn more about ways to streamline clean energy permit applications and other issues that can help all of us move toward a Greener, more sustainable world.

Register Here
2022 Clean Energy Procurement Plan for CT announced

 

A new energy investment plan to secure low-cost clean energy to meet Connecticut’s climate goals was announced this week through the release of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) 2022 Procurement Plan. The plan builds on the state’s existing investments in a clean energy future by capitalizing on new state and federal actions to build out clean, affordable, and reliable electricity supply.

 

Connecticut’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan identified paths to meet various state energy objectives, including a 100% zero-carbon electric supply by 2040. With new federal legislation in place, including the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history with the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, the state is now preparing a series of procurements that could secure clean energy resources — such as storage, solar, and transmission — at a lower cost as a result of new federal incentives.

 

With the passage of both the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, which will provide significant tax credits and other incentives for clean energy resources, this plan calls for a procurement for solar resources and a procurement for energy storage systems to take advantage of the anticipated lower costs of these resources. It also calls for regional action on electricity transmission to unlock more, and more affordable, offshore development, and take advantage of substantial federal funding to regional transmission approaches.

 

Finally, this plan ensures the state will work with municipalities and use its available tools to help combat the waste crisis by conducting a procurement for anaerobic digestion.

 

Accelerating the timeline for procurements originally detailed in 2020 demonstrates both the strategic flexibility needed to achieve a 2040 zero carbon target and the critical need to seek the most cost-effective options in the market for Connecticut residents and businesses.

 

DEEP will issue a schedule of next steps for each of these actions in coming weeks, starting with a DEEP-hosted kick-off event on October 5, 2022, to lay out the planned procurement process. For more information, email DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov.
Food assistance for Connecticut residents to increase beginning October 1

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) will implement new eligibility benefit levels in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning October 1, 2022, that will result in an estimated 44,000 additional Connecticut residents in 17,600 households becoming eligible for the food assistance program. Additionally, current enrollees will receive more than a 12% increase in their monthly benefits from the program’s annual cost-of-living adjustment.
 

 
Connecticut’s SNAP program serves more than 222,600 households, including 138,800 children. Formerly known as food stamps, the federally-funded service combats food insecurity for eligible working families, other qualified adults, older adults, and persons with disabilities.
 
Guidance on the new eligibility levels, along with application and program information, are available online at www.ct.gov/snap.
Deadline to apply for Connecticut Renters’ Rebate Program is October 1
 
If you or someone you know is elderly or disabled and currently renting housing, the Connecticut’s Renters’ Rebate Program deadline to apply is fast approaching. With this year's deadline falling on Saturday, October 1 and local and state offices closed on weekends, please plan to submit your application by Friday (today), if you haven't already. Eligible renters may be able to get a rebate up to $900 for married couples and $700 for single persons, but you must act soon. 

Here are some of the guidelines to qualify for the rebate:
  • 65 years old or older
  • 50 years old or older and the surviving spouse of a renter who at the time of the renter's death had qualified and was entitled to tax relief provided such spouse was domiciled with such renter at the time of the renters’ death
  • 18 years old or older and eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits
  • One-year state resident
Download Application HERE
Are you a community health worker?  The CT Department of Public Health wants to hear from you.
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Community Health Workers Association of Connecticut, the Connecticut Public Health Association, and the Connecticut of Office of Health Strategy are conducting a survey of Community Health Workers to learn about your experiences in the field. This survey seeks information from CHWs working in clinical settings, local health departments, and community-based social service settings to learn how to advocate for their professional development and growth of the field.
 
Community Health Workers have many titles, including but not limited to Behavioral Health Coach, Case Manager, Care Coordinator, Community Worker/Messenger, Health Advocate, Health Educator, Health Promotor or Promotores/as, Health Representative, Health Coach, Outreach Specialist, Outreach Worker, Patient Navigator, Peer Counselor, Recovery Support Specialist/Coach. Please feel free to share this email with others in your network.

After completing this survey, you will have the opportunity to enter a random drawing for the chance to win one of four $25 Amazon gift cards. Thank you for your participation in this survey!
Click Here to Take Survey
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to hold oak defoliation woods tour on October 9
 
Two consecutive years of severe spongy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) defoliation followed by a drought this summer within the Sharon, Cornwall, Canaan, Kent area has resulted in the decline and mortality of numerous oaks, and other tree species, across the landscape.  
 
The DEEP State Lands Forester managing Housatonic State Forest, Jeremy Clark, would like to extend an invitation to attend a woods tour to look at defoliated sites, current forest health conditions and learn more about the crown assessments DEEP Forestry is conducting to guide forest management decisions of affected sites. 
 
The tour will be held on October 9th, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 pm on Mount Easter Road at the Sharon Mountain Block of Housatonic State Forest.  Access to the Forest is from Swaller Hill Road.  Please RSVP to  Jeremy.Clark@ct.gov by October 7th so adequate parking can be planned.  Additional information for parking will be provided to attendees after RSVPs have been received.  Note that Mount Easter Road is a gravel forest road with some rough sections, and a 4WD or AWD vehicle is advised.