Susan Johnson

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon joined my weekly public affairs show, “Let’s Talk About It,” to dig deeper into some of his office’s big accomplishments since he stepped into this role about seven months ago. We spoke about several topics including a movement to help more young people find good-paying jobs right out of high school, new legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, the importance of the new municipal pension reform law, and the growing state-sponsored retirement saving program called MyCTSavings.

Comptroller Scanlon wants to expand the model of the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline on a statewide level. The program helps young people who are interested in manufacturing and finds them an internship or mentorship that eventually lands a good-paying job. Scanlon wants candidates from all over the state to be able to take part by training teens in fields that are underemployed with a good salary.

One big success of 2023 is healthcare reform. A new law will help thousands of residents who cannot afford prescription drugs by allowing the Comptroller’s office to establish a drug discount card program. Residents, including those on Medicare, will receive a free Rx card with savings up to 80% on generics and 20% on brand name drugs later this year. All FDA approved prescriptions are included. This means you can get more affordable live-saving drugs at your pharmacy in just a few months.

We also talked about the municipal pension reform bill, which Comptroller Scanlon says is a win-win for our state. The deal will lower costs for municipalities while ensuring public employees continue to have access to pensions.

Another one of Comptroller Scanlon’s initiatives is getting the word out on MyCTSavings, the fast growing state-sponsored retirement savings program for businesses with five or more employees that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. The enrollment deadline is coming up on August 31, and the State Comptroller’s office is trying to ensure that every Connecticut resident has access to a retirement plan. When Scanlon became State Comptroller, there were 876 employers enrolled, and that number is now hovering around 4,500.

Learn more about MyCTSavings

We covered many more important issues so please click below to listen to the entire show!

Comptroller Sean Scanlon breaks down some of his office's initiatives and accomplishments.