Gov. M. Jodi Rell will make a live, televised address to the state Monday night to warn citizens about impending cuts in the state budget.
Rell has asked the major television networks for time to speak during the 6 p.m. newscasts, and she expects to receive permission from them all.
The speech will begin at about 6:01 p.m. but will not include the full details of the budget, which will be released to the legislature on Wednesday.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell will make a live, televised address to the state Monday night to warn citizens about impending cuts in the state budget.
Rell has asked the major television networks for time to speak during the 6 p.m. newscasts, and she expects to receive permission from them all.
The speech will begin at about 6:01 p.m. but will not include the full details of the budget, which will be released to the legislature on Wednesday.
STAFFORD—A program important to local children and families has taken a financial hit during the current state budget crisis and one lawmaker will try to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Administrators of The Family Resource Center program at West Stafford School told Rep. Penny Bacchiochi recently that their funding was cut when Gov. M. Jodi Rell made budget recessions to balance the state’s books. Connecticut is mired in budget problems, and analysts say the red ink could spill into the next few years. The Resource Center receives $103,000 in funding from the state, but through Rell’s recessions that was reduced by $5,000 to $98,000. Bacchiochi, though, said the program can’t afford another decrease in funding. Leaders of the program consider it an extension of the public school system, both with the common interest of promoting school readiness. Read More→
HARTFORD- The State Bond Commission authorized a $2.5 million loan through the State Department of Economic and Community Development to Weeden & CO., LP located in Greenwich, State Representatives Livvy R. Floren, R-149th District, Lile R. Gibbons,R-150th District, Fred Camillo, R- 151st District and State Senator L. Scott Frantz, R-36th District, announced today January 30th.
Rep. Floren said, “”I want to thank Governor Rell for prioritizing the need to keep jobs – especially jobs in financial services – in Connecticut. This loan assists Weeden to expand and stay in Greenwich rather than have them and the jobs they provide move to New York.” Read More→
HARTFORD —A $135,000 grant approved by the State Bond Commission for the St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury will enable the organization to move ahead with long-delayed code renovations to the kitchen and bathrooms of its homeless shelter at 114 Benedict Street, state Representative Selim Noujaim said today.
The bond commission approved the grant at its regular monthly meeting Friday, January 30th at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. “Finally it happened! The St. Vincent DePaul Mission has helped hundreds of homeless Waterbury residents who needed a place to stay, especially during the winter when many are at risk of hypothermia,” said Representative Noujaim, R-Waterbury. “As a legislator who appreciates the work the St. Vincent DePaul Mission does, I have been working with Governor Rell’s office, Department of Social Services officials, the Office of Policy and Management, and other local legislators for several months to secure this grant. I’d like to thank Governor Rell and the bond commission for their strong support for this funding.” Read More→
SOMERS—A small group of parents who want to see a skate park built here reached out to Rep. Penny Bacchiochi recently for a little help. Bacchiochi, who lives in town, met with a few mothers this week and gave them advice about how to turn their idea into reality. Getting organized early is key, said Bacchiochi, who also talked to the parents about fundraising.
HARTFORD– The State Bond Commission authorized a $2.5 million loan through the State Department of Economic and Community Development to Weeden & CO., LP located in Greenwich, State Representatives Livvy R. Floren, R-149th District, Lile R. Gibbons,R-150th District, Fred Camillo, R- 151st District and State Senator L. Scott Frantz, R-36th District, announced today January 30th. Rep. Floren said, ““I want to thank Governor Rell for prioritizing the need to keep jobs – especially jobs in financial services – in Connecticut. This loan assists Weeden to expand and stay in Greenwich rather than have them and the jobs they provide move to New York.” Read More→
CANAAN—State Rep. John Rigby got a tour of Geer early Friday, when he spent a couple of hours going room-to-room to meet residents and staffers. Geer is an important part of this community, and the entire Northwest Corner. The company, is a family of five inter-related, non-profit, non-sectarian and community-owned corporation. It’s staffed by professionals whose mission is to console, treat, heal, strengthen, and refresh the bodies, hearts, minds and spirits of those whom we serve. In the next three years, Geer hopes to replace its existing 120-bed skilled care facility with a new 135-bed nursing and rehabilitation center, construct a new independent living residence on the pond and begin the development of independent living cottages on the plateau behind Geer Village. During his visit to the Geer campus Rigby listended to staff concerns about Medicare and Medicaid funding.
State Rep. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, has introduced legislation that would repeal the state’s 2007 In- School Suspension law. The legislation has been submitted to the Legislature’s Education Committee for consideration. Local officials in Fairfield have expressed concerns over this legislation, particularly the additional cost associated with hiring staff to monitor students serving their suspensions on school property. The staff cost to the Fairfield School district for implementing the law would be nearly $70,000 annually.
Public Act 07-66 requires student suspensions to be held on school grounds. Exemptions can be granted if school administration determines that the student poses a danger to persons or property or is too disruptive of the educational process. Prior law defined in-school suspension as exclusion from classroom activity, but not from school, for up to five consecutive days. The act extends this to 10 consecutive days. Under existing law, an exclusion from school privileges for more than 10 days constitutes an expulsion.
Fairfield School Superintendant Ann Clark said the legislation is needed.
“We appreciate the fact that the Legislature wanted us to take a look at school suspensions, particularly for those students who need to be in school,” said Clark, who also serves as president of the Connecticut Association of School Superintendents. “Legislators’ interest in in-school suspensions forced us to revisit, in every district, how we handle suspensions. Having done that, we would like districts to handle suspensions on the local level, rather than based on a state mandate. In addition, in this economy, many districts would be hard-pressed to find the necessary space for in-school suspensions and the staff to supervise the students. So if the Legislature was to continue this mandate, we would hope that we would be given the necessary funding.”
“This law was ill-conceived, to say the least,” said Rep. Hwang. “While the goal of keeping children in school buildings for education purposes is laudable, the impact on local school staff and taxpayers was an afterthought and must be better taken into account in addressing suspension issues.”
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