Connecticut

February 12, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she is canceling a number of state contracts for goods and services that will save Connecticut taxpayers more than $21.3 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

Governor Rell announced January 21 that she had directed all state agencies to review their contracts and recommend terminating any that could not be considered vital.    » read more »

February 11, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell met today with Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart to discuss key components of her budget that will help ease some of the financial burdens on Connecticut cities and towns – mandate relief and state aid.

“In this recession, the issue of mandate relief is a matter of great urgency. Our towns and cities have expressed concerns for years that state mandates without funding to back them up have costly consequences for local taxpayers,” Governor Rell said. “The very last thing our municipalities need right now is for their ‘friends’ in Hartford to make it any tougher. That is why municipal mandate relief is one of the cornerstones of my budget.”

The Governor’s budget would:    » read more »

February 10, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today toured the site of a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s to highlight her proposal to put people to work through a modern-day Connecticut Conservation Corps.

“In the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps and put thousands of young men to work on environmental conservation projects all across this nation. In the troubled times we now face, we can take a page from history and establish the Connecticut Conservation Corps,” Governor Rell said during her visit to the CCC museum at Shenipsit State Forest.    » read more »

Federal Tax Credit Could Boost State’s Bottom Line by Increasing Sales Tax Revenues

February 3, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has asked U.S. Senators Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman to help ensure the federal stimulus package now before the Senate includes a measure that gives a federal tax credit to encourage new car sales.

The measure, proposed by U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), would make interest payments on car loans and state sales and excise taxes on new car sales deductible from income for purposes of the federal income tax for sales occurring between November 12, 2008, and December 31, 2009.    » read more »

February 3, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has issued an executive order that establishes guidelines to train and develop Connecticut’s green collar workforce, one that will meet the needs of the growing clean energy business sector, attract new investments and help ensure a healthier environment for future generations.

“These professions are a natural fit for the environmental and conservation programs we have already undertaken in Connecticut,” Governor Rell said. “Our environmental stewardship provides us with tremendous opportunities for economic growth and a vibrant workforce of the future and we have ensured that Connecticut is well-positioned to take advantage of emerging ‘green’ economies.”    » read more »

Sustainable, Energy-Efficient Designs Pave Way for More Green Collar Jobs

January 24, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that her administration has finalized a comprehensive list of regulations for the construction and renovation of state-owned buildings and public schools designed to reduce energy consumption and costs and enhance a growing workforce of “green collar” jobs.

“We are building a cleaner, greener future for all of Connecticut,” Governor Rell said. “These strict standards will lead to a new generation of energy efficient ‘green’ buildings, and ultimately reduce our carbon footprint on the environment. Our children, grandchildren and generations beyond will benefit from the stewardship that we commit to today.”    » read more »

January 21, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the creation of a task force to undertake a new review of parking management and capacity issues along the New Haven Line and Shore Line East commuter rail corridors in southern Connecticut.    » read more »

January 20, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that her budget office now estimates the deficit for the current fiscal year at nearly $922 million – even after the latest round of budget cutting – because income tax, business tax and sales tax collections have fallen dramatically below expectations.

The most recent deadline for quarterly estimated income tax payments was January 15. Those payments were 20 percent below projections, and if these trends continue income tax revenues for the entire year will likely fall $665 million – nearly two-thirds of a billion dollars – below projections, Governor Rell said.    » read more »

Governor Says Surplus Should Be Set Aside Solely for Heating Help

August 13, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today called on the General Assembly to take swift action on her proposals to provide energy relief to Connecticut families this winter during the August 22 special session. The Governor also re-emphasized that the Legislature should direct the entire state budget surplus to heating assistance programs.    » read more »

August 12, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the state is extending lines of credit to the hundreds of Connecticut fuel oil dealers facing soaring business costs this winter because of record fuel oil prices.

“The ripple of effect of high fuel prices is having a tremendous impact on everyone,” Governor Rell said. “It is likely that half of the 549 fuel oil dealers in Connecticut will need some assistance to buy their home heating oil from wholesalers. Most of these dealers are small companies with less than five trucks.”    » read more »

August 8, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced a program to help low- and moderate-income residents cut their electricity expenses and build on the state’s commitment to renewable energy.

The Connecticut Solar Lease Program, the first of its kind in the nation, is a new initiative designed to eliminate the high initial costs associated with the purchase and installation of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Through the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), a combination of rebates and tax credits can be used to lower the cost of leasing solar systems, helping more residents obtain clean, renewable solar energy.    » read more »

Boston, Mass., June 23, 2008 -- The pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its former manufacturing plant in Groton, Conn., the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. Today’s settlement is the first of its type in federal court under regulations that are designed to control the emissions of hazardous air pollutants from pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today signed into law a bill that rolls back a planned increase in the state gas tax and opens the door to more gasoline stations offering customers a discount for making purchases with cash.

Senate Bill 1000, An Act Concerning Adjustments to Certain Petroleum Products Taxes, Petroleum Franchise Agreements, Gasoline Discounts for Consumers, Home Heating Oil and Propane Gas Contract Deposits and the Fuel Conservation Account, was passed during the special session last week.    » read more »

June 16, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has ordered State of Connecticut and U.S. flags lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, June 17 in honor of Sgt. 1st Class John T. Gallagher of Hamden, who was killed during the Vietnam War.

Gallagher’s Special Forces helicopter was shot down over Laos on January 5, 1968. He and the other four crewmen were listed as missing in action until 2006, when the flight’s wreckage was found. Gallagher was 24 years old at the time of the crash.    » read more »

June 14, 2008 -- With ridership numbers growing, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today applauded “smart Connecticut commuters” who are increasingly using the state-owned bus system, CTTRANSIT.

“Part of the growth on the system is doubtless due to increased fuel prices,” Governor Rell said. “And we also think some portion of this growth is due to service initiatives that have been undertaken in the past two years.”    » read more »