Connecticut

June 9, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a formal legal opinion released today, said a state statute - not simply a new regulation - is necessary to prevent Big Oil from blocking its franchisees from offering consumers cash discounts.

Gas prices, Hamden, Connecticut, May 2008: Photo by Anne (CC)

Blumenthal's legal opinion, creating a clear path for immediate legislative action during Wednesday's special legislative session, was issued at the request of Gov. M. Jodi Rell who inquired about Blumenthal's proposed gasoline measures.    » read more »

June 9, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today signed into law two bills designed to help keep Connecticut communities safer and to protect the first responders – police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians – who accept that difficult and often dangerous job.    » read more »

June 9, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that she has signed a tough new bill requiring drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions connected to global warming.

The governor signed HB 5600, “An Act Concerning Global Warming Solutions,” on June 2. The new law requires state agencies to calculate and list greenhouse gases produced in the state, come up with strategies to meet the new reduction goals and start measuring the state's progress.    » read more »

June 3, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the state is providing $6.2 million in financial assistance for five affordable housing projects across Connecticut.

“Increasing affordable housing options is always a priority, and that is especially true as we work to keep and grow jobs during a national economic slowdown,” Governor Rell said. “Making housing affordable revitalizes our downtowns and transforms neighborhoods into tightly knit communities. It also helps our elderly residents remain independent while giving other residents a helping hand in starting or maintaining their working and family lives.    » read more »

June 02, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, of Waterbury, Connecticut, died May 30 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Source: DOD

May 29, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced a lawsuit against McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical distributor, for artificially inflating drug costs incurred by Connecticut consumers and state-funded health care programs.

Blumenthal sued on behalf of Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski and Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr.

The inflated costs affected several top-brand drugs, including Allegra, Azmacort, Celebrex, Flonase, Lipitor, Neurontin, Nexium, Prevacid and Valium. These drugs are used to treat a variety of ailments such as asthma, allergies, pain, arthritis and cholesterol.    » read more »

Governor Also Vetoes Tip Credit Bill That Accompanied Increase

May 27, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today vetoed a bill that would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $7.65 to $8 beginning Jan. 1, 2009, and to $8.25 beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

Bridgeport, Connecticut: Photo by Noah G-L (CC)

In addition to vetoing House Bill 5105, An Act Concerning the Minimum Wage, the Governor also vetoed Senate Bill 55, An Act Concerning the Tip Credit, which is rendered unnecessary by the veto of House Bill 5105.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- "More recent preliminary information indicates that additional Connecticut financial institutions, companies and residents may be victims of this astonishing security breach by Bank of New York Mellon.

"We have received preliminary information and have demanded all of the details relevant to this shocking security breach, particularly as to the delay in notifying Connecticut authorities, as well as People's and its customers. The banks have cooperated so far in providing the information that the governor is directing the Department of Consumer Protection to seek, but we welcome this interest and concern.    » read more »

May 23, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has directed Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. to issue two more subpoenas related to the loss of bank customer data being transported by Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BNY Mellon).

The two new subpoenas concern Webster Bank and Wachovia Corp. On Thursday, Governor Rell directed Commissioner Farrell to issue subpoenas to BNY Mellon and People’s United Bank of Bridgeport.    » read more »

May Affect Hundreds Of Thousands Of CT Consumers, Millions Nationwide

May 21, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced that a storage company for a New York bank lost an unencrypted backup tape containing Social Security numbers and bank account information belonging to as many as hundreds of thousands of Connecticut consumers and personal information of millions more nationwide.

Among the Connecticut consumers are depositors and investors of People's United Bank of Bridgeport, which gave Bank of New York Mellon the information so it could offer those consumers an investment opportunity.    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has signed into law Senate Bill 659, An Act Replacing Expedited Eligibility for Pregnant Women with Presumptive Eligibility Under the Social Security Act. An amendment to the bill excludes payments received under the federal Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 from being counted as income when determining eligibility for benefits from the state Department of Social Services.

Pregnant woman: Photo by Jordan Fischer (CC)    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today announced that the Committee approved S. 2555, “The Reducing Global Warming Pollution from Vehicles Act of 2008,” a bill that instructs the President to sign the California waiver so that California and other states can proceed with laws to improve air quality problems from cars.

On December 19, 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson denied California’s request for the waiver – the first time in history that EPA had ever denied outright a request from California for a waiver to do more to cut air pollution.    » read more »

May 14, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today, in an appeal filed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is seeking to uphold a provision of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act that bars the federal government from imposing unreimbursed costs on towns and cities.

The appeal seeks to recover hundreds of millions of dollars that Connecticut towns and cities are being forced to spend - illegally, without federal reimbursement - in order to comply with NCLB.

Blumenthal is appealing from the U.S. District Court, which declined to rule on the actual merits of his case. Blumenthal has asked the court to uphold that the Unfunded Mandates Provision under NCLB means what it says it means:    » read more »

May 13, 2008 -- With the average price for a gallon of gas in Connecticut climbing to $3.95, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a measure that would suspend oil deliveries to the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve until crude prices fall below $75 a barrel.

A technician at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve inspects crude oil transfer pipe: Photo courtesy DOE

The proposal to halt shipments to the emergency oil reserve cleared the Senate in a 97 to 1 vote and is expected to receive bipartisan support in the House.    » read more »

May 11, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has signed into law Senate Bill 604, An Act Concerning Hate Crimes, which strengthens state law by making it a crime to display a noose as a way of harassing or threatening someone.

“Connecticut simply will not tolerate bigotry or racism,” Governor Rell said. “Let this bill send that message loud and clear. Using a noose – a symbol of the racially motivated lynchings during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century – to intimidate anyone because of their race or any other characteristic is a repugnant and cowardly act. No one should be subject to that kind of treatment.    » read more »