Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs down to yet another extension of emergency powers to Gov. Ned Lamont granted by the Legislature in response to the pandemic. Such a move made sense when the outbreak hit last year and the state faced a virtual shutdown, but the Assembly has been back in session for months. Elected lawmakers have a key role to play in decision-making going forward, and should be a bigger part of the process, as minority Republicans have been arguing. Democrats say the emergency declaration is necessary to ensure federal aid continues, but there’s little reason to believe there aren’t workarounds. The COVID crisis continues, but the emergency declaration needs to end.
Thumbs up to the pending eligibility of anyone 16 and over in the state of Connecticut to receive a coronavirus vaccine. The April 1 expansion is ahead of schedule, and puts the state at the forefront nationally of COVID-19 vaccinations. Eligibility is not the same as availability, and there is expected to be a backlog as a huge portion of the state gains access to the vaccine at the same time. But national estimates show it could be as soon as May that supply exceeds demand, which is far faster than might have been expected. The rollout in Connecticut has not been perfect, and disparities remain, but expanded eligibility is good news for everyone.
Thumbs down to unexpected difficulties the pandemic continues to inflict on school systems. In some Naugatuck Valley towns, schools were forced to go remote Monday after several bus drivers were unavailable from what they said were side-ffects of the COVID-19 vaccine. In Hartford, city schools are just now reopening after months of virtual learning, over the objections of some teachers who still worry about their safety. And everywhere, worries about upticks in Connecticut and the Northeast raise the specter of a return to in-home learning. Even as vaccinations rise, the danger isn’t over, as anyone who has lived through this school year like no other could attest.
Thumbs up to Wall Street approval of higher PILOT payments. Cities in Connecticut suffer from a glut of untaxable property, including universities, hospitals and government buildings, and a new measure would increase state payments to help offset the loss of tax income to these communities. Moody’s Investors Services, which said it won’t change the rating or outlook for these municipalities, has now said the new law is “credit positive,” a signal the state is on the right path. Hartford still needs to fund the new municipal payments, but positive talks are said to be underway. Cities could use the help.