An agreement on truck-only tolls
Lamont, Democrats agree on truck-only tolls: After meeting for more than 90 minutes at the Governor’s Residence in Hartford’s West End on Tuesday, Lamont and Democratic legislative leaders emerged with a consensus to move forward with a plan for truck-only tolls at a dozen sites across Connecticut. “We like this plan,” Lamont said after the meeting. “This plan works, and the numbers add up.” Lamont campaigned on truck-only tolls before scrapping that idea in February, arguing that tolling all vehicles was necessary to raise enough money for needed infrastructure repairs. His most recent transportation plan, a 10-year, $21 billion proposal, estimated $320 million in annual tolling revenue from charging all vehicles at 14 locations across Connecticut. Democrats estimate truck-only tolls would raise $180 million a year. So how would they close that gap? It’s still being determined, but options include extending repayment of low-interest federal infrastructure loans to lower annual payments or devoting a higher percentage of state borrowing to transportation projects. Lamont has been hesitant to support a Republican plan that calls for taking $1.5 billion from the state’s rainy day fund for transportation improvements but it’s possible a smaller amount could be used.
Legislators looking at vaping ban: With a lack of action at the federal level, state lawmakers are looking at banning flavored electronic cigarettes in the legislative session that begins in February. President Donald Trump had said he supported a federal ban on the products amid an outbreak of lung illnesses linked to vaping devices, but recently backed off that proposal fearing the ban would lead to job losses and could spawn more counterfeit vaping products. Lawmakers in Connecticut say if the federal government won’t act, they will. “Certainly, I would say there’s an impetus to ban flavors,” Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, co-chair of the public health committee, told The Connecticut Mirror. Advocates of the ban say flavors are more popular with young people, who have begun using vaping products at an alarming rate. State Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, says legislators should focus the ban on disposable devices like Juul. A widespread ban, he said, could impact people who are using vaping products to help quit smoking.
Expanding PTSD benefits: Lawmakers are also planning to expand post-traumatic stress disorder benefits that are now being offered to police and firefighters to more emergency personnel when they return to the Capitol in February. A bill that passed this year provides for up to one year of workers’ compensation coverage for first responders who suffer PTSD after a specific event, like viewing a deceased minor, witnessing the death of any person or treating an injured person who dies shortly thereafter. But the bill was limited to just police and firefighters, leading to objections from emergency medical personnel who said they witness the same type of horrific events. “We breathe the same diesel fumes, we have the same sore muscles, have heard the same grieving screams of family members,” Dan McKnight of the Connecticut Association of Paramedics and EMTs told lawmakers at a recent public hearing. Democratic Sens. Cathy Osten and Julie Kushner have proposed expanding the coverage to emergency medical personnel, dispatchers and state prison guards.
Report: Pervasive problems remain at Whiting, CVH: A disability rights advocacy group released a report Tuesday that found “pervasive” problems remain at the Whiting Forensic and Connecticut Valley psychiatric hospitals even after a patient abuse scandal that led to the arrest of some staff members and renewed calls for reform. “Even after all of the things that have happened … there remains an organizational culture that needs drastic change,” Gretchen Knauff, executive director of Disability Rights Connecticut, told The Connecticut Mirror. William Shehadi, a patient at the maximum-security Whiting, was repeatedly abused over the course of months. The events were captured on video and led to the arrests of 10 Whiting staff members and the dismissal of more than 35 employees. Disability Rights Connecticut, the state’s designated advocate for people with disabilities, said it was also concerned about the case of Andrew Vermiglio, a 25-year-old patient at Whiting who died after choking on cookies during a snack break in front of staff members.
Trump signs Blumenthal’s animal cruelty bill: U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is relentlessly critical of Trump, but Trump gave Blumenthal something to cheer about Monday when he signed an animal cruelty bill into law that the senator had championed as a co-sponsor with Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act outlaws the purposeful crushing, burning, drowning, suffocation, implement or other violence that causes serious injury to animals. Advocates say it closes crucial gaps in national law and that without a federal ban it can be hard to prosecute cases that cross state lines or occur in places where the federal government has jurisdiction. It builds on a 2010 law that banned the sale of videos depicting animal abuse but did not make the underlying abuse a federal crime. “Senator Toomey and I worked together for years to ensure that this kind of despicable torture of animals is forbidden for good,” Blumenthal said Monday.
Connecticut files appeal in tax lawsuit: Connecticut and three other high-tax states are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider their lawsuit charging they were disproportionately impacted by changes in the 2017 federal tax overhaul pushed by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress. The states argue a $10,000 cap on the deductibility of state and local taxes punishes the Democraticled, high-tax states that voted against Trump in the 2016 presidential election. “Federal tax laws should not be written based on who lives in ‘blue’ states and who lives in ‘red’ states,” Lamont said Tuesday when the appeal was filed. State officials estimated the $10,000 cap increased federal taxes in Connecticut by $2.8 billion in 2018. In their original lawsuit, which was filed in July 2018, Connecticut, New York, Maryland and New Jersey argued the cap would drive down home prices and stifle economic growth. “We are aggressively pursuing this appeal and will continue to fight to protect our taxpayers from Trump’s discriminatory and abusive money grab,” Attorney General William Tong said.