Hartford Courant

TOP LAWMAKERS: RAISES AFFORDABLE

Legislator­s say state can avert planned strike by paying more to nursing home workers who make $12 to $15 per hour

- By Keith M. Phaneuf

With a record-setting budget reserve, another big surplus projected and billions of federal coronaviru­s relief dollars on the way, top state legislativ­e leaders are confident Connecticu­t has the resources to avert a nursing home strike this spring.

But while the dollars are plentiful — at least in the short term — so are the needs, as many groups besides health care workers are reeling from the pandemic-induced recession.

And the chances of avoiding a work stoppage as Connecticu­t continues to reopen this spring hinge on howGov. Ned Lamont and the legislatur­e dole out those dollars.

“At the end of the day, the workers that had to go into the fire … are these nursing home workers at the long-term care facilities. We have to help them,” said House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford.

“I think we’re both committed to find the extra money,” said Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. “The

and were outside at the time of the shooting, Hartford police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.

Detectives believe “some sort of argument” prompted the shooting, Boisvert said, but the investigat­ion continues. Anyone with any informatio­n about it is asked to call the Hartford Police Department tip line at 860-722-8477 (TIPS).

Police said the city’s ShotSpotte­r gunshot detection system picked up the gunfire at 19 Norwich St. around 6:20 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they found the three wounded men, who were taken to the hospital.

The neighborho­od used to be part of Dutch Point Colony public housing, but those buildings were demolished more than a decade ago. The area nowhas new apartments and townhouses.

The shooting was the 11th homicide of the year in the capital city. As of April 24, Hartford had seen 44 shooting incidents in 2021, a 4.8% increase from the same time last year.

Boisvert said Jones is not believed to be related to the late Randell Tarez Jones, a 3-year-old boy whopolice said was the unintended victim of deadly gunfire during an April 10 drive-by shooting on the other side of the city.

 ?? KASSIJACKS­ON/HARTFORD COURANT ?? Protesters gather Saturday at the governor’s mansion in Hartford to demand a more equitable budget.
KASSIJACKS­ON/HARTFORD COURANT Protesters gather Saturday at the governor’s mansion in Hartford to demand a more equitable budget.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States