In This Issue:
From Paddi's Desk
CT Agency Corner
Municipal Roundup
From Inside The Golden Dome
This Day in CT History
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It takes a village……
While this week the bipartisan commission on redistricting met and approved the changes for the House district maps with the support of both the Democrats and Republicans, they “passed temporarily” on making decisions on the senate district map. Adopting these plans will come down to communication and how well the partisan teams can listen and work together.
Members of both parties stated that the process was transparent and civil in debating the impact that the recent changes to Connecticut‘s demographics would have on redrawing legislative district lines. The best words to describe everyone's feelings about the process so far was civil, respectful, transparent and cooperative.
Isn’t that something to be proud of, considering the tension and turmoil coming out of our nation's Capitol? Connecticut over the years has always been able to debate vigorously, but join together to make sure the work of the legislature gets done in a way to reflect the people of Connecticut's values and visions for our state. It’s common knowledge that incivility can split a team in major ways - it can destroy collaboration which is critical to solving the complex and tricky problems facing our state and has the potential to establish a combative tone that may never go away.
Civility is all about disagreeing without disrespect. It’s about seeking common ground, listening to others opinions without applying one's preconceptions and most of all allowing all to speak freely about one's closely held beliefs while understanding that at the end of the day it’s about the greater good.
That old adage, "majority rules", seems to have moved respectful debate into the helm of today’s politics of shouting, making personal accusations and even down right mean statements about a person's motivations, intelligence and even moral compass.
This past week, given the shifting make up of CT residents and the sharp difference between the two political parties, one might have thought that history might repeat itself. If you recall back in 2010, the Supreme Court had to intervene and seek a neutral arbitrator to solve the constitutional duties of the redistricting committee. With the house members working together - listening, sharing possibilities, and looking for solutions, they got the job done on time and with a commendable effort of collaboration and civility.
The public will be waiting on the results of the senate discussions, negotiations and debate on the new look for the 36 senate seats which could impact the balance of power for the next ten years in the state senate. The state is hoping that the committee can once again get beyond personal disagreements and do what’s best for all.
Given the tensions surrounding the adjournment of the CT House back in June, and the positive outcomes of this weeks actions, we just might see a return to the “goodwill to all “ attitude which used to be the hallmark of our legislature.
Researchers say that a little civility goes a long way to enhance a team's performance by increasing the psychological safety that people feel. It lessens the feeling of being threatened, it increases the quality of the outcome and it allows for effective problem solving of the issues of the day.
And we all can agree that in today’s political world and especially at the state Capitol we have big changes coming and big decisions to be made. The disruptiveness we see in our economy, our workplaces and our communities will continually be impacted by changes in technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and who knows what else.
So as we count down the weeks to opening day in the CT legislature where it’s still uncertain if we’ll be in person, virtual or a combination of both, the state can hope civility will find a place in everyone’s approach to the issues of the day.
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State Agency Legislative Proposals 101
As a reminder, each year every state agency releases their top agency priorities for the session beforehand and spends the weeks leading up to the session advocating for their ideas within the appropriate legislative committees.
Here’s a 101 on what to expect when these proposals are released next month:
Q: What are state agency legislative proposals?
A: Legislative proposals from a state agency are essentially a “wish list” of policy ideas they hope the legislature will take-up on their behalf. Included in each proposal is a title, proposal summary, proposal background, reason for the request, past legislative versions of this proposal and any fiscal impact it may have on the state budget (both positive and negative).
Q: Why are these shared in advance of the legislative session?
A: Having these proposals available streamlines the Office of Policy Management (Governor’s budget office) review process for what they should support on behalf of state agencies and assists legislators with better a understanding of the budget implications tied to these proposals.
Q: Does a particular legislative proposal mean the issue is exceedingly likely to pass? Can they be changed before being filed as an actual bill?
A: The short answers are maybe and yes (if you act quickly). Given the virtual nature of the legislative session, getting ahead of things in a timely way and working with state agencies is more important than ever. If legislative proposals that are shared impact your business or service, we strongly recommend being engaged early!
Q: What should I expect if S&L sends me a legislative proposal that affects me?
A: We’ll be able to walk through the recommended next steps once these proposals are released and if there’s a proposal specifically tied to your area of interest we will be pulling together a virtual meeting with that state agency.
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Special Education Funding
The Connecticut Voices for Children recently released a study analyzing Connecticut's Special Education Funding system. It may come to no surprise to some of our clients who pay close attention to the education funding streams, but the analysis concluded that the services for special education are lacking, specifically according to the study “insufficient, ineffective, and inequitable.” Connecticut’s special education enrollment has increased by 16,000 or 23% during the period of the study (2007-2019) while the total student enrollment in the state decreased by 47,000 students or 8%. Also, Special Education Costs have increased $472 million while the reimbursement from the state only increased by $54 million. Clearly, according to the study, there is a significant gap that has to be covered by local budgets and potentially at the cost of other local education programs and staffing. The report highlights that the current Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant formula doesn’t take into consideration increases in special education costs or enrollment. The ECS formula weighs most heavily on overall student enrollment.
“While the pandemic has exacerbated inequities across the board, this period has contributed to an even more significant resource and learning gap for SPED students. This is in large part due to the funding for special education not being based on the differentiated needs and growing number of SPED students across Connecticut," Emily Byrn, Executive Director of CT Voices said during the release of the study. The 50 page report also indicates that between 2014 and 2016, Connecticut’s wealthiest districts received 8x more per pupil in ECS funding than Connecticut’s most impoverished districts.
For more information and the study link click here.
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Connecticut's Redistricting Process Episode 1: The House
For the past few months, Connecticut's legislative leaders have been hard at work drawing up the new district maps for state house, state senate, and U.S. house districts based on data from the 2020 census. On Thursday, the bipartisan redistricting commission unanimously approved a map for updated House districts that creates a new seat in Fairfield County and eliminates one in the state’s eastern region where the current representative is not seeking re-election. In Hartford, despite losing population, the state's capitol was still able to retain six seats. Another notable winner was Stamford, who picked up a seventh seat.
During Thursday's meeting, House Speaker Matt Ritter praised Connecticut's process. He noted that Connecticut is one of the few state's in the nation that uses a non partisan redistricting process. The Speaker believes that this is much better for democracy than to give that power to the winners of the most recent elections. The commission is made up of four democrats, four republicans, and a ninth member appointed by the commission. Originally, former State Senator Kevin Johnston (Democrat) was appointed as the ninth member. However, earlier this week, Johnston resigned. The commission then appointed former State Senator John McKinney, a Republican. According to Speaker Ritter, McKinney assured him that he would not be the fifth vote on the commission under any circumstances. That type of bipartisanship is exactly what makes Connecticut politics so unique in today's political climate.
As for the Senate, things are a bit murkier. The discussion over a new map of state senate districts has been pretty quiet, with many questioning if they will meet their deadline. The commission has until November 30th to complete the State Senate and U.S. House district maps before the Connecticut Supreme Court gets involved. Will they make the deadline? Stay tuned to find out.
For more info on the new map of Connecticut's State House districts, click here.
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November 19th: Bold as Brass, The Silver City Goes International
Today in 1898, in the middle of a sustained series of national economic crises, the International Silver Company, one of Connecticut’s most famous and globally recognized brands, was formally incorporated in Meriden. The central Connecticut city had already established a national reputation as a leading producer of silver and silver-plated goods by the late 19th century, earning it the nickname “the Silver City.” By 1898, over a dozen companies in Meriden and surrounding towns produced about 70 percent of all the silverware and silver-plated products made in the United States.
This 1878 engraving (pictured above) shows the sprawling factory complex of the Meriden Britannia Company, one of the silver producers bought out by the International Silver Company 20 years later in 1898. The Britannia front office would become International Silver’s Factory E and General Office. (Meriden Historical Society)
However, the shining future of Meriden’s silver industry was thrown into doubt in the 1890s after a series of economic depressions (starting with the Panic of 1893) threatened the financial viability of the city’s silver manufacturers. Several investors saw a golden (or rather, silver) opportunity to create a new umbrella company that could buy up and consolidate the area’s numerous silver firms into one large conglomerate, and thus, the International Silver Company was born. Shortly after its incorporation, International Silver bought out the majority of the greater Meriden area’s silver-related businesses, including famous brands like the Meriden Britannia Company, Rogers Brothers, Middletown Plate Company, and the Meriden Silver Plate Company; in later years, the company acquired other silver manufacturers from New York City, Toronto, and other far-flung places. Most of these subsidiaries continued producing items under their original labels, allowing International Silver to boast a remarkably diverse catalog of products, from inexpensive flatware to exquisite, hand-finished silver centerpieces.
Much of the International Silver Company’s success stemmed from its ubiquitous and effective advertising campaigns, which included sponsorships of popular radio and TV programs during the first half of the 20th century.
By the 1920s, International Silver was grossing over $20 million annually and had become the world’s leading manufacturer of silver and silver-plated products. The company later took pride in weathering the Great Depression without laying off any of its workers. During World War II, many of the company’s Connecticut factories halted silver production to create scores of items for the American war effort, mass-producing everything from surgical instruments to gun and bazooka parts to bomb casings. The company began to experience a decline in the 1970s, however, as silver prices rose, the economy stagnated, and cheap imported flatware flooded American markets. International Silver’s attempt to diversify its product line and reinvent itself as “Insilco” eventually fell victim to the financial pressures of the late 20th century, and in 1981, the famous company formally closed its Meriden headquarters.
The original article from the CT Humanities Council can be found here.
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Sullivan & LeShane, Inc.
www.ctlobby.com | (860) 560-0000
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