April 29, 2022
In This Issue:
From Paddi's Desk
CT Agency Corner
Municipal Roundup
Inside Scoop
This Day in CT History
With light clearly shining at the end of the tunnel, the CT General Assembly is about to hit the final mile.

This marathon of a session—that started on February 9th, and reaches its finish line on May 4th—has certainly had its ups and downs, its curves, its straightaways, and its share of cheering and jeering as it plodded through the hundreds of proposed bills and the finalized two-year spending and taxing proposals.

As the rumors around the halls of the Capitol turn to a possible rally of some kind this Saturday, there’s a lot of chatter about the leeriness of the legislature as a whole to “face the state.”

The public still has limited access to lawmakers at the Capitol, as well as the Legislative Office Building (LOB). The public is restricted to the first floor of the LOB (working offices of legislators and committee rooms are on the second and fifth floors of the LOB). At the Capitol, access is restricted to the first and second floors of the building. For those of you not familiar—the House Chamber and House leadership/caucus offices are located on the second floor, but the Senate Chamber and leader/caucus offices are located on the third floor. The public is tightly screened and the number of organized groups are limited at any given time. The typical legislative events, which may bring several thousand interested citizens to the Capitol, have tight restrictions, including the requirement to hold these events outside on the Capitol lawn, the adjoining State Armory or the Bushnell Theater (located across the street).

Again, this limits direct access to our 187 elected legislators.

This week, still with a mask mandate, there were quite a few legislators testing positive and having to isolate from the others at the Capitol campus. At one time, there was concern that several chairs and Republican ranking members might not be available to take on important legislation. But, it seems with some quick adjustments, the session’s business was able to proceed.       

Everyone continues to scratch their heads with wonderment, asking how in an open and free society you can restrict access to the very people who make decisions about what you eat, how you live and even what your children learn or don’t learn in school. Odd huh?

We see plenty of legislators and staff with “modified “mask wearing, but for the most part, there is an across the board compliance by the lobbying corps for fear of being photographed without a mask. We chuckle when there’s a social media post/tweet from a particular legislator not wearing a mask while meeting with a group of local constituents, while firmly reminding us that we must wear masks inside the Capitol and LOB.

With all of this, the normal energy is missing in the halls of the Capitol. Folks have reluctantly adjusted to the machinations needed to keep on top of the amendments, the quickly changing temperament of the issues and the lack of synergy that has always made the process work so well in CT. Temperatures are rising.

The next three days might see some hitting the infamous "runner’s wall"–especially without the “perks” of traditional ice cream socials, Italian sweet fest and the very popular candy bar reception normally hosted by a variety of interest groups! 

I’m not positive, but with all the recent modifications from the CDC, our State Capitol may be one of the very few institutions–if only–that still isolates the public from the “action” and mandates wearing a mask and social distancing in the common areas!

So as we enter the final days of the 2022 session, we’ve experienced three sessions of disruption, restrictions, modified public access, and a huge cultural change. Given the number of legislators rumored to retire (count is at 31 so far), we calculate that more than 2/3 of the next class of 2023-2024 will not have served during a time of open government, direct access to legislators and active participation in government.

With a statewide election seeing three of the top statewide officers not seeking reelection, as well as the polls indicating a growing unrest in the voting public, the 2022 election season will have some hurdles, high jumps and marathon restructuring as it faces life in CT living with COVID.

It shall be interesting, to say the least.  
List of Legislators not Seeking Re-Election

We would like to give a huge thanks to the following legislators that will not be seeking re-election this year for all they have done for Connecticut, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors!
  • Rep. Cathy Abercrombie (D)
  • Rep. Dave Arconti (D)
  • Rep. Whit Betts (R)
  • Sen. Dan Champagne (R)
  • Rep. Tony D'Amelio (R)
  • Rep. Joe De La Cruz (D)
  • Sen. Paul Formica (R)
  • Rep. John Hampton (D)
  • Sen. Will Haskell (D)
  • Rep. Brandon McGee (D)
  • Sen. Craig Miner (R)
  • Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R)
  • Rep. Brian Smith (D)
  • Rep. Dave Wilson (R)
  • Sen. Kevin Witkos (R)
What SB 4 Means for Buildings with Electric Car Charging Stations

There’s been a strong push this session, that is likely to pass, which will ensure that a number of “clean air” initiatives to promote electric power are adopted by the public and private sector. But, one provision of this comprehensive proposal is attracting the bulk of the attention.

Senate Bill 4 “An Act Concerning The Connecticut Clean Air Act” provides incentives for electric bikes, hydrogen buses and electric fleet requirements for the state, but also contains a section of the bill being dubbed a “renters right to charge”. In the proposal, it requires those who own condominiums and other multifamily settings to provide electric charging stations for renters and unit owners that express a desire to see them installed. The bill makes sweeping changes to school construction requirements and municipal allowances for the stations in the following ways:

  • Requires that level two EV charging stations be installed in new construction school building projects on any project list that DAS submits to the legislature beginning July 1, 2023.
  • Prohibits the state Department of Administrative Services (DAS) from approving a school building project plan that does not provide for level two EV charger installation in at least 20% of parking spots for cars or light-duty trucks at the school building.  
  • Starting January 1, 2023, the bill requires municipalities to require that each new construction of a commercial building or multi-unit residential building with 30 or more parking spaces be equipped with EV charging infrastructure in at least 10% of parking spaces.
  • Municipalities may, through their legislative bodies, require these buildings to have charging infrastructure in a higher percentage of spaces.

These changes reflect the desire of the legislature to move towards electric infrastructure however what’s unclear will be whether the magnitude of the expansion will see consumers drive (no pun intended) toward electric vehicles.
CT House Passes Juvenile Crime Bill

This year, Republicans and Democrats have sparred constantly over how to address municipalities' issues with juvenile crime in Connecticut. The issue came to a boil after a spike in car thefts committed by juveniles in 2020, many of them making front page headlines and sparking statewide discussion over how best to tackle the issue.

This week, House Democrats and Republicans finally struck a deal in HB 5417, which passed the House 129-17. All Republicans supported the bill, and a few progressive Democrats voted against it.

HB 5417 included multiple aspects that give law enforcement and the judiciary tools to help prevent further instances of car thefts. This includes giving Superior Court judges the option to put minors on GPS monitoring if they’ve repeatedly broken the law, broadening law enforcement’s access to minors’ records, increasing the time they can detain children while awaiting a detention order, and creating a new larceny offense to treat car thefts uniformly, so the level of offense is no longer tied to the value of the car stolen, but rather the number of cars the young person has stolen.

While Republicans were glad to have gotten something done on the issue, they stressed that this is not enough. House Minority Leader Vinny Candelora (R-North Branford) criticized the bill for not giving judges more discretion to put juveniles into the adult court system, and for not appropriately criminalizing the theft of a car. He argued that without harsh consequences, these crimes will continue.

Rep. Steven Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport), House Judiciary Committee Chairman and proponent of the bill, emphasized the bipartisan nature of the bill, calling the changes "sensible tweaks" to our juvenile justice system. Other members of the Democratic Caucus expressed concern over how the bill would impact black and brown communities.

The bill now heads to the Senate, and ultimately to the Governor for final approval.
Budget Game-Week!

For the former athletes out there, you know the importance of preparation during Game Week. For Appropriators, Finance Committee members the Governor’s office, and budget wonks everywhere, this is Game Week for the upcoming fiscal year. As an avid reader of this particular In the Loop section you know that these past few weeks have included a few press conferences on budget priorities from House and Senate leadership across the street as well as the Governor’s office. With that comes some front facing articles, some short and sweet tweets, and a few angry comments about what certain legislators may or may not be getting out of the budget negotiations. But what happened this past week was more around closed door discussions on the second floor of the Capitol where the Governor’s office resides, on the first floor where appropriators tend to meet, and most importantly tucked away behind the second floor in the Speaker’s caucus room. These are where the magic happens, the devil finds himself in the details, and most importantly, the final budget agreement becomes more of a tangible document for us to weed into before May 4th, the end of session where these legislators intend to “leave it all on the floor.”

On Wednesday morning, the team at Sullivan & LeShane received news that the leadership of the House, Senate, and Governor’s office came together and agreed on a larger ($24.2 billion) budget. While everything is not laid out yet, here are some highlights before the vote that we know will take place on Monday. The tax-and-spending package includes $300 property tax credits for most residents, a one-year child tax credit of $250 per child to cover about 600K kids, a car-tax cut, cutting of pension taxes on 401(k) plans and an extension of the gas tax holiday. Legislators and their staff have until Wednesday at midnight to iron out the details. What we are hearing on the ground is that the Office of Policy and Management, key democratic leadership of both houses, and the Governor’s office are well on their way to make that deadline.

At this particular point in the “Game Week” we are right at the tip-off. Legislative leadership comes into these meetings with a folder full of their priorities and their caucus line items to negotiate and come out of these close door meetings with a lot less as things get weeded out. Leaders in the caucuses take the floor and quickly become the decision makers on what gets in and what gets removed. The team at S&L will be right there as these negotiations happen and we will keep you in the loop as things more forward! 
We are approaching the end of session, and nearing the departure of interns. We certainly wish them well in their studies, and their future endeavors. Over the next two weeks, we will feature their articles about their experience during their internship. First, we have Aya Cruz. Aya is a Junior at the University of St. Joseph, majoring in English and Political Science:

My time at Sullivan & LeShane has given me a thorough understanding of the legislative process and the nature of lobbying. It is a profession that emphasizes the importance of critical issues and promotes initiatives such as prescription medication reduction and suicide prevention. Each one emphasizes the importance of healthcare to the general public while also assisting their clients' needs. S.B. 205, An Act Establishing A Children's Mental Health Day in Connecticut, was one bill that drew my eye as this would establish a day in the state to acknowledge and promote awareness about children's mental health, an extremely essential topic that actually brings attention to children while also assisting in the understanding of issues that impact them.
This is just one example of what has made my experience genuinely unique: being able to actively engage in a reform that has the potential to change the law and benefit a new generation. Making mental health treatment for children a priority shows that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children. Then, as part of S.B. 2, a fund to pay the cost of mental health treatments would be established to address the socioeconomic determinants of mental health. It is quite heartening to see the government, as well as the lobby groups, working for such progress. The development of a Children's Mental Health Day provides for a recognition of the efforts made to assist children and adolescents. As my time here draws to a close, I'm happy for the opportunity to see the work that's being done and to participate in developing policies that will genuinely shape Connecticut.

-Aya Cruz, USJ '23
April 29th: The Man Who Saved the Constitution and Designed the Supreme Court

Oliver Ellsworth, who played a critical role in drafting both the U.S. Constitution and designing the federal court system and U.S. Supreme Court, was born today in 1745 in Windsor. A graduate of the College of New Jersey (modern-day Princeton), Ellsworth served as Connecticut state attorney for Hartford County. In 1777, he was elected to the Continental Congress, where he served throughout the Revolutionary War.

As a Connecticut delegate to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, Ellsworth played an especially active and crucial role. When the convention nearly foundered after being unable to agree on how states should be represented in the proposed federal Congress, he and fellow Connecticut representative Roger Sherman saved the day, and the Constitution itself. They crafted the “Connecticut Compromise” (or “Great Compromise”) that established the bicameral model for the U.S. legislative branch, featuring proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation among all states in the Senate. This protected the interests of both small and big states, and made a working national government possible.

After the Constitution was ratified, Ellsworth was elected one of Connecticut’s first U.S. senators, and served from 1789 to 1796. As senator, Ellsworth drafted and engineered passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789. It formed the federal court system – including the U. S. Supreme Court – whose functions Article III of the U.S. Constitution had only vaguely outlined. In 1796, Ellsworth was nominated by President George Washington to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, where he served with distinction for four years until ill health forced him to retire.

Ellsworth returned to his stately home in Windsor, where he died in 1807. His role in crafting the federal court system, coupled with the precedents he set as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, have earned Ellsworth lasting fame as the “Founding Father of the Supreme Court.” One of our nation’s most influential politicians and jurists, born today in Connecticut history.

The original article from the CT Humanities Council can be found here.
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