News Feed from the Connecticut Senate Democrats' Leadership: President Pro Tempore Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr. and Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 18 May 2012 10:27:04 -0400 Fri, 18 May 2012 10:27:01 -0400 FeedForAll Mac v2.1 (2.1.0.1); http://www.FeedForAll.com/ Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) was honored at the University of Connecticut’s inaugural Celebration of Innovation for his work in securing funding for a world-class research and technology park at the University of Connecticut’s main campus in Storrs. The landmark project is expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in federal and private funding. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/williams-120518.php 51656B65-4BEE-4D1A-AB83-4D4DA28B522E-1405-000005E0DDFDC147-FFA Fri, 18 May 2012 10:27:01 -0400 State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D—Brooklyn) joined Governor Dannel P. Malloy today for the signing of the historic education reform law aimed at improving Connecticut’s educational system. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120515.php F0923D13-08EC-4189-9D60-6E088C6A3B48-25345-00006851AB21D739-FFA Tue, 15 May 2012 16:27:09 -0400 Senate Democratic leaders today praised the state Senate for its approval of a variety of issues aimed at improving the lives of Connecticut residents and announced their plans to pass creation legislation later this spring. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120510.php F9A86791-FEFC-4929-8BB4-DEEDBCFDBFBE-3291-000006D0BE08ABBB-FFA Thu, 10 May 2012 14:55:28 -0400 State Senate President Donald E. Williams (D-Brooklyn) and Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) praised the Senate’s passage of a bold bill that responds to the Citizens United Case by strengthening Connecticut’s campaign finance law by expanding donor disclosure requirements. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120508.php 9AF71591-C05E-404A-8394-FC1A06E46421-1021-000001E04AFB9205-FFA Tue, 08 May 2012 09:54:25 -0400 In response to two powerful storms that struck Connecticut last year, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and telecommunications service, the state Senate passed sweeping reforms today to better prepare the state for future severe weather events and to minimize the resulting utility service outages. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120505.php 33A079DE-B19F-47B3-B748-07B1844266E8-3137-00000528AD06EE6F-FFA Sat, 05 May 2012 10:15:16 -0400 State Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D—New Haven) today hailed the Senate’s approval of legislation to allowing personal care attendants, who provide for people with physical, developmental, or age-related disabilities, the opportunity and the option to organize to bargain collectively with regard to compensation and other working conditions. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120503.php F7E4A6B5-5D8D-4EAD-BA09-0EE61BD7F982-1043-000001AE5AE86BB4-FFA Thu, 03 May 2012 09:23:13 -0400 Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr.(D—Brooklyn) and Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D—New Haven) announced passage in the Senate today of a bill that would prohibit businesses from saying “the unemployed need not apply” in help-wanted ads. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120501.php 4C2ADF12-813B-49BE-B06A-25D803D597F8-1106-000001EB1AEF0C93-FFA Tue, 01 May 2012 09:21:29 -0400 Senate President Donald E Williams, Jr.(D-Brooklyn) and Senator Majority Leaders Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) hailed the senate’s overwhelming bi-partisan approval (32-2) of Senate Bill 1, the Senate Democrats’ plan to build on and expand the job-creating momentum of October’s landmark Jobs Bill. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120427b.php B7815D6A-B798-4E5F-BEFF-64DE1BB1507F-9441-0000246678FFB7D8-FFA Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:10:16 -0400 A plan to build on and expand the job-creating momentum of October’s landmark Jobs Bill will be debated and passed in the state Senate today, said Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn). http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120427.php F65D5AFC-5A1C-4BF4-B1EA-9B0BA2296D9B-2385-00000F43238A083C-FFA Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:42:58 -0400 In a move that will better protect consumers the next time Mother Nature strikes, Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and State Sen. Paul Doyle (D-Wethersfield) led passage today in the Senate of an important bill that will combat weather-related price gouging in the case of extreme storms. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/looney-120425.php FAB74077-0727-49AB-8917-4B4E8645B552-5330-000008DE5B4B5812-FFA Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:32:50 -0400 Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D—New Haven) hailed today’s passage of Senate Bill 245, An Act Concerning The Recording of Police Activity by the Public. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120419a.php 732C9DB5-941B-43B9-B079-DD652A8BE196-1401-000002F5DB4BBEE6-FFA Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:30:51 -0400 Legislative leaders joined with Father James Manship, Pastor of Saint Rose de Lima Church of New Haven to announce that the state Senate will vote on two bills today—one aimed at protecting a citizen’s right to record police officers—the other, strengthening Connecticut’s racial profiling law. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120419.php 67448A51-2F8E-43AC-976B-7D87BD432E60-10523-000014E5935E96C2-FFA Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:13 -0400 In a move that will protect the health and safety of residents across Connecticut, Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D—New Haven, Hamden) and State Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford) led passage Wednesday in the Senate of a bill that requires online notification of sewage spills that contaminate rivers and other bodies of water, including the Long Island Sound. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/looney-120412.php 875FC2D9-C51B-446A-9642-4DA705A594E4-3596-000006C55CCBE8EC-FFA Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:08:54 -0400 State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr., (D—Brooklyn) joined with Connecticut Labor Commissioner Glenn Marshall to announce the opening of three new “Jobs Funnel” locations to serve a greater population of job-seekers. The new offices will open up in Bristol, New Britain and eastern Connecticut. Currently, “Jobs Funnel” offices exist is Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury. The program is open to eligible people from all over Connecticut. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/williams-120411.php 01AEAD6D-72F5-4A8C-898B-C590B21C44C5-11104-00001696E3500938-FFA Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:23:35 -0400 State Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney joined with the Anti-Defamation League and Barbara Cadranel to announce proposed legislation aimed at protecting the rights of Connecticut residents to hang mezuzahs on the door frames of their condominiums. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/looney-120410.php 08D5A8FF-0B86-45A8-98F0-F59764356F25-8717-000010629663AC95-FFA Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:51:36 -0400 In an historic vote following many hours of debate, the State Senate voted 20-16 early this morning to cease condemning prisoners to death in the State of Connecticut. Senate Democratic leaders said the vote constitutes an enormous step forward in promoting fairness and decency in the criminal justice system. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120405.php 4D7F127C-D9C1-4EFA-AD01-19BC1A4BFB16-1754-0000037062572CAC-FFA Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:52:12 -0400 Senate leaders announced today their intention to call an amendment, as part of a vote to repeal capital punishment in Connecticut, that will establish tough new conditions for individuals convicted of Murder with Special Circumstances. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120404.php 4C8088CC-2B23-42C1-B9A2-F431DAEA6B6B-7474-000017DC0869A7E3-FFA Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:08:29 -0400 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Representative Susan Johnson (D—Willimantic) toured the Connecticut Casket Company, a Willimantic small business that benefited from jobs legislation passed in the October special session, to urge the General Assembly to approve Senate Bill 1, the Senate Democrats’ 5 -point jobs plan that will help local, small businesses protect and grow jobs and boost Connecticut’s economy. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120329.php 33B3131B-D788-47FF-ADD1-6A3EA699E4D0-7125-0000169F90DF0AE9-FFA Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:41:57 -0400 The Democratic Leaders of the General Assembly will introduce and vote later today on a proposal that will help provide relief at the pump and protect consumers from profiteering and price gouging by big oil wholesalers. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120327.php 4509F2D0-206B-486B-AE51-3E40E2BAD339-1126-000001EDD07A26B7-FFA Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:14:41 -0400 We are beginning to see encouraging signs of an improving Connecticut economy. A new report from the state Labor Department shows that unemployment here has dropped to a three-year low, and that 7,100 new jobs were added in January alone. While this is welcome news, much more work remains. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120326.php FB6CC5D2-327C-46CA-A1B2-2ADBD1285BDA-1423-0000090075DF48F7-FFA Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:29:24 -0400 The Democratic Leaders of the General Assembly announced today their plans to take swift action to help provide relief at the pump and protect consumers from profiteering and price gouging by big oil wholesalers. Legislative Leaders will give the proposal an emergency certification designation. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120321.php 606E714C-0871-4BCB-B1F5-BA3CDD7C8D37-741-000002ACF53BED23-FFA Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:25:08 -0400 With the price of gasoline climbing (up 15 percent since January 1, 2012) and the summer driving season around the corner, the Democratic Leaders of the General Assembly announced their plans to help provide relief at the pump and protect consumers from profiteering and price gouging by big oil wholesalers. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120319.php 47A41C31-7605-4A46-A143-C208959D2831-8160-000017B77518B10D-FFA Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:47:12 -0400 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) joined with state Representatives Danny Rovero (D-Killingly), Mae Flexer (D-Killingly) and Susan Johnson (D-Windham) today to announce that funding for Quinebaug Valley Community College’s (QVCC) proposed Manufacturing Technology Center—one of only three schools selected statewide—has been added to the March 30th State Bond Commission agenda. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120315a.php 43FBA7DF-B9A8-4379-BB8F-01250F6B4163-1101-000001C661EF9522-FFA Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:26:52 -0400 The Senate Democrats’ Jobs Bill won the approval today of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee. The 5-point plan, SB 1 An Act Concerning Connecticut Jobs and the Economy, aims to help small businesses protect and grow jobs and boost Connecticut’s economy. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120315.php E93CF2E2-A428-44F1-AA96-ACDE2467CCAD-7233-00001BB2EC2CB51C-FFA Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:29:32 -0400 Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) testified today before the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee in favor of legislation that would allow cities and towns the option of installing red light traffic enforcement cameras. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120312a.php A27A0265-E42E-4FF5-B53C-5F0AA7D969D1-567-0000026381668F01-FFA Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:31:47 -0400 Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) testified today before the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee in favor of legislation that would allow a person to bring a cause of action against a law enforcement officer who interferes with the person taking a photographic or digital still or video image an officer in the performance of his or her duties provided that the individual was not otherwise interfering with the officer. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120312b.php 36EB089E-C7F3-4693-B452-A20894B91A25-567-0000025AF56C26F5-FFA Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:31:11 -0400 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D—Brooklyn) and Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D—New Haven) today welcomed the state Department of Labor’s latest report detailing Connecticut’s labor situation as an encouraging sign post of the road to recovery and vowed to keep job creation as the Senate Democrats’ top priority. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120312.php A63C933E-896A-44C7-878A-5B90DE20030E-7591-000016577D5B8F07-FFA Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:27:29 -0400 Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) testified before the General Assembly’s Education Committee in favor of legislation that would include the history of the labor movement in public school curriculums. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120309.php 16665386-A7ED-4587-84A6-4172A6469638-12025-00001874DC4DBF42-FFA Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:47:46 -0500 Today Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) was on hand at Windham Heights Apartments showcasing one of the largest residential solar thermal installations in all of Connecticut. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120308.php C70E635B-D768-467D-A980-796FFE826E76-2445-00000F1A68762AC2-FFA Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:34:29 -0500 Coinciding with National Consumer Protection Week, Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D—Brooklyn) submitted testimony today to the General Law Committee in support of two bills aimed at protecting consumers. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120306.php D91EB497-8046-433D-BB87-C43FD5DD27AA-2203-00000D4FBC706F93-FFA Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:53:58 -0500 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) issued the following joint statement today in observance of ‘Connecticut Business Day 2012,’ which is sponsored by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the Connecticut Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120229.php 8B61FB8F-E191-41ED-A17C-BEF7DF62B784-3501-00000F2366409CBA-FFA Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:56:45 -0500 For veterans who risked their lives on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, State Senate Democrats want to welcome these brave soldiers back to Connecticut with the prospect of a job. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120223.php 72061645-E688-455D-96F6-FFF6C90EDD97-3411-00000CE8E9DC5D91-FFA Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:46:14 -0500 Steeled in their resolve to protect consumers from price gouging after last year’s series of extreme storms, Senate Democratic leaders today submitted testimony in support of new legislation that will protect consumers when Mother Nature strikes. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120221.php 5E006BF7-8AC3-4E3A-95D5-E55E1636100C-5550-00001585FE5B9A07-FFA Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:54:00 -0500 Senate Democratic leaders today announced their plans as part of their 2012 energy agenda to invest in critical infrastructure and hold utility companies accountable for their performance during emergencies, storms and natural disasters. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120215.php 7393C803-7A83-4857-9004-072AC8D282F5-12712-00001652FAF6EA9E-FFA Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:30:22 -0500 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) joined with legislators, business leaders and faculty to celebrate State Board of Regents’ selection of Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC) as a Manufacturing Technology Center—one of only three schools selected statewide—for eastern Connecticut and discuss the schools plans to train the workforce of the future. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/williams-120203.php 93505333-99CD-4C87-9FDF-030077DE435B-11642-000016C1F7DE40DF-FFA Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:02:22 -0500 Standing inside Goody’s Hardware & Paint, a fourth generation family owned and operated business, Senate Democratic leaders unveiled their plans to fight price gouging after severe storms and protect consumers’ privacy. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120201.php 9801A9A5-9696-46EB-8B3A-ECBCC1BC29AA-15619-000019E524015A0A-FFA Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:53:02 -0500 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) celebrated the State Board of Regents’ selection of Quinebaug Valley Community College as a Manufacturing Technology Center—one of only three schools selected statewide—for eastern Connecticut. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120130a.php 173AE461-7DE4-4CC2-A34D-81B164247273-15586-00001C8DEAD46BB2-FFA Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:50:30 -0500 Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) today hailed the State Bond Commission’s approval of targeted grants and incentives to help small businesses and manufacturers hire more Connecticut residents. The funding, part of the STEP-Up (Subsidized Training and Employment Program), was a major piece of last October’s jobs bill. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/looney-120130.php 94C9FB7B-9705-40A4-A6B3-EF3CB2EBFBCE-12190-0000173C63E8749B-FFA Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:11:37 -0500 The Republican assertions of the death of state pension savings are exaggerated and incorrect. The OFA analysis that they are touting is incomplete and they know it—as the analysis states, it is “an attempt to isolate the SEBAC Agreement savings” based on “preliminary revised" numbers. There has been no communication between OFA and the state actuaries to better understand the 20-year pension savings. When this communication occurs we will have a better handle on long term savings. This much is absolutely clear—there were never discussions of long term pension savings when Republican governors negotiated with SEBAC. Today we’re talking about pension savings, and whether we save $2 billion, $3 billion, or $4 billion, Connecticut is moving in the right direction. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/williams-120127.php 121C4E08-71DF-4765-A640-E46BE3B85B3B-368-000000D22809636F-FFA Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:15:34 -0500 Senate Democrats held a news conference today on the shop floor of AdChem Manufacturing Technologies in Manchester—just two weeks before the start of the 2012 legislative session—to announce their new, 5-point jobs plan that will help local, small businesses protect and grow jobs and boost Connecticut’s economy. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120124.php 04594C14-FBFA-4854-B128-E448C827A879-5247-00001A6382BF67E4-FFA Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:51:17 -0500 With the state legislative session set to begin next month, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D—New Haven) gathered with Mayor John DeStefano, members of the New Haven delegation, members of the Board of Aldermen and safe streets advocates at the corner of South Frontage Road and York Street to launch a new push to pass legislation authorizing the use of red light cameras to catch dangerous drivers. http://senatedems.ct.gov/pr/looney-120109.php CACF5EEB-D43F-4106-BDF0-D3EFABCA92C3-1214-00001BA7CA980507-FFA Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:08:32 -0500 Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) today praised the Public Utility Regulatory Agency’s (PURA) decision to examine the proposed merger of Northeast Utilities and NSTAR. http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/pr/leaders-120104.php 97B4D1A2-9362-49F9-9A0F-78A6B0CBACC1-9193-00001A4912F71CCF-FFA Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:45:56 -0500