April 13, 2012 2012, Issue #10 

CCM's State Capitol Report is designed to keep members informed about important legislative issues and actions taken by CCM staff on behalf of towns and cities, as well as suggested actions you can take to protect the interests of your municipality. 

For additional information on any of the bills listed and the most up-to-date news on legislative issues affecting municipalities, see:

 

CCM's Legislative Action Center 

 

You can also follow CCM on Facebook and Twitter for real time updates and information from the State Capitol.

 

 - Feel free to forward this report to other municipal employees and officials -  
IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS ISSUE
CCM'S DAY ON THE HILL
ACTIONS IN THE SENATE
ACTIONS IN COMMITTEES
CCM'S MANDATES REPORT
CCM'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE - Next Meeting: May 15, 2012
CCM BUDGET ANALYSES
CCM POLICY POSITIONS
Day on the Hill_No Date
  Please Join Us For CCM's Day on the Hill

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 
 
Please plan to attend this important event to ensure that the
municipal voice is heard loud and clear.
   
Schedule for the Day:
 
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 
CCM-Member Meeting with Legislative Leaders & Policy Briefing 
Room 1A, State Legislative Office Building
  • Update on the state budget and opportunity to discuss legislative issues of concern to towns and cities. 

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Legislative Reception  

North Lobby, State Capitol Building
  • The reception will feature Connecticut Grown - food, wine and beer.  

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Please RSVP to Carolyn Ryan via email cryan@ccm-ct.org
or via phone (203) 498-3000.

ACTIONS IN THE SENATE

The Senate convened this week.  Among the bills passed that were of particular interest to local government were:  

  • SB 105 - would provide towns and cities with more time to process rental rebate applications.    
  • SB 258 - would increase the amount of money that can be retained in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund.  
  • SB 205 - would provide coverage for medically necessary early intervention (birth-to-three) services provided as part of an individualized family service plan.  Current law prohibits payments for birth-to-three services from applying against any maximum lifetime or annual limit in the policy.  

 

We expect the chambers to be in session next week - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

ACTIONS IN COMMITTEES
APPROPRIATIONS

The House referred to the committee HB 5233 which would be a new unfunded state mandate on towns and cities.  It would require professional counseling be compensated under the Workers' Compensation Act for firefighters diagnosed with mental or emotional injuries - defined as post-traumatic stress disorder -- as a result of witnessing a death of a firefighter.       

 

For more information on Appropriations issues, please contact Ron Thomas of CCM. 

 

FINANCE, REVENUE & BONDING

The House has referred two bills to the committee that are of importance to towns and cities:

  • HB 5378 - E-911 Surcharge - Would increase the maximum monthly fee to fund the Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) program from the current cap of .50 cents to .75 cents.  Increasing the surcharge is essential towards offsetting the administrative costs of maintaining the current E-911 system and improving the delivery of public safety for our residents.   
  • HB 5458 - Red Light Cameras - Would allow any municipality with a population greater than 48,000 the option of using automated traffic control signal enforcement devices (i.e., cameras) at local intersections for the purposes of enforcing red light violations.

Please contact members of the committee and ask them to support the two proposals. 

  

For more information on Finance issues, please contact Bob Labanara of CCM.

 

JUDICIARY

The committee met this week to act on bills referred from the floor of the House and Senate. Among the bills passed by the committee that are importance to towns and cities included:
  • HB 5271 - Would, among other things (1) provide municipal authority over the siting of telecommunication towers within 250 feet of a school, or commercial day care center; (2) require payments be made to municipalities from the Municipal Participation Account first to defray costs incurred by such municipality who participates as a party to a certification proceeding, and eliminates any requirement that the municipality refund any excess finds it may have received from the account; and (3) require applicants to make a "good faith" effort to meet with the municipal CEO where such facility is being proposed, within 90 days before filing an application.
  • HB 5319 - Would increase fines for violations of local blight ordinances.  The bill would be a tool that towns and cities could use to curb blight and make communities more livable.  It would allow communities to assume a greater role in ensuring the health and safety of residents.   
For more information on Judiciary issues, please contact Ron Thomas of CCM.

PUBLIC SAFETY
The committee met this week to act on bills referred from the floor of the House and Senate.  Among the bills discussed, HB 5236, which would impose an undo burden on towns and cities, was passed by the committee.  The proposal would allow CONN-OSHA to have authority over certain volunteer ambulance and volunteer fire departments. CCM has concerns with the bill as it contradicts with a recent Supreme Court decision that determined such volunteer departments described in the proposal fall under the jurisdiction of federal OSHA regulations.   This proposal would therefore, unnecessarily cloud regulatory authority and mandate certain local fire departments to fall under both state and federal regulations.  

For more information on Public Safety issues, please contact Mike Muszynski of CCM.


CCM's MANDATE REPORT
Highlight of the Week: De Facto State Mandates
Unfunded Mandates
In case you missed it, please view this weeks...

 
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:
De Facto State Mandates

During the Legislative Session, CCM produces this weekly report to inform members and the Legislature about pending bills that propose (1) new unfunded mandates or (2) mandates relief for towns and cities.
 
While CCM doesn't always take a position on the policy aspect of a proposal, some bills would have a significant impact on local government and their residential and business property taxpayers.

CCM urges members to speak with their legislative delegation about the impact these bills would have on their community.

For previous reports, visit our Mandates Report page.

 

CCM'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

MAY 2012

Thursday, May 15, 2012
9 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Four Points Sheraton, Meriden
 
** MEETING AGENDAS AND MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE  **

 

A complete schedule for CCM's Legislative Committee, including meeting agendas and handouts, can be found online -- for CCM-members only.  If you have not registered for Members-Only access, please click here to do so. 
 

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 If you have any questions, please contact Jim Finley or Ron Thomas  

at (203) 498-3000.   

CCM BUDGET ANALYSES
Analyzing government finance issues is a critical part of CCM's public policy and advocacy work.  Fiscal and related policy decisions made at the state and federal level have a significant impact on towns and cities and their ability to fund needed public services.

Analyses of the current and proposed budgets can be found on CCM's Government Finance/State Budget webpage. 

For specific Town-by-Town Analyses, see the links below:

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Finley, Ron Thomas or George Rafael at 203-498-3000. 

CCM'S 2012 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
CCM's annual State Legislative Agenda is developed with proposals from member-municipalities, which are prioritized by CCM's issue-area policy committees and approved by CCM's Legislative Committee and Board of Directors. To view the 2012 Agenda and Priorities, please click on the link below:

CCM urges members to speak with your legislative delegation about CCM's 2012 State Legislative Agenda and encourage them to support it. 
 

If you have questions concerning this State Capitol Report or any state-local issue, please contact CCM's Public Policy & Advocacy Team:

                                                      ...or via phone at (203) 498-3000.