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May 17, 2013
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2013, Issue #16
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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 may 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 may 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 officials and employees-
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YOUR ACTION NEEDED:
Senators Still Saying They HAVE NOT HEARD From Their Local Officials!
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Despite efforts made by local officials across Connecticut to contact their State Seantors, CCM staff is still being told that SENATORS HAVE NOT HEARD from you.
With less than three weeks to go, it is critical that CCM-members hold them accountable.
Call and email your Senators today or over the weekend about the following three bills of great importance to towns and cities.
Major Workers' Compensation Mandates
Two significantly costly workers' compensation mandates are still before the Senate, and ready for action. Both propose unfunded state mandates that would significantly strain local budgets and severely diminish local administrative resources.
SB 925 - OFF-DUTY CARDIAC ARREST BENEFITS: As amended, would mandate workers' compensation coverage for firefighters' and police officers' heart attacks 24 hours after they were on duty. Thus, it would mandate a special presumption that such employees' heart emergencies are considered work-related while off-duty. The fiscal implications of this proposal would be extraordinary - OFA has concluded the costs on taxpayers could be "up to $1 million per claim."
SB 823 - MENTAL STRESS BENEFITS: Would greatly expand workers' compensation benefits to all public and private employees diagnosed with a "mental or emotional impairment", as a result of "witnessing" the "death" or "maiming" of another human being - regardless if there was any physical injury or use of deadly force. According to OFA: "the bill will result in potential costs for municipalities...". Depending on the claims, such additional costs could range from tens-of-thousands to up to $1 million, per claim.
YOUR SENATOR(S) NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU RIGHT AWAY! Tell Them: - Local property taxpayers should not be mandated to pay for special workers' compensation benefits for extremely subjective mental stress claims or heart attacks which occur while not on duty. The dedication and service of local public safety personnel is not at issue.
- The Appropriations & Finance Committees' budget would significantly cut municipal aid - and the M.O.R.E. Commission continues to examine ways to reduce or eliminate unfunded state mandates - now is not the time to impose new, costly state mandates on hometowns. DO NO HARM TO HOMETOWNS.
For more details, see CCM's Legislative Alert #13-45
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For more information, please contact Robert Labanara (203)710-0491 - or - Ron Thomas (203)-430-5537.
Relief from Legal Notices Mandate
SB 1112 would provide relief to municipalities from the mandate to post legal notices in newspapers. CCM staff has heard that the Senate may act on this proposal as early as Tuesday (5/14).
CCM recently delivered the attached Reality Check to the entire General Assembly. We are speaking to each Senator to urge support for SB 1112. YOUR SENATOR(S) NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU RIGHT AWAY! Tell Them: - Passage of this proposal would provide immediate savings for property taxpayers and would not hamper the public's right to know (see attached Reality Check for additional talking points). The Mandate Working Group of the M.O.R.E. Commission officially voted to support this proposal.
- SB 1112 would not require the elderly population to get their information online, as they will be able to get such information from their town hall - in person, on the phone, or via mail...as well as over the Internet.
- Nothing in SB 1112 would preclude a newspaper from publishing the entire text of the notice, if they so choose, similar to how they publish Police Blotters.
For more information, please see CCM's Legislative Alert #13-46. ## ## ##
If you should have any questions, or have any feedback from your State Delegation, please contact Kachina Walsh-Weaver (203) 710-9525.
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ACTIONS IN THE CHAMBERS
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SENATE
The Senate passed several bills of concern to towns and cities this week, including:
SB 383 - A de facto mandate, would provide municipalities with the "option" of expanding the municipal tax exemption for one hundred per cent of disabled veterans."
SB 461 - Would allow municipalities to grant specific powers to municipal stormwater authorities, that meet certain conditions.
SB 814 - Would reduce the amount of frivolous land use permit intervention cases, without infringing on the right of parties seeking to intervene with legitimate environmental issues. Would require that parties that intervene provide information such as factual allegations in proceedings.
SB 917 - Makes an attempt to provide some relief to local governments for school grounds maintenance by permitting "organic" grub combating treatments, and pesticides that do not have a product label of "caution", "warning", or "danger" indication.
SB 928 - Would, among other things, require precious metals or stones dealers to provide a periodic statement of transactions in an electronic format to the local licensing authority.
SB 929 - Among other things, as now amended by Senate B, would align the roof pitch requirement for school buildings with that of the state building code.
This modification, from a 1/2 inch requirement to 1/4 inch, would save the State and local governments up to 50% of the cost roof construction -- without any impact on the integrity or indoor air quality of the building.
SB 965 - Would make numerous clarifying and other changes to municipal tax collection statutes.
SB 1113 - Would relieve municipalities from certain filing mandates and requirements under obsolete statutes.
Sen. Kevin Kelly proposed two amendments to SB 1113 to provide towns with highly significant mandates relief: LCO 6703, which would have required the State to reimburse towns for costs associated with new mandates (Senate vote tally) and LCO 6699, which would have enacted a statutory prohibition to prohibit the passage of unfunded or underfunded state mandates without a 2/3 vote of both chambers of the General Assembly (Senate vote tally). Both amendments failed.
HOUSE
HB 5599 - Would authorize the use of provisional ballots in state and municipal elections and primaries. However, shifts the burden to print such ballots from the Secretary of the State's office to towns and cities. HB 6384 - Would add new requirements to identify and track students' primary language. According to the fiscal note for this file, the statewide cost to local governments is $1.6 million statewide HB 6488 - Would require that municipalities consider whether to include the sheltering of pets and service animals in their local emergency preparedness plans. HB 6587 - Would allow municipalities in which a state correctional facility is located, the ability to amend any contract that is in effect between the municipality and a state agency related to the correctional facility. The bill would provide a much-needed flexibility for local and state officials to amend contracts. HB 6624 - As amended by House A (LCO 6974), would provide more time for local governments to apply for the school security infrastructure grant. HB 6638 - Would increase the maximum penalty that municipalities may charge an individual when violating a local ordinance regulating the use of a dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile. HB 6663 - Would require towns and cities to adopt written policies governing the receipt of complaints from members of the public alleging misconduct committed by law enforcement agency personnel.
A potentially significant unfunded state mandate was defeated this week, as members of the House amended HB 5441 by striking sections of the bill that would have created the "Public Employee Health Plan" (PEHP) to provide health insurance for certain municipal employees, including board of education employees -- and would have mandated that municipalities enroll in the plan. It would also have prohibited risk-pooled health care or health insurance coverage from municipal employees' collective bargaining, except for bargaining related to the premiums contributed by unionized employees. Although this proposal would not have superseded contracts in effect on July 1, 2014 -- it would have applied once such contracts expired.
The underlying bill, as amended would allow emergency response employees other than those designated as part of a primary 9-1-1 answering point, to be eligible to enroll in the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS).
The following bills have been passed by both chambers, and have been sent to the Governor for his action:
HB 5388 - Would require municipalities that do not employ a veterans' service officer, to assign an employee as a veterans' service contact. Duties include coordinating public and private facilities concerned with veterans' reemployment, education, rehabilitation; working with government and private entities to secure services and benefits to veterans; and encouraging and coordinating veterans' vocational training services.
HB 6437 - Would create a state-wide mattress stewardship program for end-of-life management of mattress disposal in which mattress producers are responsible for creating, financing, and managing an environmentally sound program to: (1) minimize public sector involvement in the management of post-consumer mattresses by negotiating and executing agreements to collect, transport, reuse, renovate, recycle, burn for energy recovery and dispose of post-consumer mattresses, regardless of brand; (2) provide for the free, convenient and accessible state-wide collection of post-consumer mattresses; (3) provide for producer-financed end-of-life management for discarded mattresses, including transportation from a number of locations including municipal transfer stations; (4) provide suitable storage containers at permitted municipal transfer stations for segregated, discarded mattresses, at no cost to such municipality; and (5) cover the costs for the program.
HB 6529 - Would allow municipalities to promote local resources and economic development opportunities on DECD's portal, provided each municipality be responsible for providing and maintaining its content on such portal.
SB 70 - Would among other things, make certain veterans' benefits available, if they were otherwise denied under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." SB 835 - Would require employment protections be extended to all state armed forces members (4,700 in Connecticut). |
CCM ISSUES "Just the Facts" ON KEY ISSUES
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CCM has published the following fact checks on key issues pending before the 2013 General Assembly:
Oppose SB 923
Support SB 902 and SB 1112
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STATE BUDGET AND TOWNS & CITIES -
Post Appropriation and Finance Committee Actions
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CCM is asking the Governor and Legislature to make every effort to restore municipal general aid and craft a budget that is fair to towns and cities.
CCM BUDGET "ASK"
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As previously reported, the Appropriations/Finance Committee's proposed state budget restored some key municipal aid programs but cut others.
In fact, this latest proposed state budget cuts municipal general fund (unrestricted) revenue by $152 million compared to $128 million in cuts proposed by the Governor.
CCM has provided analyses on this current budget proposal for members, along with town-by-town impact statements.
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| CCM MANDATES REPORT | |
 Please view this weeks...
Mandates Report - 2013, Issue 14
DeFacto 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 fiscal 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.
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CCM'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
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CCM's ANNUAL MEETING Thursday, June 13, 2013 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Crowne Plaza, Cromwell ** MEETING AGENDAS AND MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE ** |
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"JUST THE FACTS" | |
No spin. No jargon. CCM has launched an aggressive new statewide advocacy campaign to carry through the critical upcoming budget-making process up to the end of the 2013 General Assembly session in June.
The CCM message is concise and straightforward:
** Visit the Website ** |
| CCM - KEEPING MEMBERS INFORMED | |
CCM's website and Legislative Action Center are designed to ensure critical information is easily accessible for local officials on legislative and regulatory issues of concern.
In addition, CCM is is embracing today's new media outlets as a way inform members and educate state elected officials and the public of CCM's advocacy efforts. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Along with many other items of interest, on our website you will find such things as:
New content is added daily, if you are not already doing so...
PLEASE MAKE OUR SITE YOUR FIRST STOP EVERY DAY.
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CCM'S POLICY POSITIONS 2013
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CCM's annual State Legislative Program 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.
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If you have questions concerning this State Capitol Report or on any state-local issues, please contact CCM's Public Policy & Advocacy Team:
- Jim Finley, Jr., Executive Director and CEO
- Ron Thomas, Director of Public Policy & Advocacy
- Kachina Walsh-Weaver, State Relations Manager
- Bob Labanara, State Relations Manager
- Randy Collins, Senior Legislative Associate
- Mike Muszynski, Legislative Associate
- George Rafael, Senior Government Finance Analyst
- Kevin Maloney, Member & Public Relations Director
- Quanette Rhodes, Executive Services Administrator
- Carolyn Ryan, Public Policy & Advocacy Administrative Associate
...or via phone at (203) 498-3000.
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