LWVCT 2008 Legislative Wrap-Up rev.7/31/08

We thank all of you who responded to our many and varied action alerts. You helped us pass good bills, thwart some bad ones, and planted strong seeds for the next legislative session.  The League is fortunate to have an active membership filled with “advocates” and to be able to work with many other strong nonprofits organizations committed to “good government”, environment and social policy. This end-of-session legislative wrap- up, presented by public policy area, highlights our coalition partners in several areas.

GOVERNMENT

Freedom of Information/Transparency in Government

Strike All Amendments/Public Hearings:  SB 336.  Key features:  This bill would have prevented the General Assembly from enacting a bill in the form of a strike all amendment unless the amendment had been on members’ desks for at least two legislative days.  In addition, the bill would have prevented the General Assembly from acting on a bill or amendment that “creates an exception” to an existing law without a public hearing, unless 2/3 of legislators agreed to waive that requirement.  Outcome:  The bill was suggested by the League and voted favorably out of the GAE Committee, but died in the Judiciary Committee.

Publication of State Agency Regulations:  HB 5896.  Key feature:  Would require state agencies to post their regulations on their websites.  Start up costs and ongoing data storage fees involved.  The League testified in favor of the bill.  Outcome: The bill passed the Appropriations Committee, but was tabled for calendar in the House where it died, presumably because of the deteriorating fiscal condition of the state.   

Electronic Citizen’s Forum:  HB 5030.  Key feature:  Would establish an electronic Citizen's Forum to receive citizen suggestions about ways to improve state services.  The League submitted written testimony in favor of this bill.  Outcome:  Died in the Appropriations Committee.

Election Reform

Constitutional Amendment to Allow 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primaries:  HJ 21.  Key feature:  Proposes a constitutional amendment allowing 17-year-old citizens who will turn 18 on or before the day of a regular election to vote in its primary.  League supports.  Outcome:  Passed by required super majorities in both House and Senate.  Question will appear on the ballot in November.

Voters who Change Party Affiliations:  SB 446.  Key feature:  Would reduce the time for attachment of party privileges for voters who change parties from 3 months to 1 month.  The League testified in favor of an earlier version of the bill.  Outcome:  Died on the Senate calendar. 

Photo ID: Amendments placed on numerous bills, including HJ 21 and SB 446. Key feature: Would fundamentally alter the right to vote by requiring any person who appears to vote in person to produce photo identification. Outcome:  The League strongly opposes photo ID requirements for voting and lobbied actively against the amendments.  Sponsors did not call photo ID amendments on HJ 21.  Time ran out before other bills could be called.  Consequently, there was no debate on photo ID requirements in either chamber.  However, we anticipate that this will be an ongoing issue for future sessions.

National Popular Vote:  HB 5662.  Key feature:  Adopts interstate compact under which Connecticut would commit its presidential electors to the winner of the national popular vote.  Compact does not take effect until enough states sign on so as to cumulatively possess a majority of the electoral votes.  Outcome:  LWVCT solely monitored this bill because LWVUS has not taken a position on the National Popular Vote proposal.  The bill died on the House calendar. 

Voting Machines and Procedures

Independent Audit Commission/Certification of Registrars:  HB 5888.  Key features: Would establish an independent elections audit board, require separate entities to program and test election hardware, address privacy in voting process, amend the Voter’s Bill of Rights, require the Secretary of the State to establish new procedures for manually and machine counting votes in the event of a recount, and require the Secretary of the State to establish a certification program for registrars.  Outcome:  The League strongly supports the establishment of an independent audit board and other measures to bring consistency to voting practices across the state.  Several of HB 5888’s provisions (e.g. privacy measures, recount provisions, amendments to the Voter’s Bill of Rights) also appear in SB 444 (see below).  Others (e.g. independent elections audit board) were included as an amendment to SB 444 in the House.  HB 5888 died on the House calendar.

Permanent Absentee Ballot Status/Changes to the Voting Process:  SB 444 (Secretary of the State’s bill).  Key features:  Would make permanently disabled voters eligible for permanent absentee ballot status, provide additional training and oversight for registrars and poll workers, give the Secretary of the State and her designees access to polling places, address privacy issues in the voting process by creating a “zone of privacy” and requiring that privacy sleeves be offered to voters, amend the Voter’s Bill of Rights to require notice that voters have the right to be informed of, and choose among, the different voting system options available, and require the Secretary of the State, in consultation with registrars, to establish procedures for recounting ballots that consists of recounts by hand and voting tabulator (machine), while preserving the right of candidates to demand a hand recount. Outcome:  The League supported the bill, as amended.  The bill passed the Senate, but died without being called in the House on the last day of the legislative session.  Given a probable attempt to amend the bill to include more of the features of HB 5888, it is unlikely that it would have passed the House in a form that could have been signed into law due to time constraints and other factors.  

Ethics

State Ethics Reform:  Multiple bills proposed with SB 333 finally emerging.  Key Features:  Would permit a court to reduce or revoke pension benefits of public officials, state and municipal employees convicted of corruption, make it a crime for public servants to fail to report a bribe, expand illegal campaign finance practices to cover solicitation by chiefs of staff, include the governor’s spouse as a “public official” under the ethics code, limit gifts to public officials for major life events, such as a wedding, to $1000, require the Office of State Ethics to provide mandatory ethics training to legislators, and require public agencies to post meeting information on their websites.  Outcome:  Passed in the Senate and amended in the House, setting up a disagreeing action.  Disagreement is over whether courts should be allowed to revoke (rather than to merely reduce) pensions of state and municipal employees.  The House amendment was rejected in the Senate and the earlier Senate version passed again, setting up another potentially disagreeing action in the House.  The bill died in the House as time ran out on the last day of the session. 

During the June special session, the legislature passed an ethics reform bill that the Governor signed into law. The new law (P.A. 08-3), among other things, permits state courts to reduce or revoke pensions of state and municipal officials and employees who commit certain crimes related to their employment and requires legislators to undergo mandatory ethics training.

Municipal Ethics Reform:  Multiple bills proposed.  All died.

Campaign Finance Reform

Citizens’ Election Program (Public Financing of Campaigns):  HB 5505.  Key features:  Expands the State Elections Enforcement Commission’s authority to issue cease and desist orders, makes changes to the registration forms for PACs, expands the law granting individuals the right to incur legal expenses to contest/maintain the results of an elections, subjects party candidate listings to attribution laws, repeals a requirement for certain mailings to bear a photograph of the candidate, “tweaks” the contractor and lobbyist bans, establishes grant application deadlines and a corresponding schedule of payments from the Citizens’ Election Fund, and allows participating candidates to spend supplemental grant money immediately upon receiving it.  Outcome:  The League testified in favor of HB 5505.  The bill passed the House and Senate early in the session and has been signed into law by Governor Rell.

Electronic Filing of Campaign Reports:  SB 447.  Key features:  Would expand the classes of persons subject to, and lower the threshold for, mandatory electronic filing of campaign finance reports.  Outcome:  Changes were sought by SEEC to make system more efficient. Died on the Senate calendar.

Media/Internet

Community Access TV:  HB 5814/SB 677.  Key Features:  Would require DPUC to amend its regulations to require cable TV companies to provide the number of community access channels that they provided or made available to their subscribers as of January 1, 2008, allow employees of community access providers to serve on cable advisory councils, and require cable TV companies and nonprofit organizations that supplied original programming from locally run operations to continue to fund town-specific programming on a proportional basis.  The bill would also require the cable TV company serving the Bridgeport area to provide funding to the towns for town-specific educational and governmental access programming.  Outcome:  HB 5814 died on the House calendar.  The provisions related to Bridgeport area community access programming were the basis of a strike-all amendment on SB 677, which passed the House and Senate as amended. 

Universal High Speed Internet Access:  HB 5682/SB 570.  Key Features:  Both bills would require the Department of Economic and Community Development to establish a public-private partnership to develop a statewide high speed Internet deployment and adoption initiative.   SB 570 would also exempt certain equipment and technology used by telecommunication companies from property tax for two years and provide a tax credit for companies that allow full-time employees to work from home.   Outcome:  Both bills died in committee.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Air Quality 

Anti-idling: SB 123 “AAC The Idling of Motor Vehicles.”  Key Feature: This bill provided an enforcement mechanism for an existing anti-idling law.  Outcome: LWVCT strongly supported.  At least 14 amendments were added to the bill that seemed to be designed to kill it.  The bill was not voted upon.

Climate Change

Global Warming: HB 5600 “AAC Connecticut Global Warming Solutions.” Key Feature: The bill caps emissions of global warming pollution and requires emissions cuts to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% emissions reductions from 2001 levels by 2050.  Connecticut is the fifth state after California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Washington to adopt mandatory limits on global warming pollution.  Outcome:  Strongly supported by LWVCT and the CT Climate Coalition, the bill passed the House and the Senate and  was signed into law by the Governor on 6/4/08.

DEP

Funding:  The CT Department of Environmental Protection has been decimated by years of budget neglect.  LWVCT and a large group of environmental organizations lobbied for a restoration of funds for DEP in the amount of $5 million for staffing.  Outcome: The Appropriations Committee restored $3 million for additional staff but with revenue shortfalls, the Governor and legislative leaders agreed not to “open up” the budget for new staff or programs. Proposal died.

Energy

Renewable Energy: HB 5787 “AAC A Study of Connecticut’s Economic, Energy and Climate Security.”  Key Feature:  A $120,000 study due on 1/1/09, funded from the renewable energy investment fund, to analyze the impact that the creation of a clean energy department would have on energy shortages, price increases, opportunities for clean energy industries, reducing carbon emissions, increasing renewable energy, energy conservation, and energy independence.  Outcome:  was amended to HB 5724 (LCO 5749) and it passed on consent in the Senate.

Tax Credits: HB 5798 “AA Establishing a Tax Credit for Green Buildings.  Key Feature: The bill provides a tax credit for eligible projects rather than a direct rebate.  A tax credit would encourage more developers to make an initial investment and create a “green” real estate market in our state.  Outcome:  The bill passed the House at 11:35 p.m. on the last day of the session, but was never called in the Senate, probably due to lack of time.

Land Use   

Conservation Zone Development: HB 5641 “AAC Conservation Development.”  Key Feature:  This bill would have essentially set state standards for conservation development overlays and for conservation subdivisions that may very likely “tie the hands” of municipalities to set their own standards, particularly for conservation developments.  Outcome: LWVCT opposed. Died on House calendar due to strong opposition.

Responsible Growth: SB 39  “AAC Responsible Growth.”  Key Features: Included a new section that defined “responsible growth” as the use of land and resources in ways that enhance the long-term quality of life for current citizens of the state and future generations; stressed comprehensive long-range planning for conservation and development; and stated that not less than 2% of the cost of development would be used to develop pedestrian and other non-motorized transportation improvements.  Outcome: Passed the Senate.  Several amendments added and bill not voted on in the House.

Water Resources

Water Company Lands:  Amendment LCO 4870 on HB 5730 that might permit intensive use and activities on Class I&II water company lands.  Key Feature:  A Department of Public Health bill, pertaining to protecting small public water supply wells, could have been stretched to be interpreted as weakening the Class I and II statutory protections on the lease and sale of water company land. Outcome: Strongly opposed by LWVCT, the Endangered Lands Coalition, CT Fund for the Environment, and Rivers Alliance. Due to alarm raised by opponents, Sen. Mary Ann Handley, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, read a clear legislative intent statement into the record that this bill, which passed, does not affect in any the laws pertaining to the protections of Class I and II water company lands.

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act: HB 5716, LCO Amendment #5642, formerly known as HB 5603 “AAC Enhancements To The Inland Wetlands And Watercourses Act.  Key Feature: Would have aided our local volunteer boards by 1) clarifying that protecting wetlands is the primary purpose of the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Act and 2) allowing local boards to rely on comments provided by state agencies, expert environmental review team reports, and local water companies in reaching decisions about wetlands.  Outcome: Strongly supported by LWVCT and coalition partners Rivers Alliance, CT Fund for the Environment, League of Conservation Voters and others, it died on the House Calendar on the last night of the legislative session, largely because of a major backlog of bills. 

River Front Protection: SB 362 An Act Concerning Riverfront Protection. Key Feature:  To protect a 100 foot wide strip of naturally vegetated riverfront area. This is critically important for rivers and streams that flow into our drinking water reservoirs, because, on average, only one mile out of five of these rivers and streams is owned by a water company and protected by statute.  Outcome: LWVCT supported this bill with leads being the Rivers Alliance, Trout Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, and the League of Conservation Voters. Passed Environment and Appropriations but failed narrowly in Planning and Development in a tight vote of 10 in favor and 12 opposed.

Transportation

Transit: HB 5734 “AAC New and Expanded Bus Transportation Service Throughout Connecticut.”  Key Feature: Reallocates $5 million from last year’s bonding bill to be used to purchase vehicles and equipment needed to improve bus transit in the state.  Outcome:  Passed both the House and Senate. HB 5734 was signed by the Governor on June 12, 2008 and is PA 0155.

Waste Management

Bottle Bill: SB 357 “AAC The Expansion Of The Beverage Container Redemption Provisions To Include Water Bottles.”  Key Feature: The bill expanded the deposit on bottles to include water bottles, and, as amended in the Senate, to include other non-carbonated beverages.  Outcome: The bill passed the Senate, as amended, but died in the House.

SOCIAL POLICY

Mental Health Care

The LWVCT supported a number of bills that would increase supportive housing for those with mental illness. Supportive Housing as an Alternative to Incarceration Centers: SB 422  (An Act Concerning Supportive Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness). Key feature: This bill addressed the needs of people in the criminal justice system who require mental health or substance abuse treatment through expanded use of alternative incarceration supportive housing centers.  Outcome: The bill did not move out of the Appropriations Committee. This is a negative outcome for individuals with mental illness trying to sustain a life in the community, as well as for the state as a whole. State investment in supportive housing is a smarter way to spend taxpayer dollars than paying for costly institutionalizations and emergency care.

Funding Supportive Housing: SB 40, (ACC Supportive Housing) and SB 142 (AA Increasing the Number of Housing Units in the Next Steps Initiative) merged into SB 2 (AAC An Emergency Relief Plan For Connecticut Families For Housing Costs And Enhancements To Supportive Housing). This bill passed in the final moments of the session. Key Feature: This bill increased Connecticut Housing and Finance Authorities' bonding authorization by $35 million to support the current round of 150 supportive housing units that has been put out for proposal this spring. Outcome: The state did not provide any funding for new units of supportive housing but the passage of this bill enables state agencies to implement the supportive housing units that were part of last year's budget.

Gun Control

 Microstamping Semiautomatic Pistols: SB 607 (AAC The Identification of Certain Firearms and the Criminal Possession of Firearms). Key Feature: This bill would require the microstamping of guns, which would make it possible to link a gun to a crime.  It would not have restricted the rights of people to own guns.  Outcome: The bill made it out of Judiciary Committee and then died.

Reproductive Choice

Healthy Teens Act: HB 5591 Key features: This legislation would require expansion of family life education curriculum guides for school districts to cover ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and a healthy teens education grant program. Medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education is especially important, considering that there are a large percentage of teens contracting sexually transmitted diseases (1 in 4).  Outcome: The bill never reached the General Assembly for a vote because funding was required.

School Finance and Education Cost Sharing

 The League supported targeted grants and other funding but opposed the Governor’s proposed budget and lack of improvement in ECS funding.

The Governor's Proposed Budget Adjustments: HB 5021/5026.  Key Features: With respect to education aid, the governor made no changes for 2009 from the biennial budget adopted last year, except for a $1.8 million reduction to the School Readiness grant.  The League advocated for a higher phase-in percentage and 60% funding floor for ECS, increases for pupil transportation, bilingual education, family resource centers and adult education, and restoration of the $1.8 million for School Readiness and proposed reducing the Special Education Excess Cost multiplier from 4.5 to 3.0 and fully funding the grant.  Outcome:  Died with agreement between legislative leaders and the governor to leave the adopted budget as is.  The Good News:  No cut to School Readiness.

The Appropriations Committee Proposed Budget Adjustments:  HB 5021 

Key Features:  With respect to education, the committee raised the governor's proposal by $32.3 million.  Increased funding for Priority School Districts, School Readiness, School Accountability, and Special Education Excess Cost.  Added new EvenStart family literacy funding and Transitional School District grants.  Outcome:  Died with agreement between legislative leaders and the governor to leave the adopted budget as is.  The Bad News:  The 2009 adopted budget eliminates all funding ($19.7 million) for the Early Reading Success portion of the Priority School District grant, which the Appropriations Committee had sought to restore, leaving the state's poorest school districts with no state aid for this well-respected program.

School Vouchers

Tax Credit for Donations to Education Foundations: HB 5594 (AAC A Corporate Tax Credit And An Income Tax Credit For Donations To Education Foundations). Key Feature: Original bill provided tax credits for donations to educational foundations to both public and nonpublic schools allowing money to be funneled into independent and religious schools. In this way, the state would not provide a direct payment for tuition but could take dollars out of the revenue stream and earmark it for nonpublic independent and religious schools.  Outcome: The use of tax credits that support nonpublic schools was removed from the bill. The amended bill was voted out of the Education Committee and referred to the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding where it died.

Universal Health Care

The Health Care Partnership Act: HB 5536 Key feature: This bill would expand the state employees' health insurance pool to include the employees of municipalities, nonprofit organizations and small businesses.  Outcome: The bill successfully passed both houses of the Legislature. It awaits the Governor's signature; the Governor’s budget office and the CT Business & Industry oppose the bill.

Other Advocacy (Non-legislative)

Broadwater:  As part of the Sound Alliance Coalition, LWVCT engaged in 2 ½ years of advocacy opposing the Broadwater LNG proposal for Long Island Sound. On 4/10/08, NY State Gov Patterson officially announced the denial of the Broadwater LNG proposal. Broadwater is appealing the decision to the Department of Commerce. State of Connecticut AG Blumenthal is petitioning FERC for a reversal of their approval. Our deepest appreciation goes to Save the Sound for their outstanding work in leading the Coalition to achieve this much-desired outcome.

School Start Time: The Weston School District continues to have open forums with the public, administration and Board of Education on changing school start time.  LWVCT Specialist Lisa Bogan has been consulting with interested parties in the District.  A new Superintendent has also expressed an interest in exploring later start times with Lisa Bogan and parent groups.

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