Latest news with #Bysiewicz
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State leaders give Connecticut schools easier access to grants for HVAC improvements
BRISTOL, Conn. (WTNH) — A pandemic-era program intended to help schools address concerns about indoor air quality will live on as a permanent feature of the state's wide-ranging school construction funding system. Efforts to improve indoor air quality in schools has been a longstanding priority for local leaders, with many noting the negative effects of aging ventilation systems servicing school buildings constructed in the mid or late 20th century. Can AI help solve Hartford's pothole problem? A lack of sufficient air conditioning means schools are often forced to close due to extreme heat. Worn-down ventilation systems can be ineffective when it comes to removing dust particles that carry disease and agitate the lungs of asthmatic students. The pandemic put those shortcomings centerstage, and state leaders rushed to act. Starting in 2022, the state government doled out $178 million in grants to help schools upgrade or replace their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, with 163 schools receiving funds. Though the height of the pandemic is now in the rearview window, leaders still hoped to address the longer-term issue of air quality and climate control that still poses challenges for schools across the state. The response to those calls for improvements came in the form of a policy change that state leaders framed as a more permanent, consistent fix. Rather than distributing funds through ad hoc grant programs, cash for school HVAC upgrades will now be included as part of the state's school construction funding system. The HVAC grants under the school construction program will be easy to apply for, Commissioner Michelle Gilman, the official who oversees the program, said. 'It's a monthly application,' Gilman explained. 'It's not a competitive grant program. So, again we have made this very easy for our school districts to demonstrate the need and apply for that.' Gilman and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D) visited a school in Bristol which received money as part of the earlier grants to tout the new funding arrangement. 'We've eliminated having to cancel school because of extremely hot days,' Peter Fusco, Bristol Public Schools Director of Facilities, said of the system that has been installed in South Side School. Bysiewicz applauded the work done in Bristol and the coming funds for other districts. She noted the dual utility of the new systems — taming the effects of extreme temperatures while not losing focus of one of the original forces that drove the state spending. 'The public health benefits are really strong as well,' Bysiewicz said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lamont, Bysiewicz hold roundtable discussion about expanding pre-K access in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are pushing to expand pre-K access in Connecticut. Bill aims to make child care more affordable for working parents They held a roundtable discussion Tuesday in Hartford to discuss the measures. Lawmakers are considering a legislation that would implement the largest expansion of pre-K access in Connecticut history, aiming to make preschool free for families making up to $100,000 a year and increasing salaries of early childhood educators. 'Susan [Bysiewicz] and I want this to be the most family friendly state in the country,' Gov. Ned Lamont said. 'We want you know this is a state where we want you to come and know that we're going to take care of you, and know this is a wonderful place to start a family.' Republicans say that early childhood care is very important, but the endowment is really an off-budget slush fund. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut leaders urge residents to stay up-to-date on measles vaccines
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — As measles continues to spread in nearby states, Connecticut leaders are reminding people to stay up-to-date on your vaccinations. CT health department urges residents to get measles vaccine as cases rise across the US Nearly 500 cases have been confirmed across the country. While none have been reported in Connecticut, there have been cases found in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and more. The CDC says that 97% of the people who were infected were unvaccinated or didn't know their vaccination status. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said that even people who have been vaccinated could also benefit from a new dose. 'Some adults who received their MMR vaccines between 1963 and 1967 — and I'm one of those people — might have received a different vaccine that was less effective,' Bysiewicz, who got another dose on Wednesday, said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State needs to spend more on tourism marketing, officials say
Mohegan — State and local tourism officials convened Thursday at Mohegan Sun to discuss marketing strategies and how best to advocate for funding. Data indicates what's at stake. According to a study completed last year by Tourism Economics, a research company, tourism is a major driver of Connecticut's economy. In 2023, the firm found 68 million tourists visited the state, generating $11 billion in sales, $1.2 billion in state and local taxes and $18.5 billion in total economic activity. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, the keynote speaker at the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut's 2025 Tourism Conference, cited the numbers while addressing an Uncas Ballroom audience of more than 200 people connected to the region's tourism and hospitality industries. What's more, she said, tourism provides 83,000 jobs in the tourism industry and is indirectly responsible for another 40,000 jobs in other industries such as business services, education and health care. Why then, conference attendees asked, doesn't the state provide more funding for statewide tourism promotion? 'I know you want to see more dollars put into the industry,' Bysiewicz said. Call your legislator.' One conference attendee who'll likely be making such calls is Robert Murdock, president of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, an organization that works with partners to bring conventions and sports events to venues throughout Connecticut. It's funded through the state Office of Tourism. Without an increase in the state's $4.5 million budget for statewide marketing, 'we go away,' Murdock said during a question-and-answer period following Bysiewicz's speech. Gov. Ned Lamont's biennial budget proposal would keep the marketing budget at the current level in each of the next two fiscal years, 2025-26 and 2026-27. Murdock, in a phone interview after the conference, said his organization has booked 110 pending events and is working on another 200, all of which could be in jeopardy if the bureau goes out of operation. 'Right now, there's no designated group that would take over what we do,' he said. Murdock said he expects to testify next week on behalf of proposed legislation that would divert to tourism a portion of the revenue generated by the additional 1% tax on restaurant bills. Another legislative proposal would divert to tourism a portion of the revenue from the so-called occupancy tax on hotel room stays. Other conference attendees expressed concern about what the state has done to prepare for a 2026 commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the country's founding. Events surrounding the commemoration could draw many visitors, a boon to the tourism industry in the Northeast, particularly history-rich New England. Bysiewicz noted that a special state commission has been appointed to plan for a 250th anniversary celebration. Tony Sheridan, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut's president and chief executive officer, said he was pleased with the turnout at the conference and the participation of all commerce chambers in the region, which hasn't always been the case. 'Our goal has been to get eastern Connecticut to speak as one voice in asking for the state's support and I think we've done that this year,' he said. Asked what's brought the groups together, Sheridan said, 'Everybody's scared.' 'The (pandemic) recovery money is drying up and with the state budget flat-funded, this is going to be a tough year,' he said. 'Compared to New York, we're not even funding tourism.' In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Connecticut's $4.5 million tourism marketing budget ranked below those of neighboring states, including New York ($60 million), Massachusetts ($16.7 million) and Rhode Island ($7.1 million). 'The big thing we're trying to do is get the administration to understand the value of tourism,' Chris Regan, chairman of the state-funded Eastern Regional Tourism District and an owner of Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, said. 'That $4.5 million should be $20 million to $25 million.' Without greater investment, the state and local tourism industry may not be in position to fully take advantage of the opportunities the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament as well as the 250th anniversary will present, Regan said. "We're right between New York and Boston, he said, referring to two World Cup venues.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former CT Senator Joe Crisco mourned by legislators; served 24 years in Senate
State legislators are mourning the death of former state Senator Joseph Crisco, who served 24 years in the legislature and had a long record of election victories. He died at home on Valentine's Day at the age of 90. Known as a moderate Democrat, Crisco served at the state Capitol during an extensive career under Govs. Lowell P. Weicker, John G. Rowland, M. Jodi Rell, and Dannel P. Malloy. Representing a swing district in the Naugatuck Valley, Crisco was often targeted in election campaigns by Republicans who said every two years that this was finally the year that they could defeat him. But Crisco continued winning every two years until finally being defeated in a tight race in November 2016 by Republican George Logan. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, a New Haven Democrat, said Crisco served during an era of bipartisanship and camaraderie that has been lacking in recent times now marked by high-pitched rhetoric. 'Joe Crisco was a friend and dedicated senator, who served the state of Connecticut with a dignified statesmanship that's become too uncommon in today's age of coarse politics,' Looney said. 'As chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, Joe championed policies that expanded access to care, but none were more personal than his advocacy for broader insurance coverage of breast cancer screenings. His work has saved lives and left a lasting impact on Connecticut. My thoughts are with his wife, Patricia, their family, and all who knew and loved him.' Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk, who started his career in the state House of Representatives, later served for 12 years in the Senate with Crisco. 'Joe was a steady and trusted voice for his constituents in the Naugatuck Valley,' Duff said. 'He was a champion for patients, a proponent of higher education, and a leader in advancing economic development. His impact will be felt for generations, and he will be deeply missed.' A native of the Fair Haven section of New Haven, Crisco later moved to Woodbridge and represented towns that included Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, and Naugatuck. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, a fellow Democrat, said that Crisco successfully handled the politics of a diverse district that includes Yale University professors living in Woodbridge and working class families throughout the valley. 'He was a very passionate champion for working people,' Bysiewicz told The Courant in an interview. 'He knew every corner of the Naugatuck Valley towns. People appreciated his authenticity and the way he was able to relate to everyone in his district, which is quite a diverse district.' Bysiewicz knew Crisco for his 24 years in the Senate as she was serving in the state House of Representatives and later as Secretary of the State. She recalled his work in helping to ban 'drive-through mastectomies' after women had been sent home early following breast cancer surgery in the 1990s. 'Women were getting infections,' Bysiewicz said. 'Women were getting sicker, and they were having many complications because of it.' In his pre-legislative days, Crisco attended Wilbur Cross High School and the Hopkins School. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Crisco played on the football team and met his future wife. He later earned a graduate degree in economics at Trinity College in Hartford. Crisco served on UConn's board of trustees, the State Board of Higher Education, the Governor's Commission on Financial Assistance for Higher Education, and the local Woodbridge school board. Aside from the legislature, Crisco worked as the director of government affairs for United Technologies Corp. in the days when the company was based at the Gold Building in downtown Hartford. He also worked during the years as an associate professor of economics at Quinnipiac College, Sacred Heart University, and the University of New Haven. Crisco was devoted to his large family and is survived by six children, 19 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He died at his home with his wife of 66 years, Pat, by his side. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 1 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Woodbridge. Burial will be private. The Capitol family After the 2016 election, Crisco looked back on his career in an essay that he wrote for The New Haven Register. 'There really is no better place to spend your time than in the General Assembly,' Crisco wrote. 'I really consider it my second home. The staff and the other legislators become your second family; you rely on them for advice, and for comfort, for support, and you come to trust their judgement. You have to because there are so many important issues we deal with.' Crisco's daughter, Jennifer, became part of the Capitol family when she visited her father with other family members on opening day of the 2001 legislative session, a day when the Capitol is traditionally filled with family members for the first day of the new term. A local newspaper photographer was seeking to take a picture of Jennifer and her young nephew, Trey, near the gold railing outside the Senate chamber. A Capitol police officer, Kevin Long, happened to be standing nearby and agreed to be included in the photo as he met the family members for the first time. After the photo was taken, Long received Jennifer's email address, and they soon started dating. Today, 24 years later, they are still married and have two daughters. Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
