Session 2021: The Good, the Bad, and the Budget

June 9th was the last night of the 2021 legislative session, though we are slated to return in a Special Session to debate a bill to implement the budget and the legalization of the adult use of marijuana sometime next week.

Before we get there, there are a few bills that passed this session that I would like to highlight. These summaries will give you a brief overview of these bills and how they affect all of us in Connecticut.

THE GOOD

HB 660 – Expands upon a 2019 bill, now Public Act 19-10, by offering workers’ compensation benefits to EMS providers, dispatchers, all Department of Correction employees, and healthcare workers, such as nursing home staff, who suffer from PTSD after witness injury to, or the death of, another person in the line of service.

HB 6517 – Creates the state Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities to formalize, enable and enforce a robust program of early detection and proven educational supports for students with dyslexia.

HB 6417 – Requires comprehensive background checks for camp counselors over the age of eighteen in order to protect our children from potential harm. This bill was amended to include coaches of youth sports as well.

HB 5597– An Act Concerning Opioids establishes a pilot program to allow for five new peer navigators that will help facilitate engagement between providers of treatment services, improve treatment retention rates, and increase the capacity of the community to support those in recovery from opioid addiction.

THE BAD

HB 6389 – This bill, now law, permits insurance companies to withhold the details of services provided to minor children from their parents/legal guardians, even if the parents/guardians are the policy holders. For example, a minor could seek treatment for STD or physical abuse, and while the parents would be billed for these services (if not fully covered), they would have no way of knowing what treatments were provided to their child.

HB 6423 – AAC Immunizations, which was quickly and quietly signed into law by Governor Lamont shortly after its passage in the House and Senate, eliminates the religious exemption from the state’s immunization requirement for K-12 students in both public AND private schools. The state constitution mandates that Connecticut provide a public education to all students, so it will be interesting to see how majority Democrats resolve this issue.

SB 2 – Provides certain services to school-aged children without parental consent. I supported an amendment that would require the state’s Commissioner of Education to create an education plan for all the children who will not be permitted to enter public and private K-12 school facilities now that the state has eliminated the religious exemption from the immunization requirement, but it failed.

HB 6687 – AAC Medical Assistance for Children & Adults Without Health Care Coverage would give undocumented immigrants access to free health care. A Republican amendment would have instead use these funds to assist veterans.

HB 6688 – AAC A Highway Use Fee would create a mileage tax on trucks in Connecticut. While this tax would not be charged directly to residents, the extra cost to trucking companies, and by extension, Connecticut businesses, would ultimately be passed onto consumers.

SB 908 – This bill reverses the 2019 US Supreme Court JANUS ruling, which protected workers from paying union dues when they do not wish to join one. This bill, which is now law in Connecticut, gives unions unfettered access to public employees within the workplace, blurring the lines between their work on behalf of the taxpayers, and union activities.

THE BUDGET

This year, the House of Representatives and State Senate passed the biennium budget on a bipartisan basis for the first time since 2017. The budget, while not perfect, stayed within our spending cap and did not include any major tax increases. It also fully funded education for the biennium and increased municipal aid to all three towns in our district.

I was happy to be able to support the budget this year, but it is important to note that the federal aid we have received because of COVID-19 will not last forever. When we sit down and create the next biennium budget, we won’t have these funds to fall back on. Essentially, this will create a massive cliff of needed revenue. I continue to be proud of our efforts to grow the Rainy Day Fund due to policies enacted in 2017, but I am worried that in 2023 increased taxes may be necessary to maintain what we are spending now. I am hopeful that we will be able to address these problems without increasing taxes while continuing to fund education.

Read more about the biennium budget on the CGA site or in the Hartford Courant. I will also provide a more detailed analysis once we debate the budget implementer bill next week.