Rep. Hoxha Issues Statement on Vote to Advance Arbitration Award Authorizing Pandemic Payment to State Workers

HARTFORD – Rep. Joe Hoxha, R-Bristol, issued the following statement on the advancement of H.R. 26 and S.R. 26, which authorize the payment of an arbitration award for more than 34,000 state employees in the amount of $49 million for additional pandemic pay.

The Appropriations Committee voted to advance the legislation on Thursday during its meeting and the measures now await passage on the floors of the Senate and House. The legislation authorizes payments – ranging from just over a $100 to thousands of dollars – to state workers and members of the Connecticut National Guard.  The award was split between “high risk” and “low risk” state employees and who worked in person between March 2020 and March 2021.

Rep. Hoxha, a member of the Appropriations Committee, voted yes to authorizing the payments, but noted his reservations. A recording of his comments can be seen here.

“Many of the state employees who showed up to work during the pandemic were our state troopers, Department of Correction guards and state healthcare workers who were on the frontlines during a pandemic that was extremely difficult for everyone, whether you were in the public, or private sector,” Rep. Hoxha said. “And though I voted yes to approve the award, I still believe that we should find additional funds for those in retail, the trades and other frontline jobs who also had direct daily exposure to COVID yet continued to show up each day for our communities.”

About $35 million from federal ARPA dollars has already been budgeted for the expenditure.

Rep. Hoxha can be contacted at Joe.Hoxha@housegop.ct.gov or (800) 842-1423 with any questions or concerns related to state government. You can also follow his legislative activity by visiting his website, www.cthousegop.com/hoxha/ or on Facebook here.