SEYMOUR/BEACON FALLS – Funding the new fire training school in Beacon Falls was something supported by both sides of the aisle in the legislature but is now being put aside by the majority party and Governor Dan Malloy said State Rep. Nicole Klarides Ditria.

“The majority party continues to let Governor Dan Malloy run the show,” said Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “Democrats on the Bond Commission have the majority, they decide what is put on the agenda and what gets approved. It’s a shame that Governor Dan Malloy and the majority believe that bonding money for splash pads and giving more money to Hartford is more of a priority than funding a new training school for firefighters.”

Klarides-Ditria added, “This project was started by Governor Jodi Rell’s administration and Governor Dan Malloy continues to prevent the project from moving forward. Valley firefighters need a safe facility that will prepare them for the risks they face daily to protect our communities and family.”

The legislature authorized $26 million for fire schools and lawmakers called for the Bond Commission to allocate the needed $14 million from that pool of money. Because the project has languished, the approved 2016 bid for has since expired and it will have to be re-bid. Construction was supposed to be completed by January of 2018 but has never begun.

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SEYMOUR – State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria announced on Tuesday that improvements will be made by the Department of Transportation to the exit 22 on and off-ramps on Route 8.

Rep. Klarides-Ditria wrote a letter in 2017 asking the Department of Transportation to review the safety of the exit 22 on and off-ramps on Route 8 in both directions.

“I received many complaints that exit 22 on Route 8 was unsafe,” said Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “I want to thank the Department of Transportation for reviewing this matter and making the necessary improvements to the area to prevent accidents and keep residents safe.”

The DOT will enhance the visibility of the curve in the vicinity of exit 22 by installing signing and will relocate existing warning signs to warn drivers earlier of the curve. In addition, retroreflective delineators will be installed on the median barrier.

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HARTFORD – State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria said the revised Republican budget plan issued on Wednesday addresses the budget shortfall, restores the Medicare Savings Program in full, and will stabilize future state budgets.

“We need to focus on the future and not place today’s fiscal problems on the next generation,” said Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “Our plan prioritizes spending and will lead to a brighter future for Connecticut.”

The revised Republican budget proposal does the following:

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HARTFORD – Yesterday, the House unanimously passed legislation, introduced by House Republican Leader Themis Klarides and State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, which will provide consumers with better information regarding the safety of sports helmets.

The Klarides sisters brought this legislation forward after, Jason Klein of Force3 Pro Gear, a local Derby business, expressed his frustration that his company and others were unable to share their helmet safety test results with the public.

According to Klein, sports safety helmets are tested by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. The NOCSAE helmet standard uses a pass/fail threshold to determine whether or not a helmet meets the standard performance criteria. The NOCSAE pass/fail threshold is 1200 Severity Index units or SI. A helmet must test below 1200 SI in all 16 designated and random impact locations, including impacts at a helmet in ambient, high and low temperatures.

Klein said in testimony, “There’s been no place for an athlete or parent seeking helmet safety information to turn and no way for them to compare results with other helmets currently on the market.”

Rep. Klarides and Klarides-Ditria said in a joint statement, “Helmet manufacturers should be able to tell the public that their protective equipment is tested and safe. We want to thank Jason for bringing this forward. This legislation will keep athletes of all ages safe.”

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HARTFORD – State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria explained that the Graduate Employee Union Local 6950 approved by House Democrats on Friday would cost the state more than $15 million dollars over four years.

“A two percent increase for graduate teachers and research assistants at UConn will continue to increase the cost of tuition,” said Rep. Klarides –Ditria. “If this contract is approved by the Senate the benefits for a graduate employee would be nearly $40,000 a year. This contract is wrong in many ways and asking students and parents to pay more for tuition, so a select few can receive outrageous benefits, is unacceptable.”

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HARTFORD – House Republican Leader Themis Klarides and State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria applauded the bipartisan passage of House Bill 5407, An Act Establishing a Task Force to Promote Efficiencies in the Filing of Habeas Corpus Matters, on Tuesday.

The Klarides sisters introduced H.B. 5407, after seeing the problem first hand. The family of Joyce Stochmal, a young woman from Seymour who was murdered in 1984, did not receive notice from the Department of Criminal Justice that the defendant in their case had a viable habeas claim until very late in the process. In fact, the defendant in the case was released from prison last March through a sentence modification.

“It’s time for a major overhaul of the habeas corpus application system in Connecticut,” said Rep. Klarides. “Inmates are filing seemingly endless habeas corpus applications at the cost of taxpayers and victims. The Stochmal family and other families are not being well served by Connecticut’s criminal justice system. We need to improve the habeas corpus system and passing this bill will be the first step in that direction.”

Rep. Klarides-Ditria added, “I want to thank the Stochmal family for continuing to advocate for victims and their families. Victims’ families should come first and not notifying them of habeas corpus claims is unacceptable. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation.”

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