In This Issue:



On The Marble

New Legislator Spotlight

Municipal Roundup

Federal Focus

CT Agency Corner

This Day in CT History

This Week's News:

A coming debate over the supply, demand and politics of CT electric rates

Dem leaders introduce flagship energy bill concept

Labor Committee resurrects bill to regulate warehouse quotas

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

The title of my article from this week is from Mark Twain who once famously said there are three types of lies in life. How that runs on a parallel track with one stat of the session is very interesting.

The legislative session in less than two weeks has already filed over 1,000 pieces of legislation and is on track to eclipse past records for the most proposed and committee bill counts of any legislation session date.

That said, this stat can be deceiving on a number of different levels so it’s important to consider the following when hearing it for the first time:

(1) There are some representatives and senators that have filed on their own a lion’s share of this total number. Senator Rob Sampson (R-Southington) has filed 211 bills this session which won’t even include the total number of amendments that will likely be filed on bills during the year.

(2) In a long session, both proposed and committee bills are able to advance and be adopted. This is in comparison to the short session which requires vetting by committees to determine what bills should be drafted.

(3) While the deadline for filing a proposed bill is today, the raised committee bill deadline is February 19th and 20th respectively so there’s a good chance a lot of the proposed bills that have been drafted could find their way into other committee bills being raised.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the volume, but consider these factors as we report on introduced legislation this year.

In this new segment, we sit down with newly elected Representative Joe Canino to learn more about his inspirations, the challenges of legislative work, and his approach to leadership. From his admiration for economic thinkers, to his belief in working across the aisle, Representative Canino is ready to represent the needs of his constituents while striving for balanced, thoughtful policy solutions.

Read on for insights into his personal and professional journey as he embarks on this exciting chapter.

Representative Joe Canino

District 65

Torrington

What inspired you to pursue a career as a legislator?

Joe Canino: “I had the opportunity to run for the town that I grew up in (Torrington). I grew up in Torrington public schools, played in Torrington recreational sports, and many other different things like Civil Air Patrol and ROTC. The town did a lot for me and I wanted to give back to the town that raised me. The other part of it is the direction that the state has been going in, it has gotten unaffordable and taxes have been way too high and I wanted to be able to do something about it.”

Is there something you previously thought about the State Capitol that changed when you took office?

Joe Canino: “It is definitely a big change going from the guy taking notes on committee meetings to being the guy speaking at them. Additionally, everyone tells you that you’ll be busy when you get in there, but you don’t realize how busy you actually are until you’re there. It’s also about balancing your legislative work with your constituent work. You can dive into legislation and really research, but you also need to take the time to pick up the phone when a constituent calls and connect them with the services they need.”

Who are some of your role models or people who have influenced your approach to leadership?

Joe Canino: “Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman are two of my big ideological role models. I’ve read a lot of their books and have subscribed of their macroeconomic ideas because at the end of the day it comes down to the economy really.”

What are some of your interests or hobbies outside of politics?

Joe Canino: “I am a big chess player. I play the ukulele and the drums. I also like to sing karaoke."

What is your favorite chess piece and why?

Joe Canino: “My favorite piece is the Bishop. The Bishop pair working together can slice across the whole board.”

What do you want people to know about you as a legislator?

Joe Canino: “Like many of my colleagues, I am willing to work across the aisle. A lot of my personal beliefs are definitely on the conservative side, but I do believe the best policy is made when there is input from both sides. Compromise is the key to good policy.”

The Connecticut State Board of Education granted initial approval to five proposed charter schools, moving them closer to legislative review and potential funding approval. Among the approved schools are PROUD Academy in Ansonia, originally a private LGBTQ+-focused middle school now transitioning to a tuition-free model, and Taino CoLAB, which aims to prepare high school students for future careers and leadership with courses in AI, biotech, and social impact. Two Stamford-based schools, OLAM Public Charter School and Stamford Big Picture Learning Academy were also approved alongside a campus for Taino CoLAB in New Haven. Supporters, including educators and parents, highlighted the transformative potential of these schools, emphasizing smaller class sizes, individualized learning, and inclusive environments. However, the Connecticut Education Association opposed the approvals, citing concerns over inequity and insufficient public school funding.

Connecticut requires legislative approval for new charter schools, making it unique among states. This two-tiered process, introduced in 2015, ensures transparency and community input through public hearings and legislative review. The state currently hosts 21 charter schools with additional funding approved for two more in 2023. Recent developments, such as the launch of the North Star Fellowship, signal a push for more charter schools in Connecticut. This program, supported by organizations like LEAD and The Mind Trust, provides coaching and resources for aspiring charter school founders. Despite challenges, advocates remain optimistic about expanding educational options to address unmet needs in underserved communities.

Switching gears to a hot topic in recent years, Representative Jaime Foster has proposed a statewide ban on "nip" alcohol bottles, citing concerns about drinking and driving, as well as road safety issues raised by her constituents. Nips, small 50-milliliter bottles, generate significant revenue through a five-cent surcharge paid by beverage distributors to municipalities, totaling millions annually. Critics of the ban argue that the surcharge funds valuable litter cleanup efforts and that nips are not a primary cause of impaired driving. Supporters of the ban emphasize the environmental and safety risks, while opponents, including industry representatives, caution against banning the bottles, suggesting alternative solutions for litter and public safety concerns. The proposal has been referred to the General Law Committee for further consideration.

A Federal Surprise

In the last few days, Connecticut made a pretty big discovery. You can say some of our fiscal leaders looked under the couch cushions, checked under the car seats, and looked in their pockets before doing laundry to find a $300M plus surprise. What a find! Since congress awarded over $2.7B in emergency funding a few years ago, it turns out that interest earned on millions of these investments have yielded a $340M windfall. If you read this article on the topic, you will find a larger description of how this happened and maybe a look at some of the always fun blame game. Today our focus is on the ever present connection between the federal government’s treasury department and Connecticut’s dependence on their funds.

For the past few years we have been utilizing dollars from COVID related emergency funding at a significant rate. How does a state spend $2.7B plus dollars in four years before the expiration date of 2024? In a myriad of ways… with a deep focus on ensuring towns have the autonomy to pick priorities. Now that those dollars have been accounted for in Connecticut as of December 31, 2024, we thought things were done when it came to ARPA and COVID related funding. That’s why the news of our recently found fortune is a welcome sign. According to treasury department guidance from last month, “recipients can place funds in interest-bearing accounts, do not need to remit interest to Treasury, and are not limited to using that interest for eligible uses under the SLFRF award.” It’s true. This statement would have placed a restriction on the new found treasure; but what happens to these dollars now that we have since passed the December 31, 2024 deadline? They will be going to the general fund according to OPM. With the Governor’s budget address and presentation of the budget outline approaching in February, the big question is: what does our administration and legislative leadership want to do with these funds? There are hundreds and thousands of ideas already out there, and we shall see just what they are thinking as the dust settles from this new found bucket. As usual, we can thank the federal government for sliding in at just the right time. 

This week, the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee (OSAC) approved $58.6 million in funding a Housing as Recovery initiative. Overseen by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, OSAC was formed to ensure the proceeds received by the state, as part of the national opioid litigation settlement agreements, are allocated appropriately. The Housing as Recovery program aims to improve recovery outcomes by ensuring stable housing for individuals with opioid use disorder. The huge expenditure comes after frustration from advocates over the slow pace of approvals over the last two years.

Homelessness and addiction are deeply linked, and experts have stressed that providing stable housing can significantly improve the odds of recovery for those struggling with addiction. OSAC’s decision comes at a time when Democrats have pledged to prioritize legislation around zoning, homelessness, and eviction reform during the 2025 legislative session. How state agencies and lawmakers continue to address these issues will be a major focus over the next six months.

January 17: Hartford Takes an Electrifying Gamble on a Generator Named "Mary Ann"

On January 17, 1901, the Hartford Electric Light Company (HELCO) took a major — and somewhat risky — step into the steam-powered future with the delivery of a huge, innovative, first-of-its-kind steam-turbine-powered generator. The massive 90,000-pound machine arrived on a custom-designed railroad car following a long journey from the Westinghouse Machine Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it was manufactured as a special order. HELCO’s advanced approach to electrification had previously made the company the first to engage in long-distance electrical transmission, and Hartford the first city in America to have all-electric street lighting.

After the machine was offloaded in downtown Hartford near Asylum Avenue, a team of engineers carefully transferred it onto a series of rollers and slowly moved it — as gingerly as if they were moving a house — to HELCO’s Pearl Street power plant.

The generator, which Company employees nicknamed “Mary-Ann,” was intended to augment — and eventually replace — a series of hydro-electric generators that HELCO had been using since the 1870s to help power the city. With then-wealthy Hartford experiencing a rapid increase of both commercial industry and population, electric demand was threatening to outpace supply, and so HELCO decided to gamble on installing one of Westinghouse’s giant steam-turbine generators — technology so new, it hadn’t even been tested.

After Mary-Ann arrived in Hartford, it took several months for her to start producing electricity as engineers worked out quirks in the turbine’s design and became familiar with its operation. Perhaps the most unexpected discovery was that Mary-Ann would require a water supply equivalent to the entire amount of water Hartford then took in from the Connecticut River, to operate at capacity. To solve this problem, engineers constructed three massive cooling towers that would re-collect the turbine’s expended steam and condense it into reusable water, greatly reducing the demand for water from the Connecticut. In early October, almost nine months after she had been delivered, engineers “flipped the switch” and Mary-Ann sprang into operation, making the Hartford Electric Light Company the first public utility in the United States to generate electricity using steam power.

Assured of having adequate generating capacity, HELCO next took a gamble on its customers, becoming an early innovator in the field of consumer electrical products. Not only was it a pioneer in the wiring aspect of home electrification, it advanced and promoted a series of electric consumer products conceived of and developed by HELCO management and engineers. Among these were the electric refrigerator, an electric oven and cooktop, battery storage for electric automobiles, and electric fans. An electrifying gamble on technology helped spark the future, today in Connecticut history.

To view the full story on the CT Historian's website, click here.