Connecticut Lawmakers; 308

On Connecticut lawmakers. Town officials demonstrate for state a Judiciary Committee moves on the gun Bill Lloyd Webber's reports on the legislature's fiscal agency. From Washington another look at education. Another vote against a state contract. Welcome to this week's edition of Connecticut lawmakers sitting in town officials put together a different kind of demonstration at the state capitol of this week. This one to draw attention to their pleas for continued stay day. It was not your typical demonstration. City and town officials from around Connecticut sent trucks to the state capitol to call attention to the White Horse state they. Had issues with their share of funds from the deal with the Foxwoods Casino or slot machine revenue.

Miss what officials want to continue to receive an estimated 85 million dollars from the fund established last year you state legislature. The demonstration. Apparently. What. All the mayor of the town the city the state were notified at they arranged a meeting with the leadership of the General Assembly and we met with the senator Lawson this morning and I think the early riser that all the trucks coming out certainly had something to do with this and obviously all the letters and faxes that on behalf of the city could not take this rally. But we've been assured that the 85 million dollars that was ever put in the governor's budget and his bi annual budget is going to remain there in the town the city will receive that money. I think the lobby made a difference because this all began over 10 days ago and you know it was an honest effort put forward to some some in the media got out that this was a cover some bridge lack of protest and tying up the city and that there was never any intention of tying up the city or hop it. We just wanted to get in here early and make up point

and let you know that the small towns and cities and throughout the state are struggling under the mandates that have been passed in previous administrations and I no longer have funded and it's been made our jobs terribly hard on the local level. So finally what you've got is the mayors and cities of the cities and the first selectman all the towns coming together and saying hey enough is enough we got to do something about property tax the state taxes the most spends the most power the most and the taxpayers got to pay the most and I think that this is an honest effort and might be a good effort to establish a partnership back with the state that we can work together to put through property tax relief. So we're happy about it and clearly you know we're really downtrodden over a week ago and this is a good morning for us and we feel successful thankful thankful for all the counties Litchfield Hills and the center of the central part of the state northeastern communities along together a bipartisan effort. This money for your money.

Great. Just on that alone I think truly looking at tax increases we assured them that the money that we put forward in the budget last year would be there for them this year and that's specifically they have referenced and we have indicated for them in this year's budget well 88 million is what we put in last year 85 was in the governor's budget. There's a little short out as we go through the process but conceptually Yes we've indicated that what they received last year as part of a family. What about the question of the education funding is that going to change. Yes we feel that after talking with Senator Kevin Sullivan and talking to the members of the house in our in our appropriations chair Joe Harper the subcommittee reports are such that they are calling for the restoration of the eight million dollars that was taken out of D.C.'s back into the budget.

What effect did this lobbying effort have if any. Well I think it's always important to hear from your local elected officials. I think both the both of our urban and suburban regions of the state of Connecticut are very concerned. They know the constraints they were under they know a potential with the potential problems of uncompensated healthcare salary increases that are on the horizon the lack of appropriate monies in our budget system. Sixty million dollars in new initiatives that the governor has proposed all of creating the problem for General Assembly so they're concerned as they themselves have to deal with their own problems in each district. If you didn't get this money what practical effect does it have on your city Bridgeport. It would have a devastating effect on the. Running the police department the fire department public works in just about everything. There is no part of the budget that would be sacred when you lose that kind of money. We've come to rely on it as a equitable distribution for citizens. So it's critical that a small town big city effort here today something new happening here. I think so I think what you're seeing is city

towns are realizing they're on the same boat. And the symbolism of the dump trucks could mean a variety of things from before don't dump on us to where we circle the wagons together coming together as a as a sign of unity I think that's important. That first truck I think somebody said you were driving it now. It was from Bridgeport. If you saw me drive it don't tell anybody. State lawmakers have voted this week to lift regulation on hospitals here in Connecticut. Near regulation would last the rest of this year but next January the state would limit hospital revenues and then review the impact of the past legislation. Members of the Judiciary Committee in a close vote moved out three gun bills this week that they hope will get a debate on the floor. The legislature's Judiciary Committee has voted out three gun control bills that are now headed for House and Senate floor debate. The Bills in part would raise the age for handgun ownership from 18 to 21.

Expand the number of so-called assault weapons that were part of a bill passed a year ago. The measures would also prohibit pawnbrokers from selling any type of firearms. The chief sponsor of the gun control bill is State Senator George Jepsen of Stanford who lobbied for committee support. As you probably are aware a Judiciary Committee has traditionally been the graveyard of gun control legislation our first priority was to get a vehicle out that we could then work with on the floor of the House and Senate. The bill that we did get out isn't everything we wanted. It's lacking certifications for example in the area of licensing that we would like to see. Yeah. It's more than well over half a loaf and a very good start. It has a very important focus on choking off the illegal black market for guns that currently exist most guns in criminals hands start out as legal sales in one place or another. And by introducing a strict tracking system of all sales registration of all

sales and new definitions of dealerships choking off sales by pawnbrokers and most importantly by introducing a very strong strict liability criminal liability for those who illegally sell a gun that is subsequently used in a crime. We'll start to get that black market it won't happen overnight but it will work. And you also add to the assault bill that passed last year. Yes what we said last year we passed the solvents ban was it as. Additional weapons right then applied that fit the criteria for an assault weapon we would attempt to amend the statute and prove it if you will and that's what we did we had certain weapons that clearly fit the description of an assault weapon and so it was more complete less the less we start out with last year was a good lesson. It really does deal with 90 plus percent of the assault weapons on the street. But it's about us now. The bill last year now is in court as that action changed the vote. Do you think you're in the house or in the Senate this year the fact that it's still in court and a decision is pending.

Well we'll certainly see in a few weeks the difficult piece from from my side is that all it would take is to lose a single vote in the Senate or or a couple of votes in the house and we would we would not be able to pass this change in someone's life. I think if anything the public outrage at random violence is grown in the last year and I've had legislators who voted against the assault weapons bill last year come to me and say that they are interested in taking another look so it's my hope that well will our current majority of one or increase of cloture vote both chambers. I've learned that with gun control it's always a close vote and you're scrambling right up until the very last. Second of all of the votes that you have so expected up by opponents of the gun bill say they will fight to defeat the bills when they are debated and they promised a court fight if that's necessary when it comes to fiscal matters members of the state legislature have their own panel of experts to help them with budgetary decisions.

Lloyd Wimbush has this background report. The governor has his budget director but the legislature as the office of fiscal analysis to deal with the important issues of taxes and spending. The U.S. plays a key role in the budget process the importance of our offices it gives the legislature independence in the budget process that gives them the opportunity that analyze the governor's budget and analyze their own alternatives to the governor's budget. When it comes to money the legislature heavily depends on the office of fiscal analysis it provides staff support to the finance and appropriations committees in the analysis of the governor's proposed budget and our staff will help the subcommittee go through the governors budget develop their own alternatives and then help them presenting the budget to the full committee provide background information that they may need the finance committee the finance committee. We first of all provide base revenue estimates compared to the governors in this particular time. Our revenue estimates are 60 million less than the governor so right away it tells the legislature there's a

60 million gap they have to deal with in developing their own budget alternative. The legislature's Budget Office is projecting a surplus of. One hundred and thirty three million dollars for the current fiscal year what they receives a lot of attention during many of the House and Senate debates. It analyzes the fiscal impact of all money bills during the current session or if A is expected to provide some twenty five hundred fiscal notes on bills and some amendments. The physical no process is intended to assure that every bill that's going to the House and the Senate has a cost impact on it or a revenue loss impact. These bills may be bypassing the fiscal committees and this will tell the House and Senate do these bills need to go back to the fiscal committees for consideration with the main budget document the office also helps individual lawmakers who are seeking information on taxes spending or other budget issues. Oftentimes they want to look at. Property tax

reductions or sales tax reductions eliminating certain services under the sales tax and we could tell him how much money we we'd lose or or gain if they were looking for additional revenues for new programs. Only if analysts are also assigned to review the budgets for the state agencies that includes the Department of Corrections. Each person in the office responsive for a different executive agency. I happen to be doing private corrections in a little bit of higher education and what happens is we're in contact with those agencies all year long determining in analyzing how they're spending their money in the different accounting item lines and at that when the budget comes to be determined by the legislature they send that information over to us through OPM and we kind of translated basically for the legislators and tell them how they're how that agency has been spending their money. The Appropriations Committee received information from a white face when the panel rejected a contract that would have given prison guards pay raises of three point seven percent.

Yes we do cost out the contracts form and provide them this information that will assist them in making the decision. And also they use our numbers as to what balance is available in the budget. In this case they determined that there was not additional funds in the budget for salary increases. Keeping track of the economy in Connecticut is also another major role for the office. Does he provide revenue and economic forecasts. We started with the forecast from the national economy. Then we look at how that relates with what's going on in Connecticut. We take a for we look at the forecast for the Connecticut economy and then it is on that basis that we forecast our revenue for the state. Recently the office issued a report on the governor's plan to repeal local property taxes on cars and business equipment. The state cannot afford to finance the governor's tax God unless taxes are raised to pay for rate cuts in major state programs that would have to

occur in order to have the surpluses that the governor planned on for his program in a later part of our analysis we said that even after you make those cuts to the state budget our surpluses that would be available for the property tax relief program were less than his. And so if the legislature was to do a program it might have to be somewhat smaller than that he had hoped for. Reports are also prepared on the state's current fiscal condition and budget projections. The assistant director of the office Robert Harris spends a lot of time analyzing the budget and working on the spending cap. There is some understanding that there is trying to be a compromise worked out on some changes to that language. And the House of Representatives will have first shot at that this year. It's uncertain at this point just what will happen with that. However in the meantime we're operating under the current statutory language policy management prepares calculations for the governor's budget and I've been the one

who's been doing it for the legislature. Your analysis also lacks the sort of budget police the agency monitors the operation of state government to ensure that the legislative intent of the budget is carried out by the various agencies. Lloyd Wimbush for Connecticut lawmakers from Washington asking more from education in addition to the three Rs. Kathleen Koch has this report. Reading writing and arithmetic some say those three R's need to be bolstered by a capital C for character. A bipartisan group of eight senators is calling for character education not just in schools but in all appropriate public and private programs. The core elements they propose are those promoted by a national group called the character counts coalition. So there they are process where they respect responsibility justice and fairness. Carrie virtue and citizenship. And we want to do what we can to promote them across America.

From time to time in the very near future we will be working on ways to cause these character characteristics of character to be put in as many American programs as they fit. Perhaps job training some parts of the Education Center say they are disturbed by the erosion of the country's morals and values. For some time I have been concerned that in the United States of America we've gone from being a progressive society to being a permissive society that we've been going from a society based on virtue and balance and have deteriorated into violence and all Garrett. That is not what the United States of America is about and that is not what the United States of America. There is no doubt that in the last character values assumed their traditional importance in our country than anything that we do in war.

It's going to be at best marginal. We're going to try our part to pass anti-crime bills and health care reform bills and welfare reform bills and yes they will help but all timidly so many of the profound problems that our society faces are only going to be solved by individual demonstrations of character. Actor Tom Selleck the national spokesperson for the character counts coalition admits many believe their cause is hopeless. There's a lot of skepticism saying you can't teach character or young people have gone too far to be rescued. We say now I think we're all horrified at the headlines we see every day that demonstrate demonstrate acts without conscience and without consequence now we believe in consequences. But we'd like to work very hard on the conscience end of that equation. The former principal of an inner city Chicago school that was turned around by Character

Education insists it's never too late to teach positive values. Character belongs in the lives of the nation. If we could transform the lives of children in Woodlawn we can all reach back and transform the lives of the children in America. And in doing so transform our own minds. We have to all come together and collectively believe that we can do this. Selek says he was surprised at how quickly educators embraced the idea of teaching character in school. We feel that for too long teachers haven't been granted the permission to talk about right and wrong. They've been constrained I get this from our American Federation of Teachers as part of our coalition and I was frankly quite surprised they came on board until I saw their frustration. The senators are introducing a joint resolution to encourage schools communities individuals and organizations to begin character education programs. They also want the president to designate seven days in October as National Character Counts Week in Washington

Kathleen Koch for Connecticut lawmakers the Appropriations Committee this week voted against another state workers contract citing again a lack of money. The Appropriations Committee rejected a pay raise for prison guards this week following a public hearing with the guards union testified before the committee. Making a plea for support of an arbitrated contract. I was at a garner the night of the riot last April and one thing that stuck out of in my mind was. When the dogs got there from Somers thing was over. And you know watching your tape there was one spot there where I had heard dogs barking. Where dogs you more often when they're. Asked Mr. Meacham that you're asked to ask Mr. Meacham that Mr. Meacham has made this an inmate friendly society. And it's

sad that we always forget the victims in ninety nine point nine percent of the time when you sentence him and you tell him they're bad they come to us. And we become the victims. Our job as legislators is to appropriate funds and to draft laws you folks of the folks that are on the front line to use your own term. It's incumbent upon you to advise us whether changes have been made. I think that's why I ask questions. They have made sure there have been no changes that I have seen following the presentation by the prison guards committee members. Explain why the contract was going to be rejected. The chair would ask for a motion for an unfavorable report. Let's move deserve a second. There's a second there any discussion. I would just like to comment for the record. As I indicated in the two previous arbitration awards

this action in my opinion is necessary because of issues of merit or justification for the pain creases. I like many members of this committee I think. Was very moved by the testimony and the presentation by the APS me Union and the corrections officers through both statements and video. However unfortunately our jurisdiction today by the rules of the assembly is limited to the issue of physical ability to pay. Money has not been budgeted for any pay raises for fiscal years 94 95. At this point in the legislative process with respect to the budget adjustment bill for fiscal year 95 while there has been some interest expressed by members of the assembly to fund all pay raises and I do believe if we're going although in theory some argue you should take them on a

contract by contract basis I think we all know the reality. If we're going to fund one agreement there will be just as many arguments to justify funding and the others that come before us. At this point in this process again as I've indicated although some people wish to fund these agreements these arbitration worms I have yet to hear from the same individuals as to where they would either make Cox and the FIA 94 or 95 operating budgets or whether nothing are prepared to support tax increases so that we fulfill our ultimate obligation which is to bring out here a biennial budget correct the current bi annual budget so that it balances. And I would hope that in the next few weeks we will have an opportunity as a legislature and as this committee continues its deliberations on the budget to at least send a consistent message and that is that this contract and award is not going to stand and kind of

changes in the operation of the system. And I think we've heard about and continue to hear about must be at least as forcefully recommended by this legislature as the action we take today. We thought for sure. That the. Appropriations Committee would look beyond just. The mere dollars and look at the total picture. This bargaining unit what the men and women do on the front lines in our prisons and jails and take into consideration the concessions that they've already made to the tune of over 11 million dollars in the last three years and including a number of earlier retirements than normal where we've lost a lot of our senior people. When you look at that period of time during the concessionary period we not only gave in dollars but we gave them blood. And to me that's the biggest tragedy of all in this unit that wow the state was going through concessions. It was not filling positions sorely needed in the Department of Corrections the man the jails in the prisons. So as the inmate population was escalating backfilling correctional officer

positions on the front lines was not keeping pace. At the same time gangs and gangbangers and gang violence in the prisons was escalating during that same period of time. And it seemed to be that it was more important to watch the money than protect the officers in the safety and security measure and that's what we really resent. Do you think the committee has made a mistake. They appear to be taking all these contracts collectively rather than individually. No I think there are two answers to that. Certainly every collective bargaining unit can make its case and certainly the Department of Corrections unit can make its case. But the overriding question still remains to be the integrity or lack thereof of the collective bargaining process. This is the General Assembly that put the law on the books for an orderly flow of collective bargaining including the arbitration process and is on the verge of rendering that null and void. It seems to be saying that wages are no longer negotiable they're subject to

only legislated that was not part of the bargain when we entered into concessions. The quid pro quo was clear extend the current agreements are for three more years wagering openers in the third year of all of those contracts. And if the economy started to perk up as it has and we're seeing some black ink for change reward the workers who paid paid at the office so to speak both in this unit and in all the other bargain to get us using this legislature might find some money be bored in this short session is there another step know for you what do you think it's over for now. Well I hope it's not over my understanding is that they don't join in till May 4th and been around the legislative process for a number of years and I've come to know that so long as they're in session things happen often times I'm not too happy with what happens but. I'm sure there's the wherewithal if they want to. The fine money see that if there's a real criticism of what is being portrayed now. Is that somebody in the

budget office decided to put a zero in the personal services item. And use that zero which I think was breaking with faith. In in accordance with the C back concession agreement and followed their own thinking that simply because you put zero in the wage line item that you don't have the ability to pay. They've demonstrated that when they want to find money for different programs and projects they could find they could find it for the men and women of this unit and every other bargaining unit. As far as I'm concerned. There was some dramatic testimony from some of your workers as a mood of your colleagues the mood of the workers the motiv the workers the short answer is What are they choosing. They put enough money versus safety. This guard forces gone through such a period of violence over seventeen hundred and fifty officers have been assaulted during the concession period by inmates. Those are real numbers but the numbers are their fathers their mothers

their sons their daughters their families that have been disrupted by the violence that goes on. All in the name of biting the bullet. They won't buy that. The men and women on the front lines know a little bit about safety security and they know how to temper it. You know the wage issue and they went to the bargaining table with the Kemper wage position. They only asked for three and three quarters. And they only asked for it for a six month period of time which demonstrates that they respected the budget constraints but at the same time they'll never give up on telling people when it's continued to be unsafe at the workplace. Seabass made a comment and I and I really get it. Upset to hear this kind of a comment. That they put 0 in the budget and therefore. You can't get a pay raise. If only they could do something to order no violence in the workplace. I said in testimony if you can guarantee our safety then come and talk to us. And that's this week's edition of Connecticut lawmakers. I'm Bob Douglas.

And we do thank you for joining. Us.