Good afternoon! It’s the first day of March — and a whole new month of interesting stories.
Speaking of, Connecticut students from kindergartners to high school seniors will receive free school meals for the rest of the school year. This was made possible by the School Meals 4 All CT nonprofit coalition and $60 million in new state funding after the program became cash-strapped in late 2022. Legislators are considering funding free meals for future years.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Bradley International Airport will receive $5 million to construct a new baggage handling system and 16 new airline ticket counters. This grant from the Federal Aviation Administration is part of the second round of funding from the $5 billion Airport Terminals Program with the goal of improving aging airport infrastructure across the country.
Former Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin will chair the newly formed political action committee after losing the race for governor of New York last November. The Leadership America Needs Committee is designed to attract a new, diverse generation of young voters, specifically Millennial and Gen Z, to the GOP by 2024. After losing the primary against Governor Kathy Hochul, former Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi has joined global consulting firm Actum LLC as a co-chair.
Ninety-nine sheep and one goose were rescued from unsuitable living conditions on a farm in Beacon Falls, Connecticut. The state Department of Agriculture receivedseveral complaints about the farm last month and was forced to remove the animals as a last resort due to the owner’s inability to improve their care for the animals. Excess wool growth, bald patches, worsening skin conditions and overgrown hooves were found on several sheep.
Members of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council are urging legislators to pass two bills that restore and improve the Shore Line East rail service to pre-pandemic status. The bills would purchase new rail cars for the Waterbury and Danbury branches of the New Haven rail line, expand service on those branches, and provide fare-free public bus services.
A housing group CEO was arrested during a state health budget hearing in Albany on Tuesday. Charles King, of the AIDS supportive nonprofit Housing Works, along with other protestors, opposed changes set to alter the state’s Medicaid pharmacy program that would limit nonprofits from accessing prescription drugs and drug discounts — but save $1 billion over two years. The protestors were arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave the hearing during a recess period.
The operators of New England’s electric grid expect the region will gain 2.4 million more electric vehicles over the next decade. Public transit and personal vehicles are expected to become more reliant on electric sources which will, in turn, require an upgrade to the region's charging infrastructure. Eversource and United Illuminating have an incentive program in Connecticut to help reduce costs for customers interested in installing charging stations.
Governor Lamont introduced plans to deal with Connecticut’s worsening trash management system. The proposed Extended Producer Responsibility program would fund a new system by charging producers of product packaging, and allow residents access to better separate common trash from food scraps by 2028. Some residents in opposition view the plan as a pathway for the government to gain complete control over the recycling industry.
Four Ferrari sports cars were stolen from a service center in Nassau County last weekend. Police are looking for three people who reportedly smashed their way in, stole key fobs, and fled the area with the sports cars.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called on Robert Megna to serve as state budget director. He held the same role from 2009 through 2015, achieving the state's highest financial rating in 40 years. Megna will also help in the search for a permanent replacement before returning as President of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and senior advisor to the SUNY Chancellor.
More than half of infants and toddlers in New York who were eligible for therapeutic and support services from the state did not receive all of them, according to a new audit of the Early Intervention Program. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said state Department of Health should improve management of the program and eliminate barriers to care. He also found Black and Hispanic children were less likely to be referred for services, and COVID-19 created problems in accessing services.
