Good morning. Sound Bites will be back Monday after the holiday weekend.
Until then, here’s a bite-sized look at what we are hearing:
Connecticut’s Farm Bureau wants the state to reject proposed electric vehicle regulations. The proposal would stop the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. In a letter to the state General Assembly, the industry group claims the regulation would put already struggling farms into further debt with electric-powered trucks costing up to $80,000. There could be a delay in the transport of perishable products by relying on charging stations, or reduce the amount of product that can be efficiently transported, fed, fertilized and other tasks.
A Southampton lawyer intends to sue a retired state Supreme Court justice. Daniel Rodgers is seeking $25 million in damages in his libel suit against former judge Paul Baisley. Baisley referred Rodgers to a state grievance committee last August, in connection with the attorney’s representation of 14 fishermen seeking to use a part of the ocean beach in Napeague, known as Truck Beach. Rodgers led two protests on the beach claiming that a deed to the beach written in the 1880s allowed for fishing. The state Appellate Court has determined that Truck Beach is owned by nearby homeowners.
A 2022 Connecticut law is to blame for an increase in attacks on corrections officers, according to union officials. Known as the PROTECT Act, the law provides all inmates at least four hours out of their cells daily. This combined with a shortage of officers, allows inmates to easily overpower and attack guards. Union members want the state to “pull back” on these benefits for restricted inmates who often spark fights.
New York’s Adult Survivors Act will expire on Thanksgiving. Established last year, the one-year legal window allowed survivors of sexual assault to sue their alleged abusers no matter when the assault occurred. Over 2,500 lawsuits have been filed against the state, jail systems and high-profile individuals, including former President Donald Trump and actor Russell Brand. Once the window expires, survivors will be unable to sue abusers for assaults that happened many years ago.
A former Shelon police officer is reinstated after being improperly terminated earlier this year. Lieutenant David Moore was terminated by Chief Shawn Sequeira for allegedly covering up a domestic violence case. Connecticut’s arbitration panel investigated the firing and determined Sequeira assumed total control of Moore’s investigation. The panel ruled that Moore was denied due process. City officials plan to appeal this decision.
A homeowner is again suing the Town of Oyster Bay for illegally demolishing her house last year. Doina Almazon had to leave her house after significant damage was caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. She struggled to renovate the house for years amid insurance and financial disputes. Town officials decided to tear down the house after they deemed it a nuisance. Almazon is seeking $1.5 million.
Connecticut is offering two new opportunities to reduce air pollution. Organizations can apply for grants to cover 60% of the cost to replace large diesel engines and equipment with electric vehicles. They may also apply for grants to help deploy 1,000 megawatts of energy storage statewide by 2030. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says these technologies can reduce air pollution by 80% and save costs through reduced fuel consumption.
Suffolk County officials want to start to meet routinely to improve cybersecurity. This is in response to a series of ransomware attacks the county suffered beginning in 2022. Officials are considering a resolution to have information technology staff meet at least once a month to review the status of the county’s cybersecurity. The resolution also requested $1.6 million for software upgrades. The measure was tabled for more discussion Tuesday.
A lawsuit challenging New York’s COVID-19 quarantines was rejected. The appellate court determined the three Republican lawmakers who sued Gov. Kathy Hochul failed to show how people were harmed by the quarantines. The Republicans plan to appeal the case to the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. Over 81,000 people have died from COVID-19 related illnesses in New York since 2020.
Ralph Nader’s Winsted Citizen newspaper will shut down permanently. Andy Thibault, the paper’s editor and publisher, told reporters in a Monday memo that it failed to receive enough funding to keep itself afloat. It will be shut down by their parent company, the Connecticut News Consortium. The local monthly broadsheet newspaper has produced nine issues since beginning in February.
A former UConn quarterback will play QB for the New York Jets starting on Friday. Middletown native Tim Boyle joined the Jets in April but was promoted to QB after the team was disappointed with Zach Wilson’s performance this season. Boyle played for the Huskies football team from 2013-2015 before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University.
