Good morning — A Connecticut state trooper was killed in a hit-and-run on Interstate 84 in Southington on Thursday.
Police say Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was making a traffic stop just before exit 31 when he was hit outside of his police cruiser by a passing vehicle. The driver was located soon after and is in custody.
Pelletier’s injuries were fatal and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a nine-year veteran with the Connecticut State Police.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has rejected a rate hike request from one of the state's water companies. The Connecticut Water Company requested a $21.8 million rate hike in October. State Attorney General William Tong said that would have raised rates by about 18%. PURA instead approved a $3 million hike, which will increase the average customer’s rate by 2.5%.
The Long Island Power Authority seeks a new contractor to manage its electric grid. PSEG Long Island’s contract expires at the end of next year. The new contract will be for a 10-year term with the option to extend by five years. It will also include more customer protections when it comes to storm recovery, and give LIPA the option to move certain clean energy responsibilities over to the state. PSEG Long Island has been widely criticized for its response to power outages post Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020. The state had attempted to allow LIPA to distribute electricity themselves, but it failed to pass.
Lamont vetoes municipal contracting bill. Gov. Ned Lamont blocked a bill that would have doubled the maximum value that Connecticut cities and towns could be exempt from doing sealed bidding — when all of the applications for projects are reviewed at the same time, rather than on a rolling basis — from $25,000 to $50,000. Lamont’s veto comes at the time of increased scrutiny after former state official Kosta Diamantis was charged with extortion and bribery related to bids for school construction.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a "Youth Worker Bill of Rights" to help educate and protect first-time workers in New York. The bill of rights includes information about minimum wage and safe workplace requirements, as well as how to file a complaint against an employer. The document is supposed to be offered to young workers, educators and administrative staff —and will also be available online.
Leora Levy lost her seat on the Republican National Committee. Levy, a member of the Connecticut Republican Party, lost her seat to Annalisa Stravato. Levy defeated Themis Klarides, a 2016 Trump delegate, for the GOP nomination in 2022. Stravato, of Wilton, is a former vice chair of the state GOP and longtime Trump supporter.
There’s a new CEO of UConn Health. Dr. Andy Agwunobi, a pediatrician, has been appointed CEO and will earn a base salary of $800,000 annually. He will be in charge of a hospital system that has seen significant revenue growth in recent years but faces challenges due to lower rates for Medicaid-Medicare patients. Agwunobi previously led UConn Health between 2014-22.
New Connecticut schools need all-gender bathrooms. Starting July 2025, Connecticut is set to require all-gender bathrooms in all schools as part of a bonding bill. Lawmakers said the goal is to reduce bullying and harassment of transgender students by giving them a safe, single-user restroom. Advocates argue that gender-neutral bathrooms can reduce bullying and improve students' mental and physical health. The bill now goes to Governor Lamont for his signature.
