Local legislators' to-do lists for 2014 General Assembly

February 01, 2014 11:00 pm • Last Updated: February 05, 2014 11:05 am

By Johanna Somers, Day Staff Writer

Although this year is a "short session" in the state's two-year legislative cycle, originally designed to concentrate on updating the biennial budget, legislators have other issues they want to work on as well.

Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville: Require public schools to have EpiPens available for students who have serious allergic reactions; penalize those who post compromising photographs online without the subject's consent, known as revenge pornography.

Rep. Brian Sear, D-Canterbury: Require publishers to charge reasonable rates for electronic books for use on devices such as Kindles and tablets. Last year, his bill to study the issue of publishers overcharging libraries for e-book licenses was passed.

Rep. Emmett Riley, D-Norwich: Early childhood education initiatives, with an ultimate goal of having preschool at all public schools. Seek state funding to move Norwich's Thames River boat launch to Shipping Street.

Rep. Elissa Wright, D-Groton: More state PILOT reimbursements to municipalities, more tax policy studies and a new study on long-term state debt. She also would find physical space in the region for entrepreneurial bioscience and pharmaceutical activities.

Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington: Mandate a list of chemicals dangerous for children in order to find substitutes; better education of parents and athletes about brain injuries and traumas.

Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague: Workers' compensation for people who have post-traumatic stress disorder from seeing someone killed or maimed while on the job. Job initiatives such as Step-Up, which encourages employers to hire unemployed workers, and a program designed to assist the long-term unemployed.

Rep. Ed Jutila, D-East Lyme: Make Connecticut part of the National Popular Vote interstate compact intended to guarantee the election of a presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Once enough states join and 270 electoral votes is reached - the amount needed to win a presidential election - those states would award all of their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

Rep. Timothy Bowles, D-Preston: Establish regional human service coordination councils to work on uniting the state's fractured human services agencies. These would be organized around nine newly defined councils of governments across the state. The human services councils would include of staff from nine state agencies, such as the Department of Social Services and the Department of Children and Families.

Rep. Ted Moukawsher, D-Groton: Revive the Thames River Heritage Park plan, first discussed in the late 1980s. Establish water taxis to link sites such as Fort Trumbull in New London and the Submarine Force Museum and Fort Griswold in Groton. Examine the report of the Task Force on Victim Privacy and the Public's Right to Know. Moukawsher supports not releasing photographs of homicide victims and wants to hear arguments for and against the release of 911 tapes.

Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington: Establish a state port authority; more funding for University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus.

Rep. Marilyn Giuliano, R-Old Saybrook: Pause the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and teachers' evaluations until there is more input from teachers and parents.