Local Lawmakers Honor Firefighters at State Capitol



HARTFORD - House Republican Leader Themis Klarides, left, State Reps. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, right, and Linda Gentile, center, joined local Fire Chiefs at the State Capitol on Wednesday for Fire Service Day. In back row, pictured left to right, Orange Fire Chief Vaughan Dumas; former Derby Fire Chief Chuck Stankye III; former Orange Fire Chief Kenneth Mitchell; former Beacon Falls Fire Chief Jim Trzaski

(This is a press release from Spencer Rubin/House Republicans)

 

Valley Legislative Forum Cancelled

Valley Lawmakers to Host Legislative Update

Local Lawmakers to Host Town Hall Meeting

Valley Lawmakers to Host Forum in Derby

Hundreds of Coats Collected for Hurricane Victims

ANSONIA- More than 250 coats were donated during the holiday hurricane relief for residents of Puerto Rico. The drive was organized by Assumption Church & School through the assistance of State Senator George Logan, State Represenative Linda Gentile, Pastor John Hinson of First Baptist Church and coat drive leader Martha Carrasquillo of Assumption School.

(Information submitted by Greg Martin/Ansonia City Hall)

Gentile Applauds Budget Approval

REP. GENTILE LAUDS PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN BUDGET

 

This afternoon, State Representative Linda Gentile (D-104) praised the partisan state budget ending Connecticut's fiscal crisis and restoring potential cuts for Ansonia and Derby.

 

The budget passed the House of Representatives today in a 126 to 23 vote.

 

“This truly bipartisan budget is a win for both Ansonia and Derby, who were locked in limbo during the budget crisis,” Rep. Gentile said. “In addition to rejecting damaging cuts, this budget does not shift undue financial burdens onto local property taxpayers, invests in job creation efforts along with innovation and manufacturing, protects our community hospitals, and pushes Connecticut in the right direction.”

 

Under the governor’s executive order, both Ansonia and Derby were set to lose a significant amount of funding in municipal aide for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Specifically, Derby was set to lose $1.6 million and Ansonia was set to lose approximately $664,000. Under the bipartisan budget, all of this funding is restored.

 

“I have heard from town officials and residents that the potential cuts under the governor’s proposal would have been damaging to our communities and I am proud to have worked with members across the aisle to successfully restore them,” Rep. Gentile said.

 

Additionally, the budget:

 

• Restores funding for scholarships for low and middle-income students, like the Roberta Willis Scholarship
• Enacts a state spending and bonding cap
• Maintains the property tax credit of $200 for seniors and families with dependents
• Continues investments in job creation programs such as the Small Business Express, Manufacturing Assistance, Innovation Places and Brownfield Remediation

 

The budget will now head to the governor’s desk for approval.

 

(This is a press release from Gentile's office)

Iconic Valley Music Store Revamped

 

 

  

ANSONIA - The official ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening of Ansonia's Banko's Music took place on Thursday, August 3, as more than 50 folks packed the late afternoon ceremony.

 

Those in attendance included Mayor David Cassetti, state Rep. Linda Gentile, Valley Chamber of Commerce President Bill Purcell, former Banko’s owner Joe Salvati, new owner Joe Shapiro, Second Ward Aldermen Lorie Vaccaro, Fifth Ward Alderman Joe Jaumann, and Seventh Ward Alderman Frank DeLibero.

The popular music destination business in downtown Ansonia dates back to 1955.

Shapiro recently bought the business, which has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation and façade makeover.

The public grand  re-opening celebration is scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. August. 5, featuring free food, free giveaways, live music and more.



(This is a press release from Ansonia City Hall) 

Gentile Applauds Approval of $1.2 Billion State Employee Concession Plan

State Representative Linda Gentile (Derby, Ansonia) applauds the House approval of a $1.2 billion state employee concession plan that will enact several significant structural changes and save $24 billion over the life of the agreement.

 

This is an historic agreement that prioritizes structural, verifiable reductions to long-term pension and benefit costs, while also achieving significant savings in the coming biennium. This groundbreaking agreement substantially reduces the unfunded liability for both the state employee retirement system and our retiree health benefits trust fund.

 

Under this labor deal, the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition has agreed to zero wage increases for three years, higher health co-pays and premiums, and three unpaid furlough days in 2017-18.

 

“This labor agreement is the first step toward solving our budget deficit as it adopts a spending plan that generates new revenue, restructures our pension system into the future, while respecting the promises made in the past, and takes advantage of our demographic reality.” Rep. Gentile said. “This deal will put Connecticut on the path to financial sustainability, produce immediate savings in healthcare and enact several significant structural changes by gradually shifting costs onto employees and retirees into the future.”

 

Other structural changes include overtime capped at 60 percent, health insurance redesign, pension reforms, increased co-pays, premium cost sharing and COLA reforms.

 

Additionally, the plan will require all employees to pay 2 percent more into their pension over biennium and establish a new tier IV of employees going forward that will have a defined benefit and contribution plan.

 

In regards to savings, this agreement:

• Saves taxpayers approximately $710 million in Fiscal Year 2018 and $850 million in Fiscal Year 2019,

• Savings grows to $24 billion over the next 20 years,
• Turns a $20.7 billion unfunded liability into a $1.5 billion surplus over 30 year

(This is a press release from Gentile's office)

Route 34 to Close for Overnight Construction

 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced overnight closures on Route 34 in Derby from Friday July 7, to Sunday, July 9, from the intersections with Route 115 to Route 8, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.       

 

State Representative Linda Gentile (D-104) would like to caution drivers during this construction period.

 

“It’s important to help ConnDOT spread the word about this construction so that area motorists can plan their commutes accordingly,” Rep. Gentile said.  “I also want to stress the need for motorists to take extra precautions while driving during this construction period to ensure public safety.”

  

The closures are necessary to facilitate the rehabilitation and widening of Bridge Number 00947, Route 34, Main Street, over the Naugatuck River. The closures are also required to install new overhead permanent signage.

 

If necessary, due to inclement weather on Sunday, the closure period may be extended to include Monday July 10, 2017. 

 

A detour will be in place utilizing Route 115 (Derby Avenue), Division Street in Ansonia to cross the Naugatuck River, Pershing Drive and Route 8. 

 

(This is a press release from Gentile's office)

Valley Lawmakers Hosting Coffee Hour

State Rep. Gentile Discusses Budget

Wednesday June 8, marked the official end of the regular 2017 legislative session. But there is still work to be done.

 

The legislature will now go into special session to discuss and approve of a two-year state budget. 

 

Passing a bipartisan budget has always been my hope. Regardless of political party, the legislature needs to go into special session with a sense of urgency and pass a responsible budget that helps strengthen our state and local economies, and reflects the priorities of the people of Connecticut. I don’t believe that failure to agree upon a responsible budget is an option.

 

Good ideas are not exclusive to a political party. I am hopeful that my colleagues across the aisle will drop all political campaign rhetoric, and work in a collaborative manner to meet the challenges we all face.

 

I truly believe our future is stronger when both parties work together, so it is my hope that we can put our political differences aside and talk openly and honestly about the budget and what needs to be done. 

 

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, and House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, have set the stage for Democrats and Republicans to come together to have these conversations.

 

And we must have these conversations and work towards a solution and agree on what’s best for the districts we represent, as well as the state.

 

When I walk into special session, I will continue to fight for a budget that will protect hardworking families, hospitals, and education, not only in the 104^th District, but for the State of Connecticut, as well. I will fight for a budget that promotes job growth and encourages economic development. And, I will fight for a budget that ensures our tax dollars are being spent as efficiently as possible. 

 

This is about forging a path for a stronger Connecticut, with policies that work for all of us. I will be working with all of my colleagues to accomplish this. I hope that we will all come into special session ready to work together to put forth a responsible budget that reflects the priorities of our districts and our state.

 

Rep. Gentile, a Democrat, represents the 104th House District, which includes parts of Ansonia and Derby.

 

(This is a press release from Gentile's office)

Valley Lawmakers Appalud Passage of Opioid Bill

State Representatives Linda Gentile (D-104), Themis Klarides (R-114) and Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R-105), are pleased to announce passage in the House of HB7052, a far-ranging bill which continues efforts to address opioid addiction.

“This comprehensive bill is so desperately needed to address the ever growing opioid crisis that we have been experiencing over the last several years,” said Rep. Gentile. “This crisis has impacted virtually every state in our country, including Connecticut. It has affected families of every socio-economic class and we have seen a number of deaths right here in our Valley communities. No family should ever have to face such senseless, tragic loss. It is my hope that this bill will reduce these untimely deaths and reverse this heartbreaking trend of opioid addiction.”

“Opioid abuse and overdose has overwhelmed society and demands that we take action to combat this scourge. Every week we read and hear about overdose deaths. Everyone knows someone who has been lost to this epidemic, and we need to wake up and take steps so that makes sense and will result in positive results,’’ House Republican Leader Rep. Klarides said.

“The opioid crisis has hit our communities and the state of Connecticut extremely hard,” said Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “This legislation takes proactive steps to educate the public and children about the dangers of opioid abuse and will help us halt the spread of the opioid crisis. All of us in Hartford, Republicans and Democrats, are working together to find solutions to curb this disease once and for all.”

Three of the more integral parts of the bill, AAC Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse are:

· Require that prescriptions be transcribed electronically to safeguard against over prescribing
· Reduce the maximum number of days for a prescription from seven to five for minors
· Allow patients to request drugs other than opioids to be prescribed.

Klarides said that these are common sense ideas that will address the explosion of opioid abuse and overdose that has affected every segment of society in recent years.

The bill passed 146-0 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Memorial Day Service Slated at Woodbridge Avenue Memorial

ANSONIA- A Memorial Day Service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at the Woodbridge Avenue Veterans Memorial, located at 61 Woodbridge Avenue, Ansonia. State Rep. Linda Gentile and state Sen. George Logan, along with local city officials will be on hand. The public is invited. (New Haven Register file photo by Arnold Gold)

 

Valley Lawmakers to host Small Business Forum

Valley Lawmakers to Host Derby Coffee Hour Friday, April 21

State Rep. Gentile Pushes Bill that Targets "Dark Money"

HARTFORD - State Rep. Linda Gentile, D-Ansonia, Derby, joined her colleagues in a press conference today to discuss legislation designed to shed light on and reduce the amount of special interest “dark money” in state election campaigns.
 

“Voters deserve to know who is financing a campaign,” Gentile said. “This bill not only increases transparency and trust between the public and the government, but it will also ensure that candidates are elected to office by their constituents and not by third party special interest groups.” 

 

The bill, HB5589, An Act Concerning Campaign Financing Reform, would:

• Require corporate political expenditures to be approved by their board of directors and disclosed to shareholders
• Limit contributions to organizations making independent expenditures to an aggregate of $70,000 in a calendar year
• Ban foreign influenced entities from making independent expenditures or contributing to an organization that does

(This is a press release from Gentile's office)

State Rep. Gentile Works to Make CT Affordable

 

State Representative Linda Gentile (D-Ansonia, Derby) joined House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, Finance Committee Co-chair Jason Rojas, Higher Education Committee Co-chair Gregg Haddad, college students and advocates Friday, to highlight legislation making Connecticut more affordable for college graduates and seniors.

 

House Bill 5586, An Act Making Connecticut More Affordable For College Students, establishes a tax credit against the personal income tax for recent graduates from an accredited institution of higher education with an associate, bachelor, master’s or doctoral degree who reside in the state of Connecticut within two years of graduation. They can claim this tax credit for 5 successive years.

 

House Bill 5587, An Act Concerning A Tax Exemption For Senior’s Social Security Benefits, would exempt Social Security benefits from the state income tax for seniors.

 

Rep. Gentile has joined the rest of the House Democrats in introducing these two bills and recently testified in favor of each of them.

 

“In order for Connecticut to remain competitive for business growth and job creation, we have to make the state more affordable for our graduating students,” Rep. Gentile said. “By doing so, students will have the incentive to live and work in Connecticut. We can make Connecticut a more welcoming place for job growth, and we can make it more affordable by decreasing the cost of state and local government.”

 

Rep. Gentile continued, “Connecticut also needs to make sure our seniors are taken care of. This bill seeks to make Connecticut more friendly to retirees; lessening the incentive for them to move to states like Florida which don’t impose an income tax. Connecticut remains a notoriously difficult state to retire in and retirees and seniors leave the state more than any other age group. This bill will ultimately help reverse the outmigration of our seniors and retirees.”

 

(This is a press release from House Democrats' Office) 

Gov. Malloy to Visit Ansonia Monday, March 6

ANSONIA - Gov. Dannel Malloy will be speaking at the Ansonia Public Library Monday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

He will be joined by Mayor David S. Cassetti, state Rep. Linda Gentile, state Sen. George Logan and Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto.

Monday’s engagement is in response to Mayor Cassetti’s call for a bipartisan effort to support the governor’s proposal to reallocate state spending on public education. The proposal would restore millions of dollars in need-based funding to Ansonia schools, thereby easing local taxpayers’ burden in a tight budget year.

“This year our public schools require $3 million in additional funding due to skyrocketing special education costs and the loss of state grants,” Cassetti said. “That’s three years of education increases at once — and it cannot be supported and sustained without significant budget cuts or a tax increase.”

Cassetti has vowed to fight for fair state education funding to avoid the “worst case scenario” of budget cuts or tax increases. “Our city has been shortchanged on millions in state education dollars for years,” Cassetti said. “Our residents deserve fair treatment from Hartford, and I commend Governor Malloy’s proposal to finally address the inequity that has disadvantaged Ansonia students and taxpayers for years.”

“Ansonia has only been receiving 70 percent of its need-based funding,” Cassetti went on. “At the same time, wealthier communities have received 150 percent to over 200 percent of their funding. That’s not right, and we will fight to change it.”

The governor’s visit will be followed later in the month by a town hall meeting with Rep. Gentile and Sen. Logan. The town hall meeting will take place at Ansonia High School March 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

(This is a press release from Mayor Cassetti's office)

Gentile Weighs in on Malloy's Budget Proposal

On Wednesday, the governor delivered his annual budget address, proposing significant changes to balance the state’s bi-annual budget.

 

It is important to note that the governor’s budget proposal is only a starting point to the process of creating a responsible, balanced budget. This proposal has some good ideas,

such as increased funding to education and special education, but I also fully acknowledge that there are some areas that need vast improvement and I will work diligently to make sure those areas are addressed. I want to emphasize that each proposed change will be carefully assessed for its potential impact on taxpayers and the delivery of services to residents.

 

I will make sure that we keep all of the things that hard working families value in mind with this budget. Things like, making Connecticut more affordable for seniors, keeping

our young people in the state after they graduate, aligning our education system with jobs and employer’s needs, and promoting job growth and encouraging economic development.

 

Since this is only the beginning, I look forward to working collaboratively with my

colleagues across the aisle to craft a budget that protects and preserves all of the

important programs, services and issues that we all value. I will continue working to

ensure that Ansonia and Derby receive the necessary funding needed to properly function

and educate and protect our children, schools, and families. As you already know, my

priority has always been, and will always be, fighting for the needs of my constituents

and protecting hard working families of Connecticut.

 

Certainly, there are many hard choices and decisions we, as legislators, will need to make

in the coming months to balance the state’s bi-annual budget. As we address

our challenges, I will continue to work to make Ansonia and Derby a better place to live,

work, and raise a family. It is extremely important to me that this budget does the right

thing to strengthen our economy and reflect the priority of the people of Connecticut.

As always, I welcome any thoughts, questions, or suggestions concerning the State

budget process.

 

(This is an op-ed piece submitted by state Rep. Linda Gentile)