The Capitol began to pick up the pace this week as the House of Representatives held session on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Senate met well into the evening on Wednesday. There was a lot of speculation at the beginning of this week as to the week's priorities. In the end, there were a lot of referrals to committees, a lot of negotiating between budgets and ethics reform 3, and the House managed to get a teenage driving bill approved and sent to the Senate.

The elephant in the room for the past few weeks has been ethics reform. A tricky issue requiring some long negotiations between the Governor's Office and legislative leadership looked like it had received a green light earlier in the week. With an announcement by the Governor and Senate Leader Williams, talk Thursday morning was of a compromise bill taking the fast track through the Capitol. But then mid-morning the brakes came on and all that was left was a lot of hard feelings and hot debates.

Some say it began when the Senate leaders appointed Senator Gomes from Bridgeport to a coveted seat on the Finance, Revenue & Bonding committee. But other rumors said it started when the Senate Republicans were left out of major negotiations. And still other folks said the wheels fell off when the unions finally turned up the heat on a provision to allow for revocation of state pensions for those in state service who violate the ethics codes. It doesn't really matter what was the fire starter, what matters is another week was lost on reaching agreement on the ethic reform 3 bill, Senate approval of the teen driving bill, and finalizing budget adjustments before May 7.

Everyone spent Thursday talking about what wasn't going to happen as the rank and file spent the afternoon, and in the Senate, the evening, picking apart some fairly dry legislative proposals.

With revised budget projections only 4 days away, it is inevitable that revenues and taxes will be front and center next week. The urban mayors assembled earlier this week advocating for a proposal to fully fund the PILOT to municipalities by claiming a portion of the Hotel Occupancy Tax, initiating a tax on deliveries, and utilizing unclaimed property. The Senate Republicans responded immediately, stating that at the beginning of the session, Democrats wanted to help businesses by repealing the business entity tax and have now shifted to proposing yet another tax on business as CT is looking at a certain economic downturn.

There are several big ticket items before the House and Senate, but minor battles will be waged for the next few weeks in the committees as they prepare to take action on all the referrals that have landed at their doorstep. Tons of bills will be erased off the chamber calendars for good as the screening process in leadership begins the count down to midnight May 7.

In an unusual demonstration of bi- partisanship, this week, leaders from both sides of the aisle, Speaker James Amann and Republican leader Larry Cafero, met to announce their support for legislation that will significantly expand access to and modify the eligibility requirements for the state's home care program known as "Money Follows the Person".

Dozens of people, including a large contingent of senior citizens, packed into an overflow room to hear the announcement. The Money Follows the Person program uses Medicaid money to provide people with residential care assistance in their own homes rather than living in nursing homes.

The proposal calls for the expansion of this program from 700 people to 5,000. Legislators also want to create a similar pilot program that would eliminate the current requirement of those receiving the assistance to live in a nursing home for six months before becoming eligible for the funding.

This problem was brought to light by a CT citizen who could not take his 83-year-old mother home from a nursing home because he was told her Medicaid benefits would not follow her home. Legislators argue that home care is not only more desirable than a nursing home, but is also significantly less expensive.

"This is a win-win program that will offer much-needed choice for families and save taxpayers big over time," said Speaker Amann. "This is the beginning of a change of culture to help allow our loved ones in need of care to stay in their own homes as long as possible."

Rep. Cafero added, "Expansion of this program is not only the most cost effective way to provide care for those who need it most, but also the most humane."

SO the program's important, all agree on expanding funding for it, but the million dollar question is - will they agree on a mid year budget adjustments in the same cordial and bi- partisan manner? Stay tuned.

Each session, the legislature passes a variety of legislation that includes studies or task forces to study issues that need more time and focus than a session will allow. Many proposals assign certain responsibilities to a variety of state agencies and to a combination of state agency heads along with members from the private sector. The assignment is to take a deeper, more thorough look at what's going on, the underlying infrastructure causing the problem or the basis for a growing trend and to make specific recommendations back to the legislature for fixes or expansions in the next session. Though no bills have been passed to date, below are some examples of task force bills that are awaiting further action.

HB 5041 AAC the Reorganization of the Department of Transportation
To develop transportation management plans to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, P.L. 101-549. To develop various programs to be implemented by employers who employ one hundred or more employees to reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic flow and air quality throughout the state.

HB 5112 AAC the Retention of State Jobs
To evaluate and identify, within available resources, reasons businesses in Connecticut enter into contracts under which services are provided or goods are being manufactured outside Connecticut or outside the United States and, in particular, evaluate how Connecticut's tax structure, business regulations, energy costs and health insurance costs affect such contracts.

HB 5724 AAC Energy Scarcity and Security
To study energy scarcity and sustainability. To conduct scenario planning for long-term petroleum and natural gas scarcity, steep price increases and supply disruptions.

SB 266 An Act Establishing a Task Force to Study the Causes of Fatherlessness in Connecticut
To study the causes of fatherlessness in this state. Such study shall examine the impact of public policies in promoting fatherhood versus fatherlessness and shall consider how subsidized programs operate to encourage or discourage childbearing outside of marriage.

SB 399 AAC Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses
To study ways to provide regulatory relief for small businesses.

SB 572 AAC Carbon-Free Generation
To study carbon-free and non-fossil fuel power generation plants. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of load- shifting and load-shedding initiatives.

The lobbying team will keep you updated on task forces that may be of interest to your business or organization once they have been approved by both chambers of the legislature. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Kate at (860) 560-0000.