Markeshia Ricks Photos
eople testifying in favor of city control of Union Station at March 20 hearing. Top: Hugh Manke, Susan Godshall, Jeff Klaus; Center: Ron Hurt, Dolores Colon, Anthony Rescigno; Bottom: Patrick Pinnell, Peter Standish, Juan Candelaria, Robert Orr.
The city’s quest to win control over Union Station will live to see another day.
The quest advanced Monday at the state legislature, where the Government Administration and Elections Committee unanimously approved a bill that contained a proposal by New Haven State Juan Candelaria to transfer ownership of the train station from the state to the city.
The proposal sparked an unusually public round of attacks between city and state officials and advocates at a hearing last week, over whether the city or the state is better equipped to run the station. Click here for a full story about that.
In an email message circulated after the vote Monday night to “Union Station Supporters and Protectors,” city Economic Development Administrator Matthew Nemerson struck a balance between determination to continue the battle and desire not to damage the city’s necessary working relationship with the state Department of Transportation (DOT), which owns the station and seeks to put its management out to bid in three years.
“We are one step closer to being certain that our precious and historic rail station will always be in the protective care of the citizens of New Haven,” Nemerson wrote.
“At the same time, please remember that this is just a disagreement within the family – we have had a great and productive management partnership with the ConnDOT rail operations and senior leadership – all of whom we respect very much — for 35 years, and our fondest hope is that this will continue in some equitable form for many more decades! “
The city also released an extensive written rebuttal to comments made by DOT Commissioner James Redeker at last week’s hearing. Click here to read the document, which parries Redeker’s claims about the city parking authority’s managerial performance at Union Station and state that the commissioner had wildly exaggerated the size of the administrative fee that authority charges.
The city is engaged in a similar quest to wrest from DOT control 16 lots around town that have been neglected.
Following is a status report on bills of particular interest to New Haven before the state legislature this session:
The 2017 Agenda
| Bill # | Status | Summary | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB11/ HB5539 | Committee Denied | Would legalize, tax recreational use of marijuana. | Candelaria Dillon Lemar Walker Porter et al |
| SB 17 | Committee Approved | Would make certain undocumented immigrant students (DREAMers) eligible for state college financial aid. | Looney |
| HB 5434 | Committee Approved | Would have CT join with other states to elect the President based on popular, rather than Electoral College, vote. | Winfield, Porter Albis Elliott D’Agostino et al. |
| HB 5458, HB 6058 | Committee Approved | Would establish electronic tolls on state highways. | Genga |
| HB 5575/HB 7126 | Passed Senate | Would regulate companies such as Uber and Lyft. | Scanlon |
| HB 5589 | Passed House | Would expand disclosure requirements for contributions to campaign funds. | Dillon Lemar D’Agostino Elliott et al. |
| HB 5591 | Passed House | Would require equal pay for employees doing comparable work. | Dillon Walker Lemar Albis D’Agostino Elliott et al. |
| HB 5703 | Committee Denied | Would have CT enter into an agreement with other states to limit “poaching” of each other’s businesses. | Lemar |
| HJ 13/HJr 95 | Passed House | Would amend the state constitution to permit early voting. | Lemar |
| HJ 16 | In Commitee | Would amend the state constitution to permit absentee voting for all voters. | Lemar |
| SB 1/HB 6212 | Committee Approved | Would require employers to provide paid family and medical leave for their employees. | Looney |
| SB 2 | Committee Approved | Would make the education funding formula more equitable. | Duff |
| SB 8 | Committee Denied | Would allow municipalities to adopt a 0.5% sales tax. | Looney |
| SB 10/HB 5743 | Passed Senate | Would strengthen hate crime laws. | Winfield |
| SB 13/HB 6208/HB 6456 | Committee Approved | Would increase the minimum wage. | Looney Winfield et al. Albis Candelaria D’Agostino Elliott Lemar Paolillo Porter Walker |
| SB 137 | Committee Denied | Would expand birth-to-three and provide universal pre-school, among other things. | Gerratana |
| SJ 5/HJ 1 | Passed House | Would amend the state constitution to create a “lock-box” for transportation funding. | Duff |
| HB 5588 | Committee Denied | Would limit certain bond allocations. | Dillon Lemar Albis Walker Elliott et al. |
| HB 5912HB 6127 | Committee Denied | Would establish a 1‑cent/ounce tax on sugared beverages. | Lemar Elliott et al. |
| HB 6554 | Committee Denied | Would tax carried interest as ordinary income. | Porter Albis Lemar Elliott Winfield Candelaria Dillon D’Agostino et al. |
| HB 5831 | Committee Denied | Would provide bonding for transitional housing for NH female ex- offenders. | Porter Candelaria Lemar Winfield Looney Paolillo |
| SB 631 | Committee Denied | Would provide bonding to make structural improvements to the Shubert Theatre. | Winfield Looney Walker Porter Lemar Candelaria Paolillo |
| HB 6863 | Committee Denied | Would authorize bonds for renovating the Barbell Club as a youth/ community center. | Canelaria Porter Paolillo Lemar Winfield |
| SB 649 | Committee Approved | Would allow local building officials to impose fines for building w/o a permit. | Looney Winfield Walker Candelaria Lemar Porter Paolillo Et al. |
| SB 590/591 | Committee Denied | Would limit police ccoperation w/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (590); establish an immigrant’s bill of rights | Winfield |
| SB 20 | Committee Denied | Would require affordability to be considered in reviewing proposed health insurance rate hikes. | Looney |
| HB 6352 | Committee Approved | Would establish a deposit system for car tires. | Ritter Gresko McCrory |
| HB 6901 | Committee Denied | Would impose a surtax on large employers that pay an average wage less than $15/hour. | Elliott |
| HB 7278 | Passed Senate | Would convey various parcels to New Haven, among other things. | Gov’t Administration and Elections |