HARTFORD — Newtown’s legislative delegation — Representatives Dan Carter, J.P. Sredzinski, and Mitch Bolinsky — have each issued updates on bills and initiatives they are supporting this session in Hartford.

Rep Carter (R-2) stated that he is determined this session “to address income and housing — the issues that really matter to the public.”

To create more opportunities for available affordable housing, he said HB 5803 would allow municipalities to count existing affordable housing stock toward their calculation of total affordable housing units. This will assist in attaining necessary exemptions from the affordable housing land use appeals process.

“For areas that have room to grow, this bill would be a ticket aimed at drawing more residents out of cities and into their smaller towns and communities, and further stimulate their economies,” said Rep Carter. “The state is currently overpowering local zoning authorities under the Affordable Housing Law, but I hope to give back control to these authorities and help their communities become desirable destinations for those looking for new affordable housing options.”

The bill is currently under consideration of the Housing Committee.

On another front, Rep Carter said HB 6250 addresses municipalities’ income challenges by discounting private donations on public projects. Because of current prevailing wage thresholds, municipalities are required to spend more for these developments.

“My intention, through this bill, is to raise the limits of prevailing wage standards so that companies may be spared unnecessary, supplementary costs on development projects,” he said. “In assuring that expenditures are allocated directly according to necessity — and not a cent beyond that — we can eliminate wasting time, money, and resources that are so sparse in today’s economy.”

The Labor and Public Employees Committee will determine the next step of this bill.

Rep Carter is also encouraging the state to take steps toward protecting longstanding environmental and economic policies, while at the same time advocating for improvements through three bills he has proposed addressing innovation and conservation in regard to public health, the environment, and the economy.

First, to encourage research, development, and support of the bioscience industry, Rep Carter is pushing for bill HB 5978.

“Last month I toured the Farmington facilities of Jackson Laboratory, a company that conducts bio-scientific genomic and cancer research,” said Rep Carter. “As an inspiring and innovative institution, Jackson Labs exemplifies Connecticut’s unique opportunity to become a leader in bioscience. My intention is to discover a mechanism to grant successful bioscience companies, such as pharmaceuticals, tax credits that will help them to flourish.”

The bill now sits with the Commerce Committee, which handles all matters relating to economic and community development. Another bill that would support bioscience research and industry is HB 5780: a proposal to legalize industrial hemp in Connecticut.

“Hemp, often mistaken for a controlled substance, is actually quite valuable for business,” said Rep Carter. “Hemp is a versatile plant whose oil can be used for health-benefiting supplements including vitamin E, essential fatty acids like omega-3, and more digestible protein than any other protein rich food. It can also be used in a wide array of products, such as clothing. As a fibrous rotational crop, it is more efficient and sustainable than cotton.”

The General Law Committee will decide the next step of this bill. Lastly, HB 5948 strives to find a way to convert waste products to potential sources of state revenue.

“My goal for this bill, if passed, would be to work with the Department of Transportation to create a process by which surplus wood produced from tree-cutting along roadways is sold instead of chipped,” said Rep Carter. “As of now, it goes all to sawdust, and from there, it seemingly disappears. This is a waste of time and money. If we can conserve this wood more effectively, we can save, and benefit from, a resource we are currently throwing away.”

Further discussion on this proposal will be carried out by the Transportation Committee.

Sredzinski On Transportation

In his first session in the General Assembly, State Representative J.P. Sredzinski (R-112) has introduced legislation that would require all funds that the state collects for the Special Transportation Fund be used for transportation purposes only, ending the terrible practice of the governor and the legislature raiding the fund to pay for other items in the state budget.

Currently, Connecticut residents pay a 25-cent-per-gallon tax at the pump, and an 8.81 percent gross receipts tax with the premise that the funds generated from those taxes go directly to the Special Transportation Fund to improve our roads and bridges.

Rep Sredzinski’s proposed bill, 5384, An Act Concerning a Permanent Lock on The Special Transportation Fund, received a public hearing in the Transportation Committee on February 25 at the State Capitol.

“Connecticut has some of the highest taxes in the country and yet our transportation infrastructure has been neglected,” Rep Sredzinski said. “We need to protect every red cent of the transportation dollars that taxpayers contribute. Legislators need to keep their hands off this money.”

He said since 2005 $1.4 billion raised from the gross receipts tax on has been drained from the fund to pay for non-transportation-related projects.

“The state’s transportation system has not been updated and maintained and this jeopardizes public safety as well as our economic strength,” he stated. “The time is now to seal the vault on this fund and make the necessary upgrades.”

Since 2007 the state’s bond authorizations have increased dramatically. Instead of paying for upgrades in highways, bridges, rail and busways, the state has relied on borrowing to implement projects, Rep Sredzinski pointed out.

The net effect of this, he said, is that “we are performing a far lower level of transportation upgrades than we need, and those we are doing cost us more due to borrowing.”

In his address to the General Assembly on January 7, Gov Malloy also proposed a lockbox and said that he is willing to take it a step further by seeking a Constitutional Amendment to protect the Special Transportation Fund from future raids.

Noisy Truck Braking

In response to area Sandy Hook neighbors’ complaints, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky’s (R-106) proposed legislation is to provide the Department of Transportation with an option to alleviate a noise and vibration problem for state residents.

The legislation, HB 5940, An Act Concerning Signs Prohibiting “Jake-Braking” would permit the placement of yellow, warning signs that display a message such as “Residential Area — Do Not Engine Brake,” “Compression-Brake,” or another equivalent message in downhill stretches of interstate or state highways where the roadway is in proximity to densely settled neighborhoods and where over-the-road trucks have historically employed such intrusive, noisy engine braking methods. 

“Jake-braking” is a common transportation term for the use of a supplemental brake retarder or “engine-brake” to slow trucks without or before actuation of their primary air-brake systems. “Jake Brake” is a generic trademark of Jacobs Vehicle Systems, used to describe many such truck braking systems.

These systems make a distinctive staccato sound, which can be quite loud and accompanied by heavy compression-wave vibrations.

Sandy Hook residents Gary and Peggy Fillion submitted testimony supporting Rep Bolinsky’s bill. The Fillions testified that due to the lack of erected sound barriers the “engine-braking” on I-84 is exacerbated.

Rep Bolinsky believes permitting the DOT to have warning signs would alert truckers to be more considerate and warn them to go slower from the start.

“Many residents in my district have contacted me with concerns about discouraging unnecessary use of these noisy systems, especially during the morning and evening hours, when their use is likely to negatively affect residents’ sleep and quality of life,” said Rep Bolinsky.

“Placement of yellow, warning signs, as described earlier in downhill stretches of interstate or state highways, where, as determined by DOT, residents and municipal representatives, they’re agreed upon to be an appropriate solution to this problem, is appropriate,” said Rep Bolinsky. “My proposal’s goal is to hopefully provide some measure of sound control and quality of life improvement residents all around our great state.”

Such “Jake” and “Engine Compression Break” warning signs are currently in-use in other nearby states but not in Connecticut, Rep Bolinsky said.