Stop NU's Sweetheart Deal

Call your State Senator and State Representative today and tell them to oppose SB 1138 which would undermine Connecticut’s commitment to clean power by reducing the amount of wind and solar power that electricity sellers in the State will buy.

We must take action NOW! This bill is being forced through at breakneck speed to keep the public from raising objections. It is bad public policy and sets back our renewable energy goals.

Connecticut and the other New England states have led the nation in setting Renewable Energy Standards (known in Connecticut as the Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS), the fundamental force driving the development of wind and solar power across the region.

SB 1138 undermines our development of wind and solar power and instead has us acquiring hydroelectric power from distant Canadian dams. This bill is a sweetheart deal for utility giant Northeast Utilities, but a raw deal for renewable energy in CT and New England.

Call your State Senator and State Representative today to oppose SB 1138 – tell them to keep Connecticut's RPS intact so we can develop solar and wind power and create green jobs.

House Democrats 860-240-8500 or toll-free 800-842-1902
House Republicans 860-240-8700 or 800-842-1423
Senate Democrats 860-240-8600 or 800-842-1420
Senate Republicans 860-240-8800 or 800-842-1421

The February 14th March for Change drew an estimate 5,500 local activists to Hartford to advocate for safer gun laws.

Click here to visit CAGV.org

Together with the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut we have been very busy planning for this year’s legislative session and look forward to working with you to protect Connecticut residents from harmful chemicals!

The session began January 9th and we will again work hard on legislation that identifies chemicals of concern to children and takes meaningful steps to reduce exposure or require labeling.

Our hearts are filled with sorrow for family, friends, teachers and first responders in the Sandy Hook Village of Newtown, Newtown, across the state and nationwide. We are inspired by how our citizens have come together in this time of tragedy and can only hope this will bring some small amount of comfort to the families in the days to come.

Good evening, my name is Tom Swan and I am the Executive Director of the CT Citizen Action Group (CCAG). CCAG is a statewide membership organization that is dedicated to bringing about environmental and social justice. We have worked on energy related issues for over 40 years. We are encouraged to see the draft of a Comprehensive Energy Strategy for Connecticut and look forward to working with you and others to improve it as it moves forward. I will keep my comments brief and highlight our thoughts on specific pieces of the draft plan.

“Nearly half of businesses receiving tax subsidies, at a total $86 million, have failed to meet job creation targets, with no known penalties.”
--Thomas Cafcas & Greg LeRoy, “CT Economic Development Subsidies: Costly & Blunt” 10/11

CTNewsJunkie.com by Christine Stuart | Oct 9, 2012 7:07am

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s latest strategy to reduce the state’s energy costs comes less than a year before the state is scheduled to sunset a first-of-its-kind tax on electricity generators.

It was the only part of the second largest tax increase in the state’s history to include a sunset provision, but industry insiders are wondering if Malloy and the legislature will allow the tax to expire or if they will keep it on the books to help balance the two-year budget.

On January 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed a flood of corporate money into our political system by ruling that, contrary to longstanding precedents, corporations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or defeat candidates. The decision in this historic case – Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission – overturned a century of campaign finance law and stands to deal a devastating blow to our democracy unless we act.

Americans Are Outraged by the Court’s Decision

VICTORIES:

Election Day Registration Policies in Connecticut: HB 5024 will make registration more efficient and create a more accurate voter file, this legislation will create web-based voter registration for Connecticut citizens who have a valid and current driver’s license; allow for Election Day registration to improve voter turnout; and call for absentee ballots to be governed by statute, which would give legislators the ability to adopt laws that address voters who cannot get to polling locations on Election Day. The legislation will also increase penalties on any effort to block or impede voter access.

Strengthened Campaign Contribution Disclosure Law: Connecticut’s General Assembly took an important step forward by passing H.B. 5556, strengthening our Disclosure Law by giving the public a truer picture of who is funding political attack ads. The bill contains strong "stand by your ad" clauses and tightens rules limiting the coordination between Super PACs and candidates in order to eliminate the Super PAC abuses seen at the federal level. It also contains a board approval and shareholder notification provision, so that corporations will be more accountable to their boards and shareholders about any intended electioneering.

But Governor Malloy vetoed this bill

• 1. Pivoting the issue back to our state. Connecticut must commit to making sure all residents have quality, affordable health care choices. Because of the hard work of CCAG, our coalition partners and the support of our members, Connecticut has good laws on the books (passed in 2009 and 2011) which provide building blocks to get the job done.
• 2. Calling on the state’s elected leaders to deliver quality, affordable health care choices to families and small businesses that struggle every day to get the care they need.