Politics & Government

Legislature Approves Pair of Controversial Bills

Democratic majorities in the House and Senate will soon make Connecticut the 15th state to outlaw gender discrimination and the first to mandate that employers must provide paid sick leave.

The Connecticut legislature passed a pair of controversial bills early Saturday morning outlawing discrimination against people who identify themselves as transgender and enacting the nation’s first mandate that private employers must provide their workers with paid sick days.

Both bills resulted in hours and hours of debate, with each stretching into the early hours of the morning Saturday, and both were passed entirely because of large Democratic majorities in the Connecticut House of Representatives and state Senate. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy must now sign the bills before they can become law, which he has indicated he intends to do.

The anti-gender discrimination bill, know as House Bill 6599: An Act Concerning Discrimination, passed in the senate by a 20-16 vote without a single Republican supporting the measure; the House passed the bill in a 77-62 vote last month, again with every Republican opposing the legislation.

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The Connecticut Mirror reported that during the lengthy debate over the legislation, Republicans indicated that they would be willing to approve a bill that outlawed gender discrimination in areas such as employment and housing, but were uncomfortable that the current bill extends to more private areas like bathrooms or changing rooms, which they said could pose risks to young children. 

In a statement released soon after the vote, Malloy called the bill “the right thing to do” and indicated that he intended to sign it.

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“This bill is another step forward in the fight for equal rights for all of Connecticut’s citizens, and it’s the right thing to do,” Malloy said. “It’s difficult enough for people who are grappling with the issue of their gender identity, and discrimination against them has no place in our society. Connecticut has lead the way in other civil rights issues and I’m proud to be able to support and sign this bill.”

If signed into law, the bill would make Connecticut the 15th state in the nation, along with the District of Columbia, to have approved such anti-gender discrimination laws, according to the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organizations.

The debate on the paid sick leave bill, known as Senate Bill 913, states that employers with 50 or more employees are required to “provide paid sick leave to certain employees for use for the employee's sickness, the employee's child's, parent's or spouse's sickness, or to deal with sexual assault or family violence issues.”

The legislation pertains exclusively to service workers such as those in the food and health care industries, but excludes manufacturers and certain non-profit organizations. Under the bill,  which would take effect Jan. 1, 2011, eligible employees would earn an hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked; the number of paid sick days an employee would be responsible to an employee who earns the maximum would be capped at five per year.

The Connecticut Mirror reported that the debate on the bill lasted 11 hours and was finally approved at 3:01 a.m. Saturday by a 76 to 65 margin, again without any Republican votes.

Republicans argued that the bill was anti-business friendly and would raises costs for employers in an already tough business climate, thus making jobs harder to find.

Malloy praised Democrats in the House and Senate for supporting the bill in a statement released soon after its passage.

“As I’ve said before, this is good public policy and specifically, good public health. Why would you want to eat food from a sick restaurant cook? Or have your children taken care of by a sick day care worker? The simple answer is – you wouldn’t," Malloy said. 

If signed into the law, Connecticut would become the first state in the nation to enact such legislation.

“This is a day of historic achievement,” said State Rep. John W. Thompson, D-Manchester, one of the bill's advocates. “With the governor’s signature, Connecticut will become the first state in the nation to enact such legislation, sending a clear message across the country that our state is open for healthy business.”

In a rare recent instance of bipartisanship Friday, the Senate almost unanimously adopted the governor’s “First Five” initiative, which allows the state to provide financial assistance and incentives to the first five new or existing companies in Connecticut that pledge to create at least 200 jobs in the state in the next several years. 

The Connecticut Mirror reported that the vote was 32-4 and that the debate only lasted 51 minutes. The bill now heads to the House for debate.

Malloy highlighted the “First Five” program during his as an indication that “Connecticut was open for business.”

“For too long, Connecticut has been reactive to news that jobs are leaving the state or companies are closing their doors, instead of being proactive in trying to keep them here,” Malloy said in a statement released soon after Friday’s vote. “That stops now. With Senate passage of the ‘First Five’ initiative, we are sending a strong, clear message to the business community – small, medium, and large – that we want your companies here and we’ll work with you to make that happen.” 

The Senate also unanimously passed a bill Saturday afternoon that would create a new 11-member Connecticut Airport Authority, who would be charged with spurring economic development around Connecticut's airports, primarily Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. The bill now heads to the House for debate, where it is also expected to be approved. 

“This bill is not only good economic development policy for Connecticut, it’s particularly good for north-central Connecticut and the Hartford area,” said state Sen. LeBeau, D-East Hartford, who oversaw the writing of the bill as Senate Chairman of the Commerce Committee. “Over the past several years we have missed opportunities to bring new routes and carriers to Bradley and to otherwise capitalize on the transportation hub there. We haven’t had a marketing director at Bradley for nine months. The state (Department of Transportation) is very good at running Bradley as far as maintaining aircraft and clearing runways, but not so good at the business side. That’s where the new Authority will excel.”

Also late Saturday, the Senate approved a bill that essentially decriminalizes the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a crime to an infraction that carries the penalty of a fine. 

The Connecticut Mirror reported that Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman had to use her tie-breaking power to advance the legislation, the first time she has done so since being sworn into office in January, although the bill's fate in the House still remains uncertain. 

The Connecticut General Assembly must adjourn for the remainder of the year by the end of the night June 8, so it is likely that the next few days will see a flurry of even more bills debated and approved.


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