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The following is a transcript of closed captions provided on the television broadcast of this episode of Capitol Report.
Captions on CT-N are created with CaptionMic voice captioning technology; the network is not responsible for voice recognition errors impacting the accuracy of closed captions.
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this week on the capitol report, the legislative session opens with pledges that the leaders and Gov. Rell promising action.

The governor presents her final state of the State address and shallow and some of proposals.

Members of the education committee questioned about the nursing program.

Now a look as among the major issues in the spotlight.

(gavel banging) 
House will come order 
To gavel 
The Senate will come together -- to water


the Session officially opened on Wednesday.
The next three months will be spent with a heavy emphasis on budget adjustments to offset the current driver million dollar budget deficit and projected $3 billion deficit in the years ahead.

I want to welcome everybody to the chamber.

with the usual opening day fanfare, many of the first day comments set the stage for the session had.

for this session there is no more important issues facing us than the issue of putting Connecticut back to work.
I know we have all talked about it and there are many proposals to try to get Connecticut's moving.
I know this is going to be something to work on for long-term economic growth and prosperity.
It will not be easy.
Not doing so is simply not an option.

the people we represent feel a little scared and on certain right now.
They are uncertain about jobs, homes, savings and parents are about their future.
They really do not care what party is in power, who was the majority or minority.
They expect us to work together, respect one another's, listen to our constituents and most importantly to do our job.
So, on this first day of session, on behalf of this side of the aisle, I wish all of us it good health, it could block it, great wisdom slash courage, a spirit of respect and good old fashioned common sense.

the people in our states depend on us to fight for them.
We have to do what we tend to grow and retain jobs and rebuild the economy.
The people speak and we need to listen.
We must act together, we can do much.

I want to wish my colleagues good morning and also wish for all of August a productive session this year because the new year has brought new challenges for everyone.
Debility for us to work together, solve the problems and issues, shear is hoping the short session is truly short.

addressing else last time in the State of the state Gov. Rell ...
(applause)

but the recession officially opened a governor Rao was opened to all the House to address a joint convention of the General assembly.

I joined here 25 years ago, can it really be that long?
I have a beautiful seeked right there in the General Assembly and what I just came in the speaker said "welcome back to the house."
I love the Senate as well but there are fond memories of the House.
It is a pleasure to be back here.

in her speech she highlighted some proposed adjustments to the biennial budget.
She allow this to become what in special session.

the protracted discussion along with fevered partisan debate that characterized last year's budget ...
It was hardly state government's finest moment.
Today marks a new session, a new starts in a new ever to work together to confront the undeniable realities of shrinking revenues and ever rising costs.
A little more than seven months and we are already facing a five per million dollar or more opposite.
This is a deficit due to the drastic reductions in income-tax collections and sales tax collection.
Why?
If you do not have a job you do not have an come on which to pay tax.
You have no money to spend on items to carry with them sell stocks.
We had 94,000 people who have lost jobs since March 2008, 94,000 people!
The recovery will be long and painfully slow.
There will be a new normal when it takes effect.
We, in state government, and need a new moral as well.
Because we have a government that has outgrown its ability to pay for it.
We need to recognize not every service, program, function is absolutely essential.
We need to acknowledge that higher taxes are not the solution to our problems.

her address included no tax or fee increases erg no major medical costs.
It does recognize $365 million in New ARRA stimulus funding and in addition, lottery game of keynote is estimated to bring in another $20 million and also more than $55 million in savings associated with the restructuring of DSS.
Gov. Rell is also proposing increase funding for charter air of magnet schools and ways to help businesses grow.

I am calling for the creation of the Connecticut credit consortium.
It is a 5 per million dollar partnership between the states.
Connecticut to boost credibility.
I proposed canceling $100 million in old bonds authorizations instead using the funds for the consortium.
That money will leverage at least $400 million from banks across the state.
That is $500 million that will be put to work to help businesses.

Gov. Rell is also calling for the job creation tax credit to include small businesses.
Also she wants to spend renewable energy sales tax exemptions and she was to create a new loan forgiveness program for students who sets stay and work in Connecticut after pressure due to freezing green technology, renewable energy, life sciences or health information technology.

we must deal with our current problems this session and to develop a problem to-plan of action.
Today, I propose something rather unique in something I believe necessary ...
something that will build upon the important work began by my administration and the Legislature in streamlining state governments.
I'm calling for the establishment of a 24 member committee to examine government top to bottom to achieve efficiencies, a limit redundancies and waste and reduce the size/cost of state government.
Every institution and every structure, every service program and delivery mechanism will be evaluated and done so in a non-partisan manner by all three of the branches of government.
Six members will be appointed by me to representatives of the Branch and six will be appointed by the Chief Justice to present the judicial branch.
Since each will be appointed by the Democrat and Republican leadership within the legislature.
There will be three chairs, one from each branch.

the governor's proposed initiative would work to work on legislation for consideration in 2011.
She announced plans for a working group to study short and long term plans for addressing the state's of unfunded liabilities.
In addition, she is asking for increased recision authority and the cancellation of old pond authorizations.

I am not scolding or lecturing.
I am besieging it, at act, lead, campaign finance reform, job creation, balance the state budget.
Those are the areas I have focused on and most of my proposals are paid with existing funds.
This is not the year for a panoply of expensive new proposals on a wide range of issues as we cannot afford them.
The public is not crying out for them.

her a 30 minute speech ended with a final request.

I would ask we keep in mind some of our State's newest heroes.
The more than 600 members of the Connecticut National Guard who are going to Afghanistan this week, for their deployment, to that dangerous (applause)

I thank you for the honor of being here governor and the dog plus the great State of Connecticut, thank you.
(Applause)

immediate reaction to her address was mixed.

I am encouraged by what President Obama is talking about and what Gov. Rell is talking about what jobs.
We all want the same thing, we want to help small business, we cannot cut jobs we have to grow them.
I'm very encouraged by her speech in terms of the focus on jobs.

our priorities this session and our jobs, balancing the budget, and today she said those are her priorities as well.
There is a lot of room for agreement, working together, I look forward to working with her on a lot of things we need to do to balance the budget to the greatest extent possible and we do preserve create jobs.

I want to work consolidations and streamlining government this year.
I was encouraged to hear her talk about a task force for recommendations for the next governor but we need a jump-start.

I think she'd strung up the right tone and she is focusing on jobs for the state and she's focusing on the budget deficit.
Indeed to solve this without higher taxes.
We have to make tough decisions.
Wishes are making them now.
I applaud her for working in a non-partisan manner trying to streamline dormant.
Many of the ideas are there on the table and we need to not wait for a commission.

I think the credit crunch consortium for lack of a better term is a phenomenal idea.
Proj around the state, so many small businesses want to create jobs, they can't get the credit they need, and fortunately the federal government with all the money they have spent has not failed to free up credit.
We can do it by taking $100 million and leveraging it to $500 billion for businesses to expand.

I don't think your remarks for that detail, I will stay -- say the 24 member commission is a great idea.
I dig a big mistake we could make is if we did no consolidations.
If we did that look for savings until the committee reported.
We don't have that kind of time or luxury.
We have studied this enough to know that there are various places we can make savings, cots and a limited ways.
We have to start now; we can't wait for a commission to report back.

meanwhile, the House and Senate that act on a piece of legislation on Wednesday, merges the Certified house Bill 5015, dealing with a number of outstanding issues need legislative approval regarding the continuation of Cobra health insurance coverage, appointments to a legislative commissions, property-tax exemption deadline waivers and capital road resurfacing projects.

I ask that the members please stand up for a moment of silence.
This is in recognition of our fallen member of our family.

on Wednesday the General Assembly put paid tribute to Capitol Police Chief Michael Fallon who died after a brief battle with cancer.

a two-pronged approach here in terms of the session, balance the budget, preserve jobs.

on Monday proposed Senate Democrats trotted into a Westar for dry cleaners to announce their lead is the proposals to help small businesses.

we want to combine the multiplicity of our state economic development offices, you have CDA, Connecticut innovations we have our own DECD and there are financing mechanisms and aspects to all of them.
Rather than have them all spread out in an alphabet soup that does not make sense, we would like to combine the financing arms of each of the agencies, put together CDA, to innovations and DECD to have one-stop shopping for business in Connecticut to protect jobs.

Mitigate and eliminate the business as the fee for the small Mom & pop businesses in Connecticut and what additional funding and a revolving fund for small businesses.
Some of the big Wall Street firms were able to get taxpayer money in order to solve their problems but, they still have not started lending it to small businesses in the amount and quantity is necessary to grow jobs here in Connecticut.
So, in order to raise this money to help small businesses in the ways I have described, we are going to seek restitution from Wall street.
Take taxpayer money back in the form of a surcharge on those she huge bonuses that people on Wall Street have been getting and then have that money go to small businesses.

meanwhile, Tuesday, the majority leaders announced Legislator recommendations coming out of their jobs are table which began meeting this some art -- last summer.

probably was most important is on Jupiter ship and innovation.
Connecticut is a very entrepreneurial place.
The old Yankee ingenuity.
Many, many things have been invented here.
We need that back.
Then we focus on infrastructure in the sense that President Obama has been talking about what investments can we make, not all over the place, not one Lists but what investments really would produce jobs both over the short term and long term to mark the third thing we focused on was, as always, education, education, that is the foundation of job growth.
Not Education for everything and everyone, more specifically, education tailored to the state's Needs.

it will point out a new direction for us because we know so many of our prior economic development efforts may have been pegged ...
we need them to be more efficient and will help in the future in terms of job development targetting are emerging industries.
One thing we will have to get is revisited earlier concepts that at one point were strong but have shown signs of losing their momentum over the years such as supporting industry clusters.
That's an idea that started off more promising but it needs to be more strongly sustained.
We're also looking at issues relating to realigning certain tax credits and we would like to thank the Proj Review and Investigations Committee for their very hard work in that as well.
These are some of the broad themes we will be talking about that recommended in our report.

majority leader's round table included Democratic legislators business leaders, economists and members of the academic community.

if we bring the meeting to order.

we are convening now the meeting of the Government Administration Elections Committee ...

much of the session will be spent in a joint committee meetings which began in earnest this week.
It is that the committee level where the Bills are raised and then debated and then public testimony is heard.

consoles to be Raised ...

the Government Administration and Elections Committee actually raise the concept to be drafted into a bill regarding the state's citizens election program.
Its future is currently before a U.S. appeals court in New York.

many committees will be raising concepts and bells that of not been fully drafted over the coming weeks so the process can get started with LCO.
I want to take a couple of moments as I do think this is a little different than what we normally raise a conceptual as this is a fair election program.
In my opinion, it is a great achievement over this past decade erg it is, we are monitoring and response from the court.
So, I am proud this Committee is taking the first procedural step, one of many, to be an short of our citizens question program so we can rely upon it during this important election year.

we have a chance to review those concepts in committee and to discuss modifications.

absolutely rep Hetherington, that is what we wanted to get started early in recession knowing the court might rule within a couple of months.
They could happen any day, but, more likely over the next couple of months.
We felt it was important for this Committee to put its stamp on the Bill and so that is why we meet today to raise this concept of filing the Bill, having a hearing early on ...

has there been consideration during crafting this concept of it, what will be the fiscal impact of the citizen collection program on the current budget?
I am hopeful your considering reduction of grants as a part of the bigger picture, given the fiscal crisis we face.

most parties who have come to us to discuss this, including Gov. Rell, have suggested reductions in grants and I do not want to be too cagey it bought it, I would like to be careful when something is still being drafted in not being pinned down with numbers but reducing grants is certainly an important part of the conversation between Senator Slossberg and myself and members of the General assembly.

GAE will hold a public share on the Bill concerning changes to the citizens election program on Wednesday, far more tense.

we have cause of serious ...

the education committee had a long list of cards a series which included charter school funding, high school graduation requirements, school construction projects, it also the reduction of domestic violence.

I would expect we will be very focused as a committee this year.
There are some serious challenges before us.
They involve addressing a serious achievement gap that we have in Connecticut's and ensuring we put ourselves in the best possible position to win federal forms for the race to the top competitive grant program.
There is $175 million on the table for Connecticut if we align ourselves with the rubric of reform that the Obama administration is moving forward with today, we will see more pieces on the table.
There is nothing all partisan about this; it's about education reform and getting results.
I look forward to working with all of you, both chambers, both sides of the aisle.

this is the first time I had the opportunity to read to the concepts less.
I think we have covered or rearguard to cover a lot of area here.
Well, I don't know if I have to make a motion, but, there are a couple of concepts to medalist.

we're right to have another meeting to raise bills.
I know I just got an e-mail from rep Bartlett but I looked at this morning and I don't know ...

I don't know what are let is raising but I have note ...

I understand.
(Laughter)
I am suggesting why not e-mail them to office and at the next meeting we can raise the bills you would like to have us consider.

the education committee plans to consider raising more concepts for a public hearing on Wednesday, for 17th.
All Legislative committees have been given Deadlines for raising goals and acting on Bills before them also known as Joint Favorable Deadlines or JF.

Once a bill has been approved by relevant committees it will move on to the full General Assembly for possible consideration.
The 2010 session ends Wednesday, May 5th.

thank you all for coming ...

on Monday, the education committee had a form on the state title high school system which is reeling from budget cuts and the state's early retirement incentive program.
A major issue but, Governor Rolf's mitigation plan included the suspension of the licensed practical nurse education program for a savings of $1.7 million this fiscal year.
She is authorized to make this without legislative approval.
Mark McClellan and the interim superintendent of the high school system to-Technical High school system ...

since 1989, the bus transportation problem remains for a final attack.
They're going out to job sites last aired it classes are without books, shops are without materials, SAT prep classes were canceled.
Outside of that Mrs. Lincoln, howplay?

When we dug into this we found this stuff was going on.
For the state's own schools to operate like this is on fair.
These kids are being deprived of their constitutional right to equal education opportunity.

how many positions did you lose?

by my count we lost I think 67.

we understand, we know what happens with the (indistinct) attack but outside of it right back what schools or programs were disproportionately impacted?

their work, as a matter of fact, this is so we have a common starting point ...
We had 153 staff that took the opportunity for retirement.
Of that number, we were able to restore 86 so, just a little more than half were brought back.
The facts, in part, because of the recall ratio, it impacted schools differently because of different programs to tell where the numbers fell, but where the talent and positions were needed.

The LPN program ...
I am aware you are part of a larger restoration and not all decisions are at your discretion.
I wonder, did it in one on this panel debt to wait and on the decision to cease operations of the LPN program unless that was simply directed?

at this point but at the time, there was conversation about what would happen if we had to make more cuts to our Title high school system in general and to the discussion centered that maybe we would have to face the prospect of our LPN program.
The reason is we have faced this before.
This is at all program and we are a 9-12 program.
If you get to core issues about what is essentially what has to be put on the table for protection, we felt as though our 9-12 programs outweigh the need for adults which is in no way a statement of our thinking about how valuable or important but the program does.
It is an extraordinarily difficult set of choices thrust upon us and, when the budget circumstances become dire.

part of the issue as well, the number of times we would go back over what to we possibly looked at to respond to the call for additional cuts.
The issues you have pointed out Senator Gaffey, the issues of bosses, Prussian bosses, supplies, repairs to instructional equipment, the state of many buildings, what else could we take on and talked to marked in those 9-12 trade jobs and academic programs, there was no more to give over other then perhaps the $3 billion associated with sports programs which, in large measure, would have an incredible impact -- $3 million, the ability to provide it for tinters seven generals the fall high school experience.

are any of you aware of that because the way state employee to address work in Bombay privileges work that in fact it closing the LPN program, some maintain that the annual salary costs for Connecticut actually want to opt, because, people Web instructors in the program moved to other slots where they get higher compensation.
Could you respond?

yes, we were aware of that and other things that might impact the amount of savings realized.

The notion of the SEBAC agreement and the need to find employment within the state sector for those individuals to offer them those options is certainly something that I am aware of and I certainly have no control.
What we had been asked to was caught it out of the CTHSS budget.

this seems to me that the surprise that took many of us when the program was shut down, we're talking about a jobs program, a program where virtually every single person would go straight to a job in an economy that is broadly difficult.
I was rather shocked if it relates to a problem my cochair got to which is a budget system that is not working well.
There is one aggregate figure for an entire school system far too much latitude for the administration and the Governor's Budget Office to start making changes for every single school without people necessarily knowing the facts.

we have literally put many programs the same situation.
I did tell you how many programs I have been to where the administration has been criticized for was a library funding, all the while, the legislature itself it has failed to really make serious budget decisions before office.
I would hope this session we get down to business and solve the state's budget crisis.

later Ron, the committee heard detailed testimony from a state employee nurse instructor affected by the suspension.

I was an instructor at the (indistinct) tactic and I am suspended, I guess, my program as close.
I have just been reassigned to a new job within Connecticut.

where were you reassigned?

I was reassigned to DMHAS which is something in my 21 years as a nurse I have never done psychiatric nursing.
I feel a little, first of all, insecure, I am afraid for my license and I feel bad for the people I will be taken care of.

it is your compensation more?

it is substantially higher.

saw the governor rescinded the program and we have a number of State Employees that one from Nursing to other state services and their compensation was see inevitably increase.

almost $50,000 per year.

Some of the crazy things I have to talk about which I have been waiting for a long time to talk about, I have been an LPN instructor for 10 years and Connecticut's paid me when I started at age 26 to go back to school for my masters as they did for all bus which is required by DPH.
We are all master desk prepared which in Connecticut is there, there's a shortage of nurses in there is a shortage of nurses as jitters.
This is one of the problems why there is a shortage of nurses.
Now they have taken 36 nurse agitators' end we are in an entry-level positions that probably one of my LPN students could conceivably fell.
Boss, these jobs they put us into more calls on hold.
They were eliminated with the rep but they were open back up such as a belief for boss at a much much higher salary.

I don't know why we are such an easy target because we teach adults.
Our population is such that it is well first, this year, I graduated a 90 year-old -- `19 year old.
This is perfect for a working mother.
What other mother to go to school at the same time her students -- children are going to school and still get an education she is carried -- Dear GA job ...
tell me where that happens?

I am astonished that someone concluded they should shop this program down.
We will do our best to try to get it back and operating.

on number of legislative proposals regarding state tax I schools are expected to be raised in the education committee this session.

good afternoon.

late last week a loose thread prickly that Connecticut had received $40 million from the federal government for high-speed rail service from New Haven to Hartford to Springfield.

the money we're talking about is a down payment.
 We.
-- received $40 million.
There is $2.5 billion approved for high-speed rail.
At both the national and state level and it will be in a strong competitive position for the additional dollars to add to it will be necessary to complete this project.

the first of the new rail cars have come in and they are in a testing phase which is good news.
We have been building and operating rail stations and of course the tracks as well.
The safety improvements we have done on roads/highways/bridges, we were able to fund that and make that reality.
All well we have done these things we have had a wish less.
On that list was how we were really going to enhance mass-transit and really high-speed rail service.
Senator Dodd, a personal thank you.
You think commissioner Marie -- Marie gets pounded, make sure this is done, make sure that is done, if we have done that blah blah blah.
You get the picture.
Joe Marie has been a godsend.

it is a real precursor ...
we can keep the state Crete cleaner and greener and we can develop a track line so people can go on that and stay off highways in provide jobs.
I'm excited about the prospects in years I had it and get it, what they Senator Dodd and the General Assembly and everyone who has joined the team to provide the needed train service for Connecticut.

up the Obama Administration awarded it $8 billion for rail improvements across the country, Connecticut portion was $40 million will be used for double tracking from New britain ...

It could be complete in four or five years attending future funding.


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