HARTFORD – State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) along with Trumbull Board of Ed Member Kathleen Fearon, and Board of finance member Marty Issac today sat on the bi-partisan Healthy School Start Times Forum held at the State Capitol to examine to health benefits of starting school later particularly for adolescents.
Rep. Rutigliano said, “No child should have to wait outside in the pitch black of the early morning for the school bus. The science is clear and it has wide bipartisan support: early start times for students can potentially harm our children and make them dangerously sleep deficient.  I am hopeful the legislature can come together this year and provide a road map and or incentives for local boards of education.  Our Trumbull Board of Education is engaged in the issue, we want to help.”


Research has shown that high school aged students simply are biologically in need of more sleep.  During adolescence, young peoples’ sleep patterns change, as does there need for sleep and daylight. When school start times are moved later, not only do rates of tardiness, truancy, absenteeism, and dropping-out decline, but improvements in academic achievement are nearly twice as high in students from economically disadvantaged homes.
The Healthy School Start Times Forum heard from experts in the field including Sarah Raskin, Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Craig Canepari, sleep scientist at Yale, Maria LaRusso, developmental psychologist at UConn, and Michelle Ku, a school board member in Newtown which recently made the switch to later school start times.
The science that lawmakers have cited most often is a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which calls adolescents’ lack of sleep “an important public health issue that significantly affects” academic success.
Rutigliano plans to continue to meet with fellow legislators leading up to next session on the start time issue.

TRUMBULL- State Representatives David Rutigliano (R-123) recently held a successful business advisory forum for local business leaders, employees and the public in the Council Chambers of the Trumbull Town Hall.
The hour long discussion began with a general overview of the main topics and quickly became an informative back and forth between the legislator and the forum attendees.
Rutigliano talked about several important pieces of legislation presented, debated or passed by the General Assembly this year, including the state’s new paid family medical leave program, an increase to the minimum wage and changes to the pass-through entity tax. He also touched on the issue of the new payroll tax and business filing fee increase.
Each of these issues directly impacts Connecticut businesses, and will affect residents across the state. 

Rep. Rutigliano said, “The governor and the majority in the General Assembly spent 2019 waging war on state businesses. We wanted to alert local business owners that the cost to do business is going up this year.”

Businesses aside, among the tax increases that went into effect October 1st are:
Digital Goods – The current tax on digital goods of 1% will increase to 6.35%. This increase applies to a wide range of online services, including, but not limited to, TV streaming services (e.g. Netflix, Hulu), online music (e.g. Spotify, Apple Music), eBooks, and in-app purchases made on smartphones.
Restaurants & Prepared Foods – Consumers will see a 7.35% levy on certain prepared foods and an additional 1% at restaurants. The only way to protect consumers from being impacted by this regressive tax is to call a special session and remove the part of the law that taxes groceries. Republicans have petitioned and are awaiting a response from the Speaker of the House.
Motor Vehicle Trade-In Fee – The current motor vehicle trade-in fee of $35 will increase to $100. Instead of being rewarded for trading in their older vehicles for new, more efficient ones, car buyers will now be double-dipped by a sales tax at purchase and a trade-in tax at sale or trade.

HARTFORD – State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) along with Senate and House Republican colleagues announced newly released details on a grocery store tax included in the Democrat state budget set to go into effect October 1, 2019 which could potentially encompass all cooked food.
The Democrat-approved 7.35% tax will be applied to a long list of food items that have never been taxed when sold in grocery stores before, according to the state Department of Revenue Services policy statement issued this week.
The tax will apply to not only prepared meals such as sandwiches, deli salads, pizza and hot buffet items, but also small packages of snacks, loose baked goods, wrapped salads, small servings of ice cream, and meal replacement bars. It also applies to fountain drinks including coffee and any beverage sold with a taxable “meal.”
In February, Gov. Lamont assured Connecticut residents that grocery tax proposal was dead. In fact, Gov. Lamont says it was ‘never alive.’
Earlier this year, Democrat lawmakers labeled the new tax as only a 1% tax increase on items already taxed at 6.35%, but the DRS statement clarifies that the new 7.35% tax will also apply to many food items that have never been taxed at all before when sold in grocery stores.
Rep. Rutigliano said, “I voted no on these tax hikes in June, because I did not believe Trumbull families should be forced to pay more for their groceries, this budget also leaves businesses wondering how to manage the confusing mess of newly taxed items. As predicted these new taxes are significantly more than was first told to Connecticut residents. Gov. Lamont and the Democrats continually pick our pick our pockets believing they know better on how to spend our hard earned money.”
The DRS document explains that items sold at restaurants and eateries currently taxed at 6.35% will see a 1% tax increase. It also clarifies that the total 7.35% tax rate will also be effective in grocery stores, “which previously taxed meals in a different manner than other eating establishments.”

TRUMBULL- State Reps. David Rutigliano (R-123) and Laura Devlin (R-134) presented Lisa Cerulli with an official state citation in recognition for being selected as the 2019-20 Madison Middle School and Trumbull Teacher of the Year.  
Lisa Cerulli has been a teacher for 27 years. She teaches social studies at Madison Middle School and is co-team leader for grade 7 social studies curriculum. 
Rep. Rutigliano said, “We commend Lisa Cerulli’s tireless level of commitment to our children in all that she does. The Town of Trumbull is proud to join in celebration to recognize your unique talents, enthusiasm, and selfless dedication in honor of this great accomplishment.”  ​

HARTFORD- To make sure the interests of Trumbull families were represented to their fullest, State Representative David Rutigliano  earned a one hundred percent voting record for all roll call votes taken on the floor of the House of Representatives during the 2019 Regular and Special Sessions. The House Clerk’s Office released the data on members’ votes this week.
Rutigliano was present and voted for all 392 votes taken on the state House floor during the 2019 session, according to voting record data released last week by the House Clerk’s Office. Perfect attendance is very difficult to achieve, with only about 26 percent of legislators able to do so this year.
“As a member of the House Republican leadership team and senior Trumbull legislator, I always try to set a good example for my colleagues. It is important to listen and hear all the debate before coming to a final conclusion, Trumbull residents deserve our full representation at the State Capitol,” said Rep. Rutigliano.
The next regular session of the legislature will convene in February 2020.
For an overview of legislation passed this year, visit the Office of Legislative Research website: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/rpt/pdf/2019-R-0120.pdf.

​HARTFORD- State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) co-sponsored a proposal which would amend the definition of narcotic substance to include fentanyl, which currently is only listed as a synthetic drug, meaning it carries a lesser sentence.  The measure passed the House of Representatives.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, which is more addictive and deadly than opioids or heroin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl depresses central nervous system and respiratory functions and is estimated to be 80 times more potent than morphine and hundreds of times more potent than heroin.
The legislation, HB-5524, An Act Increasing the Penalties for the Sale of Fentanyl would increase penalties for the dealing and manufacturing of fentanyl and its derivatives adding them to the same category as heroin.
“We need to punish the street dealers harshly for selling this deadly drug. Fentanyl seems to be finding its way into so many other substances, sometimes instantly killing its users. Changing the definition will permit state prosecutors and judges to level heftier sentences,” said Rep. Rutigliano.
Individuals convicted of selling narcotics generally face longer prison sentences and greater fines than those convicted of selling non-narcotic controlled substances.
Under current law, a person convicted for a first offense of selling narcotics may be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, fined up to $50,000, or both. In contrast, a person convicted for a first offense of selling non-narcotic controlled substances may be sentenced to up to seven years in prison, fined up to $25,000, or both.
There were 1,038 overdose deaths in Connecticut in 2017, according to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. In nearly two-thirds of those deaths some trace of fentanyl was found in the person’s system. Last year, there were 1,017 overdose deaths and 760 of those deaths involved fentanyl, which is up from 677 in 2017, 483 in 2016, and 189 in 2015.
 

In a state Department of Public Health ceremony for Connecticut Emergency Medical Services (EMS), State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) recognized Trumbull Volunteer EMT Jen DiJoseph who was named the recipient of the Connecticut George A. Ganung Award.
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Jen DiJoseph received the award for her volunteer dedication to the service of others.
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Rep. Rutigliano said, “EMT/EMS volunteers, like Jen go above and beyond to assist our Trumbull residents in many life or death situations. Connecticut and Trumbull EMS/EMT services always have an advocate here in Hartford and I will continue to speak up on matters that affect our community.”

Trumbull- State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123 voted against a new two-year contract Wednesday for newly unionized lawyers working for State Attorney General William Tong that includes raises costing the state an additional $3.3 million starting in the second year.
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Rep. Rutigliano said, “I am disappointed that the Democrats in Hartford decided to rubber-stamp these exorbitant and lavish union agreements without consideration of the impacts on taxpayers or the programs. We simply do not have the money in our state budget to pay for these contracts, no wonder they need to raise taxes.”
The contract was decided through arbitration earlier this week.

In addition to a no-layoff agreement, the arbitration award between the state and the brand new bargaining unit created for 185 Assistant Attorneys General and 14 department heads results in more than $3.3 million in new spending each year. Included are $2,000 lump sum bonuses and base salary increases of 5.5% each year. 
Current average annual salaries are in excess of $120,000 as a result of this contract the average annual salary will increase to $133,000. Additionally the agreement applies to department heads who will receive additional $18,000 stipends over two years.


The agreement was approved by votes of 77-67 in the House and 19-17 in the Senate. It covers at least 185 Assistant Attorneys General, including 14 that serve as department heads, whose average annual salaries will be increased to nearly $133,500.