Author: Amanda Falcone

ROCKY HILL — A statewide veterans memorial will feature an amphitheater, a remembrance wall and ample parking.

The state chose the design, which was submitted by landscape artists Dean Adam Johnson and Robert Schechinger Jr., both of Collinsville, from 12 proposals. The memorial will be located on a grassy parcel adjacent to the Col. Raymond F. Gates Memorial Cemetery on West Street.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said an advisory group has been planning for a statewide memorial for months. While several cities and towns have their own veteran’s memorials, there is no single statewide memorial, she said.

That will soon change.  

It is important to recognize veterans and give them and their families a meaningful spot to reflect, Rell said. Memorials draw people and bring communities together, she said.

“They certainly do deserve it,” Rell said of the state’s 1.6 million veterans.

Before the memorial can be built, the governor said money must be raised to pay for it. The state provided $100,000 in seed money to support the project’s initial design and construction, but the project is expected to cost about $1.2 million.

A nonprofit foundation has been established to collect money for the project. To make a donation, checks and money orders should be made payable to Connecticut State Veterans Memorial Inc. and mailed to: Connecticut State Veterans Memorial Inc., c/o Rockville Bank, P.O. Box 660, Rockville, CT, 06066.

Meriden Democratic town committee Chairwoman Mildred Torres-Ferguson said four Meriden delegates had supported Gerry Garcia because Meriden is a diverse city. When Torres-Ferguson heard about the deal made between Garcia and Jonathan Harris, she said she demanded to know whether Garcia would ask his supporters to vote for a specific candidate, or whether they would be free to vote their conscience. Many were upset that Garcia asked them to release their votes to Harris, Torres-Ferguson said.

 

“They were Denise voters to begin with,” she said, referring to House Majority Leader Denise Merrill, who eventually won the party’s endorsement for secretary of the state.

 

Mark LaPlaca, chairman of the Democratic town committee in Mansfield, was excited to see Merrill, who is from his hometown, accept the endorsement Saturday, saying that the long-time lawmaker showed great political strength by beating her opponents in a close race.

 

“She was able to beat both of them essentially,” LaPlaca said. 

 

Harris said he has already signed the papers, saying that he will primary. It was a great race, and his campaign worked hard, he said, adding that he came into Saturday as strong as possible. The deal with Garcia was reached during the voting, Harris said.

 

“It just sort of happened,” he said. “In the heat of the battle, we were able to talk.”    

 

By Rinker Buck

A last minute maneuver to throw votes to West Hartford State Senator Jonathan Harris failed to stall the bid of House Majority Leader Denise Merrill to win the Democratic endorsement for the Secretary of the State.

 

On the second ballot yesterday at the State Democratic Convention in Hartford, Merrill won 964 votes to Harris’s 826, which exceeded the 50 percent required to secure the party’s endorsement.

 

Merrill prevailed despite a move by New Haven Alderman Gerry Garcia to release his supporters to Harris. But the switching of votes from Garcia to Harris was not enough to stall Merrill’s momentum.

 

But all three candidates–Merrill, Harris and Garcia–won 15 percent of the delegate vote on the first round of balloting, guaranteeing them a place on the primary ballot in August and boding for a crowded primary season this summer.

 

On the first ballot, Merrill won with 44 percent of the delegate vote. Harris won 31 percent of the vote and Garcia won 24 percent.

 

(In photo, Representative Denise Merrill, center, cheers with supporters, including State Representative Pat Widlitz, left, after winning the democratic endorsement for Secretary of State over State Senator Jonathan Harris at the Democratic Convention. Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant)

 

 

 

 

Nancy Wyman has been the state’s comptroller for 16 years. This year, she is not looking to be re-elected to that position. Instead, she is trying something new.

Today, Wyman received the Democratic endorsement for lieutenant governor. Her runningmate will be Dan Malloy.

“We want to make Connecticut a better place, and we can do that with your help,” Wyman told delegates at the state Democratic convention.

When the votes were in, Wyman appeared on stage with her family as Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” played over the speakers.   

Wyman pledged that a Malloy-Wyman administration would make government more efficient. It would not forgot that its job is to serve state residents, she said.

Wyman also added that residents would get answers when calling the governor’s office, and there would be no empty offices in the governor’s wing.

“We can’t afford another four years of a part-time administration,” she said.

Democrats endorsed former House Majority Leader George Jepsen for attorney general by acclamation Saturday.

Jepsen, 55, is from Ridgefield. His endorsement comes just days after the state Supreme Court ruled that Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz was not qualified to run for attorney general.

“What a long strange week it’s been,” Jepsen said in his endorsement acceptance speech.

Jepsen told convention delegates Saturday that the attorney general’s office is where he knows he can make the biggest impact. As attorney general, he said he would listen to people and look at both sides of an issue.

While he had the microphone, Jepsen took time to thank four well-known Democrats for their  years of service. U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Bysiewicz and state Rep. Cameron Staples, D-New Haven, all got special shout outs from Jepsen.

At the conclusion of his acceptance speech, he went to hug his wife. Diana went in for a kiss, and they accidentally banged heads.   

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz says she had a bad week, but that did not stop her from addressing state Democrats Saturday.

Bysiewicz said she appreciated the warm welcome she received when she walked on stage at the Connecticut Expo Center, appearing with her husband and her three children. 

“I guess I can take the Supreme Court justices off my Christmas card list,” she joked.

Until this past Tuesday, Bysiewicz was a candidate for attorney general. The state Supreme Court, however, ruled that she was not qualified to run only days before the convention, abruptly ended her candidacy.

She is not running for office this year, but said she will fight hard to get those on the Democratic ticket elected.

“I am going to fight for the Democratic principles we all share,” she said.  

Democrats unanimously endorsed incumbent Denise Nappier for state treasurer Saturday.

Nappier, of Hartford, is seeking her fourth term as treasurer. She was first elected in 1998 and is the first woman treasurer in Connecticut. She is also the first African American woman to be elected state treasurer in U.S. history.

In her endorsement acceptance speech, Nappier stressed that Connecticut needs a sound fiscal policy built on a foundation that allows everyone access to healthcare, quality education and affordable housing.

“I am fired up and ready to go,” Nappier told the crowd at the Connecticut Expo Center.

It may be early in the morning, but Democrats are energized, including Ned Lamont, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Lamont said he is ready for a fiesty, uphill battle. He said he understands that he is the challenger at this year’s convention, despite winning over some Democrats in a U.S. Senate race against incumbent Joe Lieberman in 2006.

“I am the outsider,” he said. “It’s deja vu all over again.”

Lamont lost the 2006 primary to Lieberman. This year, he is up against Dan Malloy for the Democratic gubernatorial endorsement.

The state Democratic convention is being held at the Connecticut Expo Center. Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo called today’s meeting to order shortly after 9 a.m.    

 

House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, said he learned that Rep. Jim Shapiro, the co-chairman of the general law committee, is not running for re-election Monday.

Shapiro, a Democrat from Stamford, is finishing his third term as a state representative. In addition to the general law committee, he serves on the higher education and public safety and security committees.

He is a corporate attorney and was a former director of legal affairs for Barnes & Noble Inc.

Before becoming a state lawmaker, Shapiro served on Stamford’s board of representatives for the 11th District. 

Although he did not say why he is not running again, Shapiro said in a prepared statement that it will be hard for him to leave public service.

“The satisfaction of doing the right thing and helping so many people is difficult to duplicate in other areas of life,” Shapiro said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if public service lured me back in some capacity sooner or later. However, for right now, this is the best decision for me and my family…”

Shapiro is one of at least five committee chairmen not running for re-election.

Rep. Cameron Staples, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the finance, revenue and bonding committee, is not looking to keep his seat. Neither is Rep. Ryan Barry, D-Manchester, co-chairman of the banks committee, and Sen. Mary Ann Handley, D-Manchester, co-chairwoman of the higher education and employment advancement committee. Sen. Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the public health committee, is hoping to secure the Democratic endorsement for secretary of the state this year.

In addition, the legislature will lose House Majority Leader Denise Merrill, D-Storrs. Merrill also wants the Democratic endorsement for secretary of the state.

Senate Bill No. 1 was vetoed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell today.

The bill, which was pushed heavily by Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, would have taxed bonuses received by workers at banks that got federal bailout money under TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The 8.97 percent temporary tax would have applied to those who received more than $1 million.

The bill would have also suspended the business entity tax for two years for businesses with at least one employee and a net income of under $50,000.

Democrats said revenue from the tax on TARP bonuses would have made up for money lost by suspending the business entity tax. Suspending the entity tax would have helped 46,000 Connecticut businesses, they said.   

The legislature’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis has said that taxing TARP bonuses would bring in only $2.7 million to $4.8 million, altogether, in fiscal years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. It estimates that fewer than 100 employees in Connecticut will receive qualifying bonuses over the next two years.

Rell said in a prepared statement Tuesday that she agrees that the TARP bonuses are inappropriate, but said that the bill would have triggered an automatic deficit and a long, costly and potentially unwinnable legal battle.

“However well-intentioned, I cannot sign into law a bill that creates an instant budget deficit,” Rell said. “And while–like many people–I am outraged that any business that took a federal bailout would be paying out big bonuses to its executives, the law does not permit us to target individuals with punitive taxes. Many legal experts have warned that this legislation would certainly be challenged as exactly that.”

Williams said Tuesday he was disappointed that Rell vetoed Senate Bill No. 1.

“Small businesses account for the vast majority of new jobs in Connecticut and this initiative would have offered help where it is needed most,” he said. “Our plan to compensate for the tax cut by implementing a temporary surcharge on large Wall Street bank bonuses was fair and legally sound. Unfortunately Republicans have been determined to protect these Wall Street bonuses–their legal argument is simply a smokescreen.” 

Education reporter Grace Merritt is following a school reform bill, which was debated by the state Senate today. Her story is below.

HARTFORD — The state Senate approved a wide-ranging school reform bill Friday that would require high school students to take more math and science courses and, for the first time, foreign language classes to graduate.

The bill, which would also link teacher evaluations to student performance and lift enrollment limits on charter schools, is designed to better position the state to compete for millions in federal Race to the Top school reform funding.

Legislators and state education leaders have been working for weeks with teacher groups, charter school advocates, superintendents and others in “grueling” sessions to negotiate the bill, said state Sen. Tom Gaffey, D-Meriden, co-chairman of the education committee.

While the bill was approved in the Senate, it’s expected to face a bumpy ride in the House. The Republican caucus is now reviewing the bill, said state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, who co-sponsored the bill with Gaffey.

The bill establishes a more rigorous high school curriculum designed to better prepare students for college and compete in a global economy.

The new standards means students would have to earn a minimum of 25 credits to graduate, up from 20 now, including two language credits and one more credit each in math and science.

Students would also have to take end-of-year exams for core courses to ensure that they’ve learned the material. Seniors will be required to complete a multidisciplinary “capstone project” — spelling the end of planned coasting for the second semester of senior year.

The new requirements wouldn’t take effect until the class of 2018, a concession made to make the bill more palatable to opponents who characterize it as another unfunded mandate in a poor economy.

“We certainly are not going to be in this economic condition in for too much longer,” Gaffey said.

Besides, he said, the bill is designed to help the state win millions in federal stimulus money from the Race to the Top competition, which officials hope might bring as much as $192 million to Connecticut.

Having failed to win funds in the first round of the Race to the Top competition, the state is revising its application to try again June 1. This time around, the state is hoping that the bill’s passage will strengthen the application by demonstrating the state’s commitment to school reform.

The bill would also establish a new framework for teacher evaluations that would use indicators of student academic growth in assessing teacher performance. Under the plan, the state Board of Education would work with an advisory board consisting of representatives from teacher unions, school boards, and state and local education leaders to develop the evaluations.

“I believe that this is a very reasonable approach to teacher evaluation at the present time,” said John Yrchik, executive director of the Connecticut Education Association, the largest statewide teachers union.

In addition, the bill would also:

– Life caps on student enrollment at high-performing charter schools.

– Create an alternate route to certification for school administrators.

– Allow struggling school districts to convert an existing school or build a new one as an “innovation school” to improve school performance.

Wilma is a domestic violence survivor.

She said she dealt with physical and mental abuse for 15 years. She eventually filed for divorce, and she said her husband had her arrested and thrown in jail on false charges.

Wilma, who declined to reveal her last name or her hometown, said her divorce proceedings were messy and required court appearances because there were children involved.

When she filed for divorce, Wilma said she told her employer about her personal life, asking the human resources department to keep the information confidential. From then on, Wilma said work was difficult. 

“Everyone treated me like I had leprosy,” Wilma said, adding that she was eventually fired from her job as a store clerk despite good performance reviews.

Wilma is an example of someone who lives to tell about her experiences, and she shared her story at a press conference Friday. There, however, are many domestic violence victims who don’t live to tell their stories, such as Tiana Notice, who was allegedly stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend last year.

Notice’s father, Alvin Notice, joined Wilma Friday at the press conference.  

The high number of domestic violence deaths prompted House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, to establish a task force to come up with ways to improve how the state responds to domestic violence incidents. The task force’s work resulted in three sweeping domestic violence bills that touch on everything from education to creating a pilot program for the electronic monitoring of high-risk domestic violence offenders.    

Wilma and Notice stood along side Donovan and others Friday to encourage lawmakers to pass the bills. The bills were passed by the House earlier this week and are expected to be approved by the Senate before the legislature adjourns May 5.   

“It’s all on the Senate’s shoulders now,” said Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford. “We’ll do it.”

Also at Friday’s press conference was Richard Graziano, president and chief executive officer of The Hartford Courant and Fox 61. Graziano spoke about his assistant, Alice Morrin, who was slain by her husband in June.

“These are troubling times, and it’s really refreshing to see legislation that would make a difference,” Graziano said.   

Early Friday, House Republicans tried, but failed, to amend a bill about municipal mandate relief to delay both the state’s in-school suspension law and the raise the age law until 2012. The amendment also would have required a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate to pass any future local mandates.

“This is much-needed mandate relief for our towns,” said Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, of the amendment.

The in-school suspension law was passed in 2007, but its implementation has been delayed for various reasons. It is set to go into effect July 1, and the law’s proponents say it will help keep students in school and out of trouble. Out-of-school suspensions would still remain an option for students who are a danger to themselves or others.

Some people, however, argue that the in-school suspension law is an unfunded mandate. There are concerns over costs, space and staffing at schools.

The raise the age law, passed in 2007, has also been delayed. Many say the initiative will also be costly for cities and towns. The law would force local police departments and the state’s court system to treat 16- and 17-year olds as juveniles.

Rep. Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden, said the Republican amendment, which was voted on at 12:45 a.m., was not well timed or well crafted.

The amendment was tacked on to a bill that would make state marshals responsible for removing and storing possessions from evicted tenants. Cities and towns currently are responsible for clearing such possessions.

The bill also includes a provision that gives public agencies the option of posting the minutes of meetings on municipal web sites. Currently, the agencies are required by law to post such minutes.

The bill passed 103-33, and the House adjourned shortly before 1 a.m.

The state hotel tax would rise from 12 percent to 15 percent under a bill that passed the state House of Representatives by a 88-50 vote late Thursday and is headed for action in the Senate.

One-third of the 3 percentage point increase would go to the cities or towns where the hotels that collected the money are located; two-thirds would go to the regional planning organizations on a pro rata basis.

All hotel tax revenue currently goes into the state’s general fund.

Regionalization requires coordination and start-up money, and that’s why giving cities and towns a portion of the money collected from the state hotel tax is so important, said Rep. Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden.

The state has 15 regional planning organizations, and, hopefully, tourism would is a priority for those organizations, said Sharkey, co-chairman of the legislature’s planning and development committee.

Based on projections, Connecticut’s finances will not improve any time soon, Sharkey said, and lawmakers need to find ways to help cities and towns diversify their revenue streams regardless of the economy. Municipalities are relying too much on a property tax, he said.

“The property tax is choking our state,” Sharkey said, adding that regionalization efforts could result in future savings. “We have to do something. We have to act now.”

Action might be needed, but Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-Trumbull, questioned whether a higher tax was the answer.

“We always seem to attempt to solve problems by raising revenue,” he said. “It’s how can we squeeze more from the taxpayers or the tourists.”

Rowe also said he worried that increasing the hotel tax would hurt the state’s competitiveness, particularly in tourism locations.

Some cities and towns have expressed concerned, but, generally, the tax increase would not hurt the state, Sharkey said, and the extra that money cities and towns would get would more than offset any potential loss.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates that the hotel tax increase would generate $9.4 million in fiscal 2011, which starts July 1, and $18.8 million in fiscal 2012 for cities and towns and regional planning organizations.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has been lobbying hard for cities and towns to receive a portion of the hotel tax.

The Connecticut Lodging Association, however, has said they have serious concerns with the bill. It says the lodging industry is being targeted to produce additional revenue even though the state has consistently cut funds for tourism marketing.

CCM reports that Connecticut is one of only nine states lacking some sort of local hotel tax. Massachusetts has a local tax rate of up to 6 percent, while Rhode Island has a 1 percent local hotel tax.

Likening the state’s technical school system to an “unwanted stepchild at the dinner table,” Sen. Thomas Gaffey said the system will no longer be ignored.

“They will get their just deserve,” said the education committee chairman from Meriden.

Tonight, Gaffey explained to his Senate colleagues why a broad-based bill meant to improve the state’s 16 technical schools is important. Technical school parents and staff have told him about a shortage of supplies and about students not being bused to job sites and athletic events because buses were not operable, he said. Last summer — just two weeks before the start of school, Gaffey said the schools were worried about teaching positions, athletic programs and extracurricular activities because a state budget has not been passed.

Gaffey’s bill would require the state Board of Education to hold a public hearing before closing or suspending the operation of a technical school. It would also require the technical school system’s superintendent to share statistics annually with lawmakers about the employment status of technical school graduates and about the adequacy of resources available to schools, and it would help the system secure state funding. If money is available, the State Bond Commission would be required to vote twice a year on whether to issue the system at least $2 million for general maintenance and trade and capital equipment.   

Finally, the bill would require the state to replace any technical school bus that is 12 years old or older, of has been subject to an out-of-service order for two consecutive years for the same reason. The Courant reported in February that nearly 60 percent of the system’s buses had serious safety violations in 2009.  

Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, said she supported the bill and believes that it will help restore the technical school system. Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, agreed. “The vo-tech schools should not be orphan schools in our system,” he said.  

Sen. Leonard Fasano, R-North Haven, however, said he was concerned about the provision that involves the State Bond Commission. Fasano said he worries that requiring the commission to vote on capital requests for the technical school system would chip away at the commission’s independent authority and could ultimately hurt other projects deserving of money.

Funding for technical school systems is not just another project, Gaffey responded. The state owns the technical schools and has the obligation to maintain building and provide equal educational opportunities for all students.

The Senate passed the technical school system bill unanimously. It now heads to the House.

State senators have decided to reimburse those who purchased a fishing or hunting license, permit or tag between Oct. 1, 2009 and April 14, 2010 in the form of a credit to be applied to the fee for a license, permit or tag purchased after Oct. 1.

The credit would be equal to the difference between the amount originally paid and the amount the fees were reduced to in April. Fishing fees dropped from $40 to $28, and hunting fees decreased from $28 to $19.

Lawmakers say last year’s decision to increase fishing and hunting license, permit fees was a mistake, and last month, they scrambled to decrease those fees before the start of fishing season. Now, they are taking another step to make amends.

About 180,000 people pay the hunting and fishing fees each year.

The Senate passed the bill 25-9 today. It still has to go to the House.

Republican Linda McMahon says she will not accept a paycheck if she is elected to the U.S. Senate.

Rank-and-file members of Congress currently receive $174,000 per year and are free to turn down a pay increase or a pay check.

“Linda just doesn’t believe politics ought to be a cushy job that turns into a profession,” said McMahon’s spokesman, Shawn McCoy. “There’s an enormous amount of work that needs to be done to get this country back on track beginning with job creation and tightening of government’s fiscal belt. Her refusal to take a salary, I think, is an important symbolic gesture that underscores her principles on this.” 

McMahon is running against Rob Simmons and Peter Schiff for the Republican nomination. They could not be reached for comment 

There is an overreliance on property taxes, and one way cities and towns can diversify revenue is by getting a cut of the state’s hotel tax, says the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

The organization, which represents cities and towns throughout the state, is pushing for the passage of House Bill No. 5483, which currently sits on the House calendar. The bill would increase the hotel tax from 12 percent to 15 percent. It would also allow cities and towns to receive a portion of the revenue collected from the state hotel tax.

One-third of the increased hotel revenue would go to revenues where the hotels that collected the tax are located and two-thirds would go to regional planning organizations on a pro rata basis.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates that the hotel tax increase would generate an additional $9.4 million in fiscal year 2010-2011 and $18.8 million in fiscal year 2011-2012 for cities and towns and regional planning organizations.

An increase in revenue could help cities and towns help offset state aid cuts and prevent property tax increases or service reductions, CCM says. It could also help foster cooperation between communities, the group says.  

CCM reports that Connecticut is one of only nine states that do not have some sort of local hotel tax. Nearby Massachusetts has a local tax rate of up to 6 percent. Rhode Island has a 1 percent local hotel tax.

House Bill No. 5383 was passed by both the planning and development and the finance, revenue and bonding committees last month.

The Senate passed a bill, 29-4, Wednesday that would allow police officers to be eligible for workers’ compensation if they are faced with imminent danger of serious physical injury or death because of interaction with a mammal, such as a chimpanzee, while in the line of duty.

Police officers who face imminent danger because of other humans is already covered by existing law.

The bill was proposed by Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, after an incident last year in his home town.

“The story of what happened is probably worse than any Alfred Hitchcock terrorizing movie,” said Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, who spoke in favor of the bill.

McDonald told his colleagues about Stamford Police Officer Frank Chiafari, who responded to a call in 2009 and found a pet chimpanzee that went berzerk. Travis, the chimp, had mauled 56-year-old Charla Nash and then came after Chiafari, who had retreated to his police cruiser. Chiafari shot and killed the chimp, and he suffered severe emotional stress and went into a deep depression because of the incident, McDonald said.

Chiafari asked for workers’ compensation, but his request was denied because current law only applies to humans. The officer is currently appealing the decision, and if the bill becomes law, McDonald said he would be elgible for compensation.

McDonald, however, stressed that the bill was not proposed just for Chiafari. It is for future police officers who find themselves in imminent danger because of a mammal attack, he said, noting that those situations would be few. Likely, a mammal would have to be on top of an officer ready to rip his throat, McDonald said.  

Workers’ compensation would only be given to police officers who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, added Sen. Scott Frantz, R-Riverside, whose district includes Stamford. It sets high standards, he said.   

Members from both sides of the aisle came together Tuesday to combat domestic violence.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill that would establish a pilot program for the electronic monitoring of domestic violence offenders. It also unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would make sure school personnel learn about teen dating and domestic violence as part of their in-service training, and it approved, 125-19, a bill that would ensure that money promised to domestic violence victims’ shelters and rape crisis centers is distributed promptly.

The bills are a direct result of a bipartisan task force formed last fall by House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden. After several domestic violence-related deaths in Connecticut, Donovan asked lawmakers to come up with ways that the state can improve its response to domestic violence incidents.

The domestic violence bill that has received the most attention deals with the judicial system.

The bill would establish a pilot program for the monitoring of high-risk domestic violence offenders. The judicial branch recently received $140,000 in federal stimulus money to help pay for the program. The money will be used to buy electronic monitoring devices and equipment for at least 21 high-risk offenders in Bridgeport, Danielson and Hartford.

The federal funding would run out in March, and the bill was amended Tuesday to clearly state that if there was no funding for the program, it would not be continued.

The amendment also addressed domestic violence dockets. The original bill called for domestic violence cases to be heard in 11 criminal courts that currently don’t hear them, but now only three additional courts would hear such cases.

Currently, nine of the state’s 22 criminal courts have domestic violence dockets, and Rep. Gerald Fox III, D-Stamford, said the Judicial Branch will use existing resources to add the three dockets. The branch will also decide where the dockets are added, he said.

In addition, the courts-related bill would improve the enforcement of protective orders and allow prosecutors to take into consideration all previous domestic violence offenses, including those committed out of state, for persistent offenders.

The education bill voted on Tuesday has no financial impact on cities and towns, according to the legislature’s budget office. The state Department of Education, however, would need to spend $35,000 next fiscal year to standardize training materials associated with teen dating and domestic violence.

While the training would be mandatory for teachers, administrators and pupil personnel, it would be voluntary for paraprofessionals and noncertified employees.

“It’s a small step, but a step in the right direction,” said Rep. Marilyn Giuliano, R-Old Saybrook.

The third and final domestic violence bill voted on Tuesday would ensure that money from the marriage license surcharge is given to the Department of Social Services and the Department of Public Health. The departments split $19 between shelter services for domestic violence victims and rape crisis services, and the bill would require the money to be distributed in a timely manner.

The bill would also require the Department of Public Health to develop a television public service announcement to prevent teen dating violence and family violence. The department would have to use existing money, or apply for a grant, to pay for the announcement, which would have to be developed by June 2012.

There was some debate over provisions that would allow domestic violence victims to break rental agreements if they reasonably believe they need to vacate their home for safety reasons. Victims would have to give at least 30 days written notice to their landlord and they would need to provide proof that they are domestic violence victims. Proof could be a copy of a police or court record, or a written statement from an employee or agent of a victim services organization, an employee of the Office of Victim Services with the Judicial Department of the Office of the Victim Advocate, or a medical or other licensed professional that has assisted the victim.

Victims would still be responsible for any rent owed prior to the termination of the lease, and landlords would still have the right to try to prevent termination of a lease in Superior Court.

Those who voted against the bill said they were worried about language in this specific domestic violence bill and said the bill could make things difficult for landlords.

All three domestic violence bills must still be approved by the Senate and signed by the governor becoming law.