HARTFORD, CONN(WTIC Radio)-In the first of four press conferences this week, State Senate Democrats announced their "Safer Connecticut Agenda", concentrating on domestic violence, online privacy, transportation safety and health and addiction treatment.
"Safety has been at the crux of all modern societies. As far back as 1689 in John Locke's 'Second Treatise on Civil Government' he states 'The great end of men's entering into society being the enjoyment of their properties in peace and safety,'" said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven). "Fast forward to 2023 and our safety concerns have moved past the worries over the absolute power of a King or Lord to the unchecked power of massive technology corporations. The fear of being broadsided by a passing horse has been replaced by the fear of being broadsided by a 5,000 pound pickup truck while crossing the street, riding a bike, or changing lanes in a vehicle. The times have changed but the need for safety remains. Our 'A Safer Connecticut' agenda addresses through sound public policy the varying safety concerns we all have in a modern world."
One would increase the legislation passed last year to protect children on-line. Milford State Senator James Maroney said since 1999, the suicide rate for girls has tripled. "Privacy is a human right,” said state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford). “Medical information should only be accessible to a patient and their medical provider. The choice to have a family or not have a family should be between a woman and her medical professionals, and not intruded on by digital advertising. We have seen a rise in anxiety among children and much of that has been caused by the increase in social media usage. We are seeking to ensure that apps designed for children are designed with the best interest of the child in mind, not with what is best for the bottom line."
Another strengthens protections against domestic violence. "Connecticut is known for being at the forefront nationally when it comes to domestic violence protections," said state Senator Mae Flexer." We have an obligation to continue looking at ways to protect the lives of those who have been victims of, or who could become victims of, domestic or intimate partner violence. We will continue to invest in the systems that support survivors in our courts, through counseling for families and children and the housing needs that are more and more dire. We also need to send a strong message to potential abusers that we will do everything in our power to stop the abuse, hold you accountable and to protect lives from harm."
Health and wellness measures will be introduced to strengthens the response to the fentanyl and opioid epidemic. "In the first nine months of 2022 we had over 1,000 drug overdose deaths in Connecticut – four people a day on average” said state Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), who is Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “It's almost all opioids and fentanyl, and it's affecting people in their homes, across decades of different age ranges, and impacting whites, Blacks and Hispanics in large numbers. We can and must do more for our state residents to protect them from this scourge of tainted and deadly drugs."
Senate Democrats are also concerned about the high number of fatal car accidents. 357 occurred last year, the highest in more than a decade. 40% involved alcohol. "While there has been increased focus on making improvements to roadway safety, the seemingly constant barrage of wrong-way driver reports and news of motorist, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths are evidence that much more needs to be done," said state Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is the new Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee. "If the people of Connecticut are serious about creating safer roadways in our state – and I believe that they most certainly are – we are going to offer them some fairly comprehensive new public policies to help achieve that."
