OLR Report 2015-R-0142 provides the status of funding for the body-worn camera (BWC) program announced by President Obama in 2014.
In December, 2014, President Obama proposed a $263 million investment to increase police use of BWCs and expand training for law enforcement officers. The program would allocate $75 million over three years to buy 50,000 BWCs.
As part of that initiative, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 1 announced a $20 million pilot program to help law enforcement agencies throughout the country implement or enhance BWC programs. This includes $19 million in competitive grants for buying BWCs, training, and other technical assistance, and $1 million to develop evaluation tools to study best practices associated with BWC use.
According to DOJ, the intent of the program is to help law enforcement agencies develop, implement, and evaluate BWC programs to enhance police interactions with the public and build community trust. The program will be administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs.
DOJ says it expects to provide up to 50 awards. It is currently soliciting grant applications; the application deadline is June 16, 2015.
To read the full report, click here.
June 16, 2015
June 15, 2015
Army Issuing New Uniforms
The U.S. Army has confirmed that soldiers will be receiving new combat uniforms with “Operational Camouflage Pattern.” The new pattern was part of a 2009 Congressional directive to have camouflage uniforms suitable for the Afghanistan. Soldiers are expected to retire their current uniform and begin wearing the new patter by the summer of 2018.
The new uniform is largely the same as the current uniform, except for, among other things, the geometry and palette of the camouflage pattern.
The price of the new uniforms will be similar to the current uniforms. Soldiers annually receive between $439 and $468 to buy the new uniforms, which they must purchase within the next three years.
The new uniform is largely the same as the current uniform, except for, among other things, the geometry and palette of the camouflage pattern.
The price of the new uniforms will be similar to the current uniforms. Soldiers annually receive between $439 and $468 to buy the new uniforms, which they must purchase within the next three years.
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| Current Uniform New Uniform Image Source: Wikipedia Image Source: Wikipedia |
June 12, 2015
USFWS Says Sport Hunting Black Rhinos Benefits Conservation
Earlier this year, the OLR Reporter highlighted a debate over whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) should issue two special permits allowing the import of trophies of endangered black rhinoceroses that would be killed through sport hunting in Namibia. Supporters of the permits argue that this type of hunting helps fund conservation activities. Opponents believe other things can be done to protect the species. The USFWS received over 15,000 public comments on this matter.
The USFWS granted the permits, finding that the rhino import will benefit conservation. According to a March 26, 2015 USFWS press release, black rhino hunts are consistent with Namibia’s conservation strategy. The country’s black rhino population is increasing and sport hunts generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for wildlife conservation, anti-poaching efforts, and community development programs. Specifically, Namibia’s conservation strategy for its black rhino population focuses on maximizing population growth through biological management and range expansion. Each year, Namibia allows hunting five male rhinos that are believed to be genetically well-represented in the population. Hunting them may provide greater opportunity for younger, less dominant males. The strategy aims to yearly increase the population by at least 5%.
A May 19, 2015 CNN article describes the recent hunting experience of a hunter who received one of the USFWS permits.
The USFWS granted the permits, finding that the rhino import will benefit conservation. According to a March 26, 2015 USFWS press release, black rhino hunts are consistent with Namibia’s conservation strategy. The country’s black rhino population is increasing and sport hunts generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for wildlife conservation, anti-poaching efforts, and community development programs. Specifically, Namibia’s conservation strategy for its black rhino population focuses on maximizing population growth through biological management and range expansion. Each year, Namibia allows hunting five male rhinos that are believed to be genetically well-represented in the population. Hunting them may provide greater opportunity for younger, less dominant males. The strategy aims to yearly increase the population by at least 5%.
A May 19, 2015 CNN article describes the recent hunting experience of a hunter who received one of the USFWS permits.
June 11, 2015
Reducing School Absences Among Students with Asthma
A recent Hartford Courant article reports that greater communication between nurses and families on managing asthma could reduce school absences for children with chronic diseases. These preliminary findings stem from a study conducted in Denver and Hartford by Building Bridges for Asthma Care.
The study initially enrolled 67 students with high-risk asthma from three elementary schools in Hartford, including Burns Latino Studies Academy, M.L. King, and SAND Elementary. Nurses in those schools worked with students and families on asthma action plans by providing guidance on proper inhaler use, monitoring students, and sharing information with the student’s primary care providers.
The results of the study show that compared to the previous year, students in the asthma intervention program had 12% fewer absences in the 2013-14 school year. Students with asthma who declined enrollment in the intervention program had nearly a 9% increase in absences.
The asthma intervention program has expanded to 225 students in 10 of Hartford’s public schools. For more information on the asthma intervention study, read the Hartford Courant article.
The study initially enrolled 67 students with high-risk asthma from three elementary schools in Hartford, including Burns Latino Studies Academy, M.L. King, and SAND Elementary. Nurses in those schools worked with students and families on asthma action plans by providing guidance on proper inhaler use, monitoring students, and sharing information with the student’s primary care providers.
The results of the study show that compared to the previous year, students in the asthma intervention program had 12% fewer absences in the 2013-14 school year. Students with asthma who declined enrollment in the intervention program had nearly a 9% increase in absences.
The asthma intervention program has expanded to 225 students in 10 of Hartford’s public schools. For more information on the asthma intervention study, read the Hartford Courant article.
June 10, 2015
Public Acts Requiring Agency Regulations in 2013 and 2014
OLR Report 2015-R-0052 identifies provisions in 2013 and 2014 public acts requiring agencies to adopt regulations. Connecticut’s regulation-adoption process is governed by the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act. The regulation-adoption process begins when the legislature enacts a new law authorizing or requiring an agency to adopt regulations. For more information on the process, see OLR Report 2015-R-0064.
The report identifies 41 public acts that explicitly require agencies to adopt regulations and 24 provisions that potentially require agencies to adopt regulations. Also identified are the statutory citation, agency, and subject matter for each act.
Public acts often make substantive changes in statutes related to agencies’ existing regulations. For example, prior law may have required an agency to adopt regulations implementing a program. If a later public act amends the program criteria, the agency may have to adopt regulations to conform to the new requirements.
For more information, click here.
The report identifies 41 public acts that explicitly require agencies to adopt regulations and 24 provisions that potentially require agencies to adopt regulations. Also identified are the statutory citation, agency, and subject matter for each act.
Public acts often make substantive changes in statutes related to agencies’ existing regulations. For example, prior law may have required an agency to adopt regulations implementing a program. If a later public act amends the program criteria, the agency may have to adopt regulations to conform to the new requirements.
For more information, click here.
June 9, 2015
Medicaid Approaches the Half Century Mark
Fifty years ago this July, President Johnson signed legislation establishing the Medicaid program. The program provides health coverage to low income individuals and families. It also provides coverage to individuals who meet certain income and asset requirements and who (1) are elderly or blind or (2) have one or more disabilities. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) recently released a report that provides an overview of Medicaid’s history and milestones, as well as facts and figures regarding Medicaid recipient demographics, access to services, etc., including the following:
Click here to read more in the full KFF report.
- 37% of children and 64% of nursing home residents in the U.S. are currently covered by Medicaid;
- of the total individuals enrolled in Medicaid (68 million), 48% are children, 27% are low-income adults, 9% are elderly, and 15% have disabilities;
- services for individuals with disabilities account for 42% of overall Medicaid spending followed by services for elderly individuals (21%), children (15%), and low-income adults (15%); and
- the amount of Medicaid long-term care that goes to home and community based services increased significantly from 2002 (32%) to 2013 (46%) (the rest of the long-term care expenditures are used for institutional services).
June 8, 2015
Where Do Millennials Want To Live?
An OLR blog post of 3/25/15 (“The Move from Suburban to New Urban”) cited claims that suburbs are in decline as young people increasingly move to areas where they have walkable access to services and amenities, like restaurants and retail. But a panel discussion in Washington D.C. (click here) recently suggested that when “millennials” have children, they want to live in single family homes and their concerns are no different from those of past generations of parents; suburbs are still safer and provide access to better schools. Affordable urban apartments—(See this article from the Hartford Courant on the growth of housing units downtown.)—tend not to serve families well. They are small and low on things families want, like closets, privacy, and access to the outdoors. The Washington meeting was hosted by the Urban Land Institute and was attended by academics and city planners hoping to anticipate the needs and desires of the next generation of renters and home buyers.
Recent reports, like the one found here in the New York Times, have documented the growth of “micro-units” in major cities. But does it make economic sense, and is it possible, to build city environments that are more family friendly? One panelist in Washington noted that filling a city with small housing units guarantees that people will leave the city just as they are “starting to put down roots and spend money.” Predicting shifts in the housing market, like predicting the long-term desires of an entire generation, is impossible. The success of both our cities and suburbs depends, after all, on larger social and economic forces, and on a continuation of the economic mobility that makes these choices possible. Importantly, families already live in urban areas, but many of them are not part of discussions like the one held in Washington because they are not among the potential residents of new, high-end urban apartments, large or small.
Recent reports, like the one found here in the New York Times, have documented the growth of “micro-units” in major cities. But does it make economic sense, and is it possible, to build city environments that are more family friendly? One panelist in Washington noted that filling a city with small housing units guarantees that people will leave the city just as they are “starting to put down roots and spend money.” Predicting shifts in the housing market, like predicting the long-term desires of an entire generation, is impossible. The success of both our cities and suburbs depends, after all, on larger social and economic forces, and on a continuation of the economic mobility that makes these choices possible. Importantly, families already live in urban areas, but many of them are not part of discussions like the one held in Washington because they are not among the potential residents of new, high-end urban apartments, large or small.
June 5, 2015
Connecticut Court Rules on Categorically Banning People from Transporting Weapons
OLR Report 2015-R-0026 summarizes the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling in State v. Deciccio, which overturned the conviction of a man imprisoned for transporting weapons in a vehicle while moving his belongings to a new residence.
While Mr. Deciccio was moving his belongings from his Connecticut residence to his new residence in Massachusetts on July 22, 2010, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The responding officer noticed several weapons in Deciccio’s vehicle and charged him with six counts of having a weapon in a motor vehicle in violation of CGS § 29-38(a), which, with some exceptions, makes it unlawful to carry certain weapons in a vehicle.
After a jury trial, the court found the defendant guilty of unlawfully transporting the police baton and dirk knife in his vehicle and not guilty with respect to the other weapons. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, suspended after 15 months, and three years probation with special conditions.
Deciccio appealed his conviction on grounds that CGS § 29-38(a) is unconstitutionally vague and that it violated his constitutional right to bear arms by preventing him from transporting his weapons to his new home.
The state Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, rejected Deciccio’s claim that the statute is vague but held that its “categorical ban on transporting dirk knives and police batons from one home to another operates as a significant infringement on the defendant’s right to bear arms in his home.” As the OLR report noted, “the court said that its holding was narrow, and the legislature is free to regulate the carrying and transportation of dangerous weapons in the interest of public safety, so long as the regulation accords with the Second Amendment.”
While Mr. Deciccio was moving his belongings from his Connecticut residence to his new residence in Massachusetts on July 22, 2010, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The responding officer noticed several weapons in Deciccio’s vehicle and charged him with six counts of having a weapon in a motor vehicle in violation of CGS § 29-38(a), which, with some exceptions, makes it unlawful to carry certain weapons in a vehicle.
After a jury trial, the court found the defendant guilty of unlawfully transporting the police baton and dirk knife in his vehicle and not guilty with respect to the other weapons. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, suspended after 15 months, and three years probation with special conditions.
Deciccio appealed his conviction on grounds that CGS § 29-38(a) is unconstitutionally vague and that it violated his constitutional right to bear arms by preventing him from transporting his weapons to his new home.
The state Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, rejected Deciccio’s claim that the statute is vague but held that its “categorical ban on transporting dirk knives and police batons from one home to another operates as a significant infringement on the defendant’s right to bear arms in his home.” As the OLR report noted, “the court said that its holding was narrow, and the legislature is free to regulate the carrying and transportation of dangerous weapons in the interest of public safety, so long as the regulation accords with the Second Amendment.”
June 4, 2015
California’s New Law Banning Plastic Bags Subject to Referendum
OLR Report 2015-R-0022 summarizes California’s new law banning plastic bags (SB 270), whose implementation depends on the outcome of a 2016 referendum.
The law prohibits stores from providing single-use plastic carryout bags to customers, but allows them to sell and distribute recycled paper bags and reusable grocery bags that meet specified standards. Stores must charge at least 10 cents per bag.
The ban will be implemented in two phases. Under the first phase, which takes effect July 1, 2015, stores that have (1) annual gross sales of at least $2 million or at least 10,000 square feet of retail floor space and (2) a pharmacy must comply with the ban. The second phase, effective July 1, 2016, extends the ban to convenience food stores, food marts, or other similar entities.
The law also outlines requirements for producers of reusable bags.
Although the legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 270, opponents gathered enough signatures to require its ratification at a statewide referendum scheduled for November 8, 2016.
For more information on requirements of the law, read the full report.
The law prohibits stores from providing single-use plastic carryout bags to customers, but allows them to sell and distribute recycled paper bags and reusable grocery bags that meet specified standards. Stores must charge at least 10 cents per bag.
The ban will be implemented in two phases. Under the first phase, which takes effect July 1, 2015, stores that have (1) annual gross sales of at least $2 million or at least 10,000 square feet of retail floor space and (2) a pharmacy must comply with the ban. The second phase, effective July 1, 2016, extends the ban to convenience food stores, food marts, or other similar entities.
The law also outlines requirements for producers of reusable bags.
Although the legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 270, opponents gathered enough signatures to require its ratification at a statewide referendum scheduled for November 8, 2016.
For more information on requirements of the law, read the full report.
June 3, 2015
Apps for Homeless People
Small, low-cost changes can often yield significant results. Here’s what we mean: according to a recent Governing article, homelessness has been declining in several major cities, excluding Washington D.C., where it has grown by nearly 13%. The problem seems intractable, but those who work directly with homeless people are tackling the problem by using technologies many of us take for granted.
For example, the New York Times recently reported how some Silicon Valley tech companies have begun providing cell phones with internet access to nonprofits who distribute them to people likely to benefit from having them, including the homeless. In some cases, the people receiving the phones pay for the phone service by performing tasks, like picking up trash, for the nonprofit providers.
The internet is the way we now do business, and without it, as the Times reports, it can be “difficult to find a home, apply for a job, sign up for classes, make homeless shelter reservations or find soup kitchens.”
Serving the information needs of low-income people is also stimulating economic development. For example, “Twitter is building a $3 million computer lab for low-income people, across the street from its Tenderloin headquarters,” according to the article.
For example, the New York Times recently reported how some Silicon Valley tech companies have begun providing cell phones with internet access to nonprofits who distribute them to people likely to benefit from having them, including the homeless. In some cases, the people receiving the phones pay for the phone service by performing tasks, like picking up trash, for the nonprofit providers.
The internet is the way we now do business, and without it, as the Times reports, it can be “difficult to find a home, apply for a job, sign up for classes, make homeless shelter reservations or find soup kitchens.”
Serving the information needs of low-income people is also stimulating economic development. For example, “Twitter is building a $3 million computer lab for low-income people, across the street from its Tenderloin headquarters,” according to the article.
June 2, 2015
The Effect of Financial Literacy on Credit Scores
A recent Washington Post article highlights studies showing that high school graduates in states mandating personal finance education are more likely to do a better job managing their money, earning higher credit scores and reducing the chances of defaulting on their credit cards.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently released a tool-kit to help policymakers lay groundwork for expanding financial education for K-12 students, the article noted. The CEE recently created a series of tests it hopes will help educators develop effective models for teaching financial education, the article stated.
Read the full article here.
The article, citing the Council for Economic Education (CEE), stated that:
- 22 states require students take an economics class before graduating from high school, a number that has not changed in five years, and
- 17 states mandate personal finance education, but only six test students on that knowledge.
Read the full article here.
June 1, 2015
The Primary Cause of CT Hospitalizations: Mental Disorders
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The DPH report also found that approximately 1 million of the 8 million visits made to emergency departments during that period were for psychiatric or drug- or alcohol-related mental disorders. The common diagnoses among children included mood disorders, depression, attention deficit disorder, and disruptive behaviors. In a July 2014 C-HIT story, hospital administrators reported an “increasing number of children with mental health problems showing up in emergency rooms, sometimes staying multiple nights before residential placements or support services can be found.” Several task forces and state agencies have recommended “better coordination of mental health services to children and young adults to reduce fragmentation, improve screening, and expand emergency response teams and access to care.”
May 29, 2015
Fitness Trackers Impacting Insurance
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May 28, 2015
New Report: University-Business Job Creation Partnerships
Graduating from a college or university without experience in one’s degree area or with only internship experience limits a graduate’s employment prospects. In an attempt to address this issue and simultaneously provide businesses with prospective employees interested in specific business sectors, many Connecticut colleges and universities have formed partnerships with businesses.
Additionally, businesses are taking initiative to promote enrollment in manufacturing, electrical, and technical areas where there is a forecasted need. OLR Report 2015-R-0102 identifies some of the collaborations between businesses and Connecticut colleges and universities.
As a guideline, the report identifies partnerships exhibiting the approaches outlined in the Business-Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF’s) 2013 national study; methods “that enable business and higher education to move from transactional approaches to interaction.” The approaches include (1) involving business people in designing and teaching courses with business applications (“introductory course design”), (2) combining classroom instruction and workplace experience (“earlier research internships”) and (3) helping high school students interested in specific career paths make the transition from high school to college and move on to their chosen careers (“bridge programs”).
To learn more, click here to read the full report.
Additionally, businesses are taking initiative to promote enrollment in manufacturing, electrical, and technical areas where there is a forecasted need. OLR Report 2015-R-0102 identifies some of the collaborations between businesses and Connecticut colleges and universities.
As a guideline, the report identifies partnerships exhibiting the approaches outlined in the Business-Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF’s) 2013 national study; methods “that enable business and higher education to move from transactional approaches to interaction.” The approaches include (1) involving business people in designing and teaching courses with business applications (“introductory course design”), (2) combining classroom instruction and workplace experience (“earlier research internships”) and (3) helping high school students interested in specific career paths make the transition from high school to college and move on to their chosen careers (“bridge programs”).
To learn more, click here to read the full report.
May 27, 2015
Research Casts Doubt on Calorie Count Accuracy
There is good news and bad news. The good news is that the nutrition facts on your food may be overstating your food’s calorie count, so you may be ingesting far fewer calories than you realize. The bad news is that this does not mean you should eat more.
A recent New York Times article claims that a recent study found that the traditional method of discerning the calories in food is flawed, resulting in overestimates of the caloric values of high-fiber and high-protein foods.
The article indicates that the traditional method for discerning the caloric value of foods counts the number of calories in food but does not account for how completely the human body absorbs those calories. The article explains that the traditional method is most accurate for foods that are easily digested – like highly processed foods. For other, more complex foods like nuts, meat, and high-fiber foods, scientists now understand that a significant number of calories are lost in an effort to digest the food.
The article notes that nutritionists caution that a lower calorie-count does not mean people should eat more. Instead, some nutritionists are advocating for a new system for determining the caloric value of food (i.e., a system that measures the caloric value of food and the food’s digestibility). This system has been presented to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization but has not been adopted.
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| Image Source: Wiki Commons |
A recent New York Times article claims that a recent study found that the traditional method of discerning the calories in food is flawed, resulting in overestimates of the caloric values of high-fiber and high-protein foods.
The article indicates that the traditional method for discerning the caloric value of foods counts the number of calories in food but does not account for how completely the human body absorbs those calories. The article explains that the traditional method is most accurate for foods that are easily digested – like highly processed foods. For other, more complex foods like nuts, meat, and high-fiber foods, scientists now understand that a significant number of calories are lost in an effort to digest the food.
The article notes that nutritionists caution that a lower calorie-count does not mean people should eat more. Instead, some nutritionists are advocating for a new system for determining the caloric value of food (i.e., a system that measures the caloric value of food and the food’s digestibility). This system has been presented to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization but has not been adopted.
May 26, 2015
New Report: How Many Proposed Bills Become Laws?
According to OLR Report 2015-R-0111, very few proposed bills eventually become laws. The report examines bills introduced during regular session from 2009 to 2014. It does not include special sessions, which consider only emergency certified bills and may be convened at any other time.
A proposed bill is a bill introduced by an individual legislator at the beginning of a session, not fully drafted. There were 4,864 proposed bills introduced between 2009 and 2014. Of those bills, 208 (approximately 4%) were enacted into law. The total bills enacted into law across the six year period, was 1,590. Therefore, approximately 1% of the enacted bills were proposed bills. The total enacted bills include raised bills, public acts, and special acts passed by the General Assembly.
For more information, read the full report.
A proposed bill is a bill introduced by an individual legislator at the beginning of a session, not fully drafted. There were 4,864 proposed bills introduced between 2009 and 2014. Of those bills, 208 (approximately 4%) were enacted into law. The total bills enacted into law across the six year period, was 1,590. Therefore, approximately 1% of the enacted bills were proposed bills. The total enacted bills include raised bills, public acts, and special acts passed by the General Assembly.
For more information, read the full report.
May 25, 2015
Connecticut Housing Market A Complicated Picture
Two new reports detail the Connecticut housing market. In general, house sales are up but the average sale price is down.
According to a new report by The Warren Group, a real estate information company, sales of single family homes in Connecticut increased almost 14% this February, compared to February 2014. The 1,352 homes sold is the highest February number since 2008. However, the report also notes that the median price of a single family home dropped by almost 5%, to $224,750.
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, a realty company, recently compared Connecticut home sales in the first quarter of 2015 with those in the first quarter of 2014. Home prices increased 1.3%, the number of sales increased 2.93%, and sales volume (which incorporates the price of the house) increased 4.27%. In addition, the average sale price for a single family home in Connecticut rose from $371,000 to $375,000.
Berkshire Hathaway also reported real estate sales by county. Windham County had the largest increase of any county in Connecticut, with sale prices increasing 11.6%, followed by New Haven County at 2.8%. Sale prices in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New London and Tolland Counties decreased. However, the number of sales increased in Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, and Windham counties.
Nationwide, the housing market appears to be increasing. The Case-Shiller index, which measures single family home prices, increased 5% in February (compared to February 2014).
According to a new report by The Warren Group, a real estate information company, sales of single family homes in Connecticut increased almost 14% this February, compared to February 2014. The 1,352 homes sold is the highest February number since 2008. However, the report also notes that the median price of a single family home dropped by almost 5%, to $224,750.
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Berkshire Hathaway also reported real estate sales by county. Windham County had the largest increase of any county in Connecticut, with sale prices increasing 11.6%, followed by New Haven County at 2.8%. Sale prices in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New London and Tolland Counties decreased. However, the number of sales increased in Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, and Windham counties.
Nationwide, the housing market appears to be increasing. The Case-Shiller index, which measures single family home prices, increased 5% in February (compared to February 2014).
May 22, 2015
New Report: Final Disposition of Regulations Rejected without Prejudice in 2013 and 2014
OLR Report 2015-R-0053 outlines the proposed regulations disapproved or rejected without prejudice in 2013 and 2014 and the final disposition of each regulation.
Adopting agency regulations in Connecticut is a multi-step process that begins when the legislature enacts a new law that either authorizes or requires an agency to adopt new regulations. The Uniform Administrative Procedure Act (UAPA) governs this process, which includes an agency submitting proposed regulations to the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee for approval. For more information on the regulation adoption process read OLR Report 2015-R-0064.
In 2013 and 2014, the Regulation Review Committee rejected 19 proposed regulations, all without prejudice, from 10 agencies. No regulations were disapproved. Following rejection, 17 of the 19 regulations were later approved in whole or with technical corrections, substitute pages, or deletions. Of the two regulations that were not later approved, one relates to affirmative action plans, proposed by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and the second relates to provider audit requirements, proposed by the Department of Social Services.
For additional information, read the full report.
Adopting agency regulations in Connecticut is a multi-step process that begins when the legislature enacts a new law that either authorizes or requires an agency to adopt new regulations. The Uniform Administrative Procedure Act (UAPA) governs this process, which includes an agency submitting proposed regulations to the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee for approval. For more information on the regulation adoption process read OLR Report 2015-R-0064.
In 2013 and 2014, the Regulation Review Committee rejected 19 proposed regulations, all without prejudice, from 10 agencies. No regulations were disapproved. Following rejection, 17 of the 19 regulations were later approved in whole or with technical corrections, substitute pages, or deletions. Of the two regulations that were not later approved, one relates to affirmative action plans, proposed by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and the second relates to provider audit requirements, proposed by the Department of Social Services.
For additional information, read the full report.
May 21, 2015
Hearing the Economic Signals amid the Economic Noise
Remember our blog about “inflection points”—a term Intel’s Andy Grove coined to help businesses identify significant shifts that could spell trouble for a company’s products and services? Inflection points often show up in graphs, tables, and statistical indicators. Ironically, there is no dearth of such indicators when it comes to business and economics, and that’s a big problem, according to Nate Silver, author of The Signal and Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don’t (2012).
Why? Because “we face danger whenever information growth outpaces our understanding of how to process it.” Ironically, the human race has survived because human beings are good at processing and analyzing data to discern meaningful patterns. But today the vast stream of data generated from many sources could be having unintended consequences, such as allowing us to select only that data that conforms to our preconceived ideas. Consequently, we may be missing the signals for the noise and wasting our time chasing false leads.
If this sounds too abstract for public policy, let’s turn to a recent Christian Science Monitor article about wages. Some economic signals show that wages are finally going up, which is good news, especially for states that rely on consumer spending to fill their tax coffers. But this time, things are different. People are saving their extra cash or paying down debt. “The U.S. savings rate in the first three months of 2015 increased to 5.5 percent—its highest level since the end of 2012,” the article stated. Did the economic forecasters predict the increase in savings?
In his assessment of the 2008 housing collapse and the deep recession it triggered, Silver recommended that, “we must think differently about our ideas—and how to test them. We must become more comfortable with probability and uncertainty. We must think more carefully about the assumptions and beliefs we bring to a problem.”
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Why? Because “we face danger whenever information growth outpaces our understanding of how to process it.” Ironically, the human race has survived because human beings are good at processing and analyzing data to discern meaningful patterns. But today the vast stream of data generated from many sources could be having unintended consequences, such as allowing us to select only that data that conforms to our preconceived ideas. Consequently, we may be missing the signals for the noise and wasting our time chasing false leads.
If this sounds too abstract for public policy, let’s turn to a recent Christian Science Monitor article about wages. Some economic signals show that wages are finally going up, which is good news, especially for states that rely on consumer spending to fill their tax coffers. But this time, things are different. People are saving their extra cash or paying down debt. “The U.S. savings rate in the first three months of 2015 increased to 5.5 percent—its highest level since the end of 2012,” the article stated. Did the economic forecasters predict the increase in savings?
In his assessment of the 2008 housing collapse and the deep recession it triggered, Silver recommended that, “we must think differently about our ideas—and how to test them. We must become more comfortable with probability and uncertainty. We must think more carefully about the assumptions and beliefs we bring to a problem.”
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