On May 16, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that several Connecticut small businesses have qualified for assistance through the state’s Small Business Express Program (EXP).

The program was created as a part of the bipartisan Jobs Bill passed during last year’s jobs special session, to encourage business expansion and job growth.

“Small businesses need access to capital to reach new customers,” Governor Malloy said. “The Small Business Express Program is giving these already-successful businesses a path to obtain the funding they need to retain and grow jobs.”

In total, EXP will provide $100 million to help the state’s small businesses hire more employees and fund capital investments.

The program, administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), offers loans and matching grants to Connecticut companies with fewer than 50 employees at the time of application.

Among the businesses is MacNaughton Builders, LLC of East Granby.
The company is receiving a $100,000 matching grant. The company will invest a total of $200,000 in leasehold improvements, capital equipment, and employee training, enabling MacNaughton’s expansion into the home energy retrofit trade.

The company will hire 15 new positions.

“Our goal is to pave the way for job creation in East Granby,” State Senator John A. Kissel (R-Enfield) said. “We need to do all we can to help growing small businesses like MacNaughton Builders. These 15 new jobs will boost the local economy and pay big dividends for East Granby.”

“This grant is a positive development for both MacNaughton Builders, LLC and for East Granby,” State Representative Elaine O’Brien (D-East Granby, Suffield, Windsor) said. “We are still facing an economy that continues to be a challenge. It’s important that we continue to invest in our businesses and this investment in MacNaughton will lead to the hiring of 15 new employees and job creation must continue to be our goal.”

State Sen. John A. Kissel speaks on the floor of the Senate on May 9, the final night of the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2012 legislative session. Sen. Kissel was successful in getting a Connecticut version of “Caylee’s Law” passed by the state legislature.

Sen. John A. Kissel today applauded the Senate’s passage of a bill which will establish a penalty for Connecticut parents and guardians who fail to report the disappearance of a child.

Kissel said the legislation, which heads to the governor for his signature, is a response to the 2008 high profile death of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. The 2-year-old wasn’t reported missing for 31 days.

Under the Connecticut legislation, parents and guardians who wait longer than 24 hours to report any child under the age of 12 missing would be charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense. The misdemeanor would be punishable by up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of $2,000.

“As a dad, I can’t imagine a parent not reporting a missing child,” Sen. Kissel said. “What we saw play out in Florida was heartbreaking, and we felt that if we could strengthen our state law in this area, we should. This measure is a step in the right direction which will help to ensure that no future situations like Caylee’s occur in our state. With this proposal, we are protecting children and holding irresponsible parents and guardians accountable for not promptly reporting disappearances.”

The duty to report applies to any parent, guardian, or person who has custody or is supervising the child and who either does not know the child’s location or has not had contact with him or her for a 24-hour period.

Sen. Kissel (www.senatorkissel.com) serves as Ranking Member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee and represents East Granby, Enfield, Somers, Suffield, Windsor Locks and portions of Granby and Windsor. He can be reached at John.A.Kissel@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421.

With Death Penalty Repealed, Conn. Lawmaker Concerned About Future Cases

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) – The death penalty has been officially abolished for future cases in Connecticut, but one state lawmaker says the decision will only hinder the way the state deals with the most hardened and heinous of criminals.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, making Connecticut the 17th state to abolish capital punishment.

“I don’t believe that Connecticut should be putting people to death,” Malloy told WCBS 880. “This is a sentence that has been mistakenly applied many, many times.”

The repeal would not affect the sentences of the 11 inmates already on Connecticut’s death row, but Republican State Sen. John Kissel said there are concerns about cases in the future.

“I have always believed and many of my colleagues believe that the criminal justice system is very well served by having a death penalty on the books,” he told WCBS 880. “One of the concerns that we have is even though they say that perpetrators going forward will serve life without the possibility of release, there’s a question as to how that sentence will be served.”

Malloy signed the legislation on the same day that a Quinnipiac University poll found 62 percent of voters in Connecticut actually support the death penalty.

“There’s always been a huge number of legislators, primarily on the Democratic side in the Connecticut Legislature, in favor of repealing the death penalty,” Kissel said. “So even though recent polls have shown wide margins of support for the death penalty in Connecticut, the majority party was definitely able to get the votes lined up this year to push it through.”

There has only been one execution carried out in Connecticut in 51 years. In 2005, serial killer Michael Ross was administered lethal injection.

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Mark Davis

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — On the day that another Quinnipiac Poll showed a clear majority of Connecticut voters supporting the death penalty Governor Malloy signed the repeal bill into law.

He did it behind closed doors with no public ceremony. His office did not want any images of anything that appeared to be a celebration.

“I understand that this is a very sensitive issue and I’m trying to do it in a respectful fashion. That’s all,” Malloy said.

Click here to read Malloy’s full statement
When asked if they favored the death penalty, 62 percent said yes, just 30 percent were opposed.

But when given the choice and people are asked if they favor the death penalty or life without parole the public is evenly split 46 to 46 percent.

“This is a very difficult issue, there are many people who’se relatives were the victims of homicide who support this bill, there are many victims who’se loved ones were, lost their lives and don’t support it,” Malloy said.

An isolated, unused cell block at the Osborn prison in Somers is expected to be used for those now convicted of life in prison, where they will be kept isolated from the general prison population with very restricted privileges.

“We anticipate using that area, there are other areas, also in the old Cheshire, there’s an area similar to that we could use,” said Cmsr. Leo Arnone from the Department of Correction.

The law is not supposed to affect the two convicted Cheshire murderers, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevksy, or the nine other men on death row at Northern Prison. One of them has been there since 1989 while the endless appeal process goes on.

“Dr. William Petit stood with us to point out that the repeal of the death penalty will provide mercy to killers who offered none to their victims,” said State Sen. John A. Kissel (R-Enfield),a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee in a statement. “Repeal will spare the lives of the 11 murderers who currently sit on Death Row. Repeal eliminates a powerful tool for society to mete out justice to the worst of the worst. Repeal removes the appropriate sanction in certain heinous, cruel and depraved crimes.”

Did you know Nathan Hale went to Yale at the age of 14? Did you know that Katherine Hepburn’s brother died tragically while attempting a difficult magic trick?

Eighty students at Windsor Locks Middle School have spent the last two weeks researching and writing a 300-word essay about a historical figure from Connecticut who they think should never be forgotten. This social studies/language arts collaboration project charged the students with choosing a person to write about, researching their subject and then writing a thought-provoking essay which would be judged on several different criteria.

The essay contest was initiated by state Sen. John Kissel (R-7) in 2009, and he was in attendance on April 11 to present certificates to this year’s sixth-grade winners.

“Encouraging our young people to be effective communicators is a very important aspect of their education,” Kissel said. “Through these contests, we get to shine a light on local students and recognize their hard work.” He also sees it as a way to bring together communities.

“Many famous people of Connecticut have made significant contributions to the history of our nation and the state,” said Cassandra Szajac-Naylor, a language arts teacher at the middle school.

In this modern research project, the students used the internet almost exclusively, but Szajac-Naylor said there was still a strict eye on accuracy. “They had to research using the computer lab,” she said, and added that there really weren’t enough copies of books available in the school library for each of the 80 children to check one out.

Some of the essay topics were Connecticut martyr Nathan Hale, baseball player Bobby Valentine, actor Justin Long, and Gov. Ella Grasso.

“I thought that they were amazing,” said Szajac-Naylor. “It was interesting to see the things they found out that they felt were important.”

Besides learning about important historical figures, Szajac-Naylor said this event encouraged the students to put their best effort forward and for the community to see education in action. “The ceremony was a bridge between school and community where children’s work was the focus and was celebrated. The students saw the power of their words acknowledged by leaders, educators, family and friends. This experience will help them continue to explore their voice as writers,” she said.

In the end, seven students were selected to be honored as having the winning essays, along with seven runners-up.

Also in attendance were Superintendent of Schools Wayne Sweeney and Carissa Pape from 360 Federal Credit Union, which contributed monetary awards to the winners.

Kissel plans to hold the contests annually in Windsor Locks and Enfield, and possibly in additional north-central Connecticut towns. Szajac-Naylor said that this will be an ongoing yearly event at Windsor Locks Middle School.