Governor Malloy announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow Connecticut to use more than $8 million of federal funding to preserve and protect the state's farms. He says Connecticut has already preserved more than 300 farms and 13,000 acres of farmland and hopes to use the extended funding to protect not only farms, but also jobs.
Democratic leaders in the legislature presented an ambitious proposal on Wednesday that would expand government-funded early childhood education programs in Connecticut. Lawmakers, including Senate President Donald Williams and House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, outlined their plan to spend $200 million over 10 years.
Ban of Genetically Modified Lawn Seed
Legislation to ban the sale or use of genetically modified lawn seed in Connecticut was approved this week by the state Senate, even though GMO grass isn't expected to be available here for at least one or two years. Some advocates of the ban warned that use of the herbicide- and pesticide-resistant GMO grass seed would encourage homeowners and businesses to use far more potentially harmful weed-killing chemicals on their lawns.
DMV Extends Deadline
State Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner Melody Currey announced that the DMV is extending the due date and waiving late fees for vehicles involved in the General Motors recall. The extension was effective as of Wednesday and will end on October 31. G.M. recently recalled about 2.5 million compact cars, including 2.2 million in the United States alone. The recall was due to safety hazards after an ignition switch was found to be defective.
State DOT Installing Rumble Strips on Rural Roadways
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is beginning a new pilot program that will bring rumble strips to the centerlines of four rural roads in sections of Route 202 in Litchfield, Route 6 in Brooklyn and Hampton, Route 34 in Derby, and Route 12 in Groton and Ledyard. Officials say the idea is to avoid collisions by keeping drivers from crossing over the centerline.