A common problem for boards of education is getting enough members in attendance at a board meeting in order to have a quorum (usually, a majority of the board). There may be times when a board member wishes to participate...more
On January 9, the 2019 session of the Connecticut General Assembly began. The session is scheduled to adjourn on June 5, 2019. Numerous proposed bills affecting Connecticut employers and employees will be unleashed during the...more
Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) generally provides access to both meetings and records of public agencies. The FOIA does provide an exception to the open meetings requirements for certain “personnel...more
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly passed bills that, among other things: (1) revise the Student Data Privacy Act; (2) address budgetary issues stemming from attempts at reducing and rescinding...more
8/14/2018
/ Data Privacy ,
FOIA ,
Food Allergies ,
Omnibus Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Right to Privacy ,
Salary/Wage History ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
State Budgets ,
Teachers ,
Unemployment Compensation System
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly passed bills that, among other things: (1) revise the Student Data Privacy Act; (2) address budgetary issues stemming from attempts at reducing and rescinding...more
8/3/2018
/ Cost-Sharing ,
Data Privacy ,
Disabled Children ,
Diversity ,
Educational Institutions ,
FOIA ,
Food Allergies ,
General Assembly ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Grants ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mobile Devices ,
Natural Disasters ,
New Legislation ,
Public Employers ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
Puerto Rico ,
Right to Privacy ,
Risk Assessment ,
Safety Standards ,
Special Education ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Students ,
Teachers
As was discussed in our prior blog post and alert, the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME, 585 U.S. ____ (June 27, 2018) just issued a ground breaking decision with respect to the collection of agency fees from non-union...more
7/9/2018
/ Appeals ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Fair Share Contribution ,
First Amendment ,
Janus v AFSCME ,
Non-Union ,
Payroll Deductions ,
Public Sector Unions ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Stare Decisis ,
Union Dues
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on May 9, 2018. Numerous bills that were of significant interest (e.g., paid family and medical leave, other changes to the state’s FMLA, changes in the...more
The March 22, 2018 deadline for the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee to approve bills has come and gone. As we expected, the close partisan divide kept the Committee from approving a large number of...more
On Thursday, March 8, 2018, the General Assembly’s Education Committee will conduct a public hearing on the following proposed bills...more
In the aftermath of another senseless and tragic school shooting, school districts are understandably looking inwards as they contemplate the need to adjust their security measures. I am frequently asked how school districts...more
On February 7, the 2018 session of the Connecticut General Assembly began. The session is scheduled to adjourn on May 9, 2018. Numerous proposed bills affecting Connecticut employers and employees will be unleashed during the...more
We have previously written in these pages about the development of “guidelines” or “standards” by the State Board of Education for the provision of educational opportunities for expelled students. Having had just a (teeny)...more
In 2017, our firm published a summary of new legislation affecting Connecticut’s schools and public sector employers. However, the 2017 “regular session” of the Connecticut General Assembly was not the final word. Due to the...more
1/15/2018
/ Background Checks ,
Budgets ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Grants ,
Medicaid ,
Public Employers ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
Tax Reform ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
While several bills were enacted earlier this year affecting Connecticut employers, the 2017 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly was not the final word. Due to the lack of a budget, the General Assembly had to...more
In 2016, Connecticut’s General Assembly passed Public Act 16-147: AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE POLICY AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. This Act made several changes to school discipline laws which...more
Last Friday (August 11, 2017), the Connecticut Supreme Court issued a decision garnering significant press attention in which it ruled that 1) Connecticut public policy imposes a duty upon schools to warn or protect against...more
The Connecticut General Assembly enacted a number of laws during its 2017 regular session that will impact Connecticut schools. Among other things, bills have been enacted that: (1) “repeal and replace” last year’s radical...more
Firing an employee does not usually make national headlines, but the recent firing of FBI Director James Comey by President Donald Trump was a notable exception. The headlines continued when President Trump appeared to offer...more
The Connecticut General Assembly enacted a number of laws during its regular session that will impact Connecticut schools and public-sector employers. Among other things, bills have been enacted that...more
The 2017 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 7, 2017 without passing a budget. As such, the General Assembly will eventually have to convene a “special session”. In the meantime, our...more
The 2017 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded at midnight, June 7, 2017, without accomplishing its most important task (passing a budget). As such, the General Assembly will eventually have to convene...more
As my colleague Rachel Ginsburg aptly foretold, Connecticut’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities [“CHRO”] has indicated an interest in involving itself with discrimination claims concerning the schools. A recent...more
We had written earlier about the proposed bills that the General Assembly’s Education Committee voted favorably on and advanced out of committee at its March 8, 2017 meeting. The Committee subsequently voted favorably on a...more
5/3/2017
/ Budgets ,
Desegregation ,
Education Reform ,
Electronic Devices ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
General Assembly ,
Public Records ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
State Aid ,
Training
We earlier had written on Working Together about the proposed bills that the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee voted favorably on and advanced out of committee at its February 21, 2017 and March 2, 2017...more
The General Assembly’s Education Committee is beginning the process of approving bills. The following is a listing (with a brief description) of the proposed bills that Education Committee voted favorably on and advanced...more