Municipal Leaders Pushing for Drug Abuse Ombudsman, Funding

NBCConnecticut.com

Connecticut’s largest association of cities and towns plans to lobby for a new ombudsman for drug abuse and control policy when state lawmakers return to the Capitol next month for the 2020 regular legislative session.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities said a designated ombudsman would be able to coordinate funding for substance abuse prevention, education and recovery efforts. It’s one of a various legislative priorities for local officials.

CCM also plans to urge legislators to maintain funding for key municipal transportation and infrastructure grants, push for proposals that could lead to changes in collective bargaining agreements for municipal union workers, and advocate for a new pilot program that would allow certain cities and towns to use photographic traffic enforcement technology.

The organization said it will also support efforts to come up with a bipartisan plan to improve transportation, an issue Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont has hoped to tackle before the General Assembly convenes Feb. 5.

“This plan must identify and allocate appropriate resources which may include the establishment of limited tolling and will enable the state to leverage all available federal funding resources,” CCM said in a news release.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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