The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the statewide association of towns and cities, today (Monday, May 14) began airing a radio spot that calls on the General Assembly to reject legislation that would mandate unnecessary and special workers’ compensation benefits for police and fire fighters that are not job related.

From May 14 to 18, this radio spot is airing twice between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and twice between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Hartford based WTIC-AM radio (the largest news radio station in Connecticut).

The same ad is also airing once a day at different points during the day from May 14 to 18 on each of the 20 radio stations located throughout the state that are affiliated with the Connecticut Radio Network.

These stations include: WICC-AM in Bridgeport; WLAD-AM, WDAQ-FM, and WAXB-FM in Danbury; WGCH-AM in Greenwich; WHCN-FM, WKSS-FM, and WDRC-FM in Hartford; WMRD-AM in Middletown; WKCI-FM and WELI-AM in New Haven; WQGN-FM in New London; WNLK-AM and WEFX-FM in Norwalk; WLIS-AM in Old Saybrook; WKZE-FM in Sharon; WSTC-AM and WKHL-FM in Stamford, WATR-AM in Waterbury; and WILI-AM in Windham.

Background

HB 6956—the largest state mandate on municipalities in decades would negate much of the property tax relief initiatives proposed this session - relief that would go toward paying for local public safety, education and transportation services.

The bill would impose a ‘no proof necessary’ law at the expense of local taxpayers by entitling a select group of employees to workers’ compensation coverage without having to show the origin of their illnesses.

HB 6956 is bad public policy and not necessary — currently, if there is a correlation between the job and a particular illness, public safety officers already receive workers’ compensation benefits — they just have to demonstrate the job-relatedness of the illness.

By mandating that towns pay for the costs associated with these illnesses – the number of cases will increase, as a result, local governments’ insurance premiums rates will rise too, compounding the effect of this mandate.

Proponents are wrong — the costs to municipalities would be enormous — HB 6956 would dredge up more than $30 million per year in H&H mandated costs.

On top of that - infectious & contagious disease claims can cost towns between $750,000 and $2.5 million per case! While a single cancer claim could exceed $1 million per case! Proponents of the nation-wide campaign to grant these benefits have not produced any credible medical justification for these special entitlements.

Man: “Have you heard the latest from the State Capitol?”

Woman: “Towns could be forced to pay special benefits to police and firefighters who contract infectious diseases and heart disease, without requiring them to show these ailments are work-related.”

Man: “Towns could also be forced to pay benefits to firefighters who contract certain cancers - again, without showing any job-relatedness.”

Woman: “This new mandate will costs towns tens-of-millions of dollars annually. That means our town would have to raise local taxes, cut services, or both, to cover these new costs.”

Man: “And the new mandate is not even necessary. Workers already receive these benefits - as long as they show these ailments are job-related.”

Women: “The State should not give select employees special benefits, especially when they’re not job-related.”

Man: “Property taxpayers deserve better.”

Third voice: “Tell your state legislators to vote against HB 6956 - a huge giveaway of local tax dollars. A message from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities - The Voice of Local Government.”