May 2009 Issue

Capitol address
Legislative Office Building
Room 3300
Hartford, CT 06106-1595

E-mail
Williams@senatedems.ct.gov

On the Web
www.SenatorWilliams.cga.ct.gov

Phone
Capitol: 860-240-8634
Toll-free: 1-800-842-1420

Dear Friends,

There is less than one month left in the legislative session in Hartford and there’s still a lot of work to be done.

We’re conducting budget negotiations with Governor Rell and her administration — pushing our commitments to protect core government services, such as quality public education and health care for children. At the same time, we’ve proposed the largest spending cuts in state history. It is unfortunate that Governor Rell still refuses to put her plan to balance the budget on the table. We know that presenting a balanced budget involves unpopular choices and challenges. Meeting those challenges in difficult times is the essence of leadership. We hope that she will reconsider — and soon!

Needed Funding for
ECSU & Willimantic

Funding for a new parking garage at Eastern Connecticut State University was recently approved by the State Bond Commission. The $18 million garage, located on the north campus in Willimantic, will hold 808 vehicles. The impact of this project stretches beyond the ECSU campus. More than $16 million is dedicated for construction costs, an investment that will help create high quality jobs for families in the area. Follow this link to find out how the Windham community feels the project will help their town.

Banning Drug Company Gifts to Doctors

I’m also pushing a bill, along with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and the AARP, to ban gifts and other benefits provided by drug and medical device companies to doctors that may improperly influence health care decisions. (Click the screen on the left to watch a YouTube video of a related press conference.)

Pharmaceutical drug companies spend more than $20 billion annually to market prescription drugs. Surprisingly, more than $7 billion of this is spent in marketing drugs directly to providers. Our concern is that such marketing may be inappropriately influencing health care provider decisions and unneccesarily raising the costs of health care.

The gift ban is a simple step that we can take to improve our health care system and lower costs, and it doesn’t require millions of dollars — just the strength to stand-up to special interests.

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Copyright © 2009 Connecticut Senate Democrats. All rights reserved.