New Rules: CT Relaxes Regs on Churches, Schools, Bars and More

CONNECTICUT — School staff, churches, veterans and bars all stand to benefit from the latest executive order signed Thursday by Gov. Ned Lamont.

It is the 89th such order issued by the governor since the start of the coronavirus health crisis in the state last March.

The new executive order requires local and regional boards of education to continue to provide two weeks of paid leave (or equivalent for part-time staffers) for school district employees who had to miss work because they were required to self-quarantine due to COVID-19.

It makes the same provision for employees who weren't in school because someone there was exposed, they needed to care for someone in quarantine, they were diagnosed with COVID-19 or experienced symptoms of the virus, or had to care for a child whose school or place of care was unavailable because of coronavirus-related issues. This protection had been in place at the federal level, but expired on Dec. 31, 2020.

As he teased during a news conference earlier this week, Lamont has removed the 100-person numerical cap on indoor worship with this new order. The 50 percent capacity limit still remains, as do the social distancing and face covering mandates.

The federal government is gearing up to issue a third round of stimulus checks, and Lamont's latest executive order will ensure that extra revenue promised won't impact anyone's state benefits. A previous signature exempted any CARES Act stimulus payments from eligibility calculations for state-provided benefits, and this new decree expands upon that to include all federal coronavirus-related stimulus money.

Absentee voting, all the rage during the November elections, has returned. Lamont's Executive Order No. 10 permits all voters in any special election or municipal primary held prior to April 20 to cast their ballot by mail.

Normally, veterans who were granted tax relief benefits must reapply every two years. Lamont's latest executive order suspends that regulation. Veterans who would have been required to re-certify for the 2020 tax year will automatically retain their benefit for the next 2-year cycle, ending in fiscal 2022.

The new executive order will take some paperwork away from the elderly and disabled, as well. Residents who have already qualified for Homeowners' – Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker and Freeze Tax Relief will not have to get re-certified for these municipal programs.

You were probably unaware there is a statute that required Department of Transportation commuter lots to be used only for commuter parking for carpools, van pools, and mass transportation. The governor's new executive order will allow these facilities to be used for the establishment and operation of COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.

The new fee structure for liquor permits, which had been set to go into effect last July before being temporarily postponed, has been postponed again. Permits due to expire on or before Feb. 9 are now good until April 20.