Comptroller vows to fight wage theft with proposed bill

Laura Tillman

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced legislation on Monday that would target companies that are under investigation for wage theft by empowering his office to cut off payments for state contracts.

“An Act Allowing the Comptroller to Enforce Wage Statutes,” which has not yet been assigned a bill number, aims to create a faster, more muscular mechanism for rooting out wage theft after an audit revealed that about a thousand cases of wage and workplace complaints were languishing in a state Department of Labor backlog and too few investigators are being employed by the department to investigate them.

Last year, the Labor and Public Employees Committee tried and failed to pass a bill that would have nearly doubled the number of investigators to 45 by mid-2026.

Scanlon said he was proud of the proposal.

“I promise that, moving forward, that if there is a company that’s shortchanging workers, we’re gonna shortchange them.”

“We see a rise in bad actors doing bad by the workers that work for them,” Scanlon said. “For too long, too many people have been waiting for an answer, and I believe that if we stop the multimillion-dollar checks that are coming into some of these companies, you’re gonna get an answer faster.”

The bill would create a system in which the comptroller would be notified when a company with state contracts comes under investigation for violating wage law. The comptroller could then choose to stop payments for that project until an investigation has been completed and penalties are finalized.

Scanlon was joined by Rep. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, who co-chairs the Labor and Public Employees Committee, Rep. Darrell Wilson, D-Norwich, Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, Sen. Joe Toner, executive director of the Connecticut State Building Trades Council, and Kimberly Glassman, the director of the Foundation for Fair Contracting.

According to Glassman, the proposal would give the state a new way to hold bad actors accountable, one that could be quicker to deliver results than long investigations. She said some companies could respond as quickly as 24 to 48 hours.

“Wage enforcement has been a bipartisan issue in Connecticut, something we should be proud of, and I hope we continue that

Glassman said that wage theft is rampant within the construction industry.

Toner said that the problem of contractors taking advantage of workers in Connecticut is growing, in some cases with contractors bidding low to secure contracts then taking that money out of workers’ wages.

“It cannot continue to happen,” Toner said.

Kushner said the bill is about catching cheaters and that she was glad it’s gaining public attention.

“Because I don’t think the public likes cheaters,” Kushner said. “They’re not just cheating the workers — they’re cheating the whole system. They’re cheating when it comes to workers comp, they’re cheating when it comes to taxes, and there are the good guys out there that are actually following the rules, so you’re hurting other contractors as well.”

These 8 CT schools got state OK for construction reimbursements totaling $152M

Jessica Simms

Eight school building projects have made the state's School Construction Project Priority List for 2025.

In total, the state's Department of Administrative Services is providing $152.4 million in grants to support school building projects in Fairfield, Greenwich, Norwich, Plainville and Woodbridge.

The combined cost of the local projects is $262.7 million.

Fairfield

Three Fairfield public schools on the priority list — Osborn Hill and North Stratfield elementary schools and Fairfield Woods Middle School — received money to "improve thermal and air quality, facility security and energy efficiency," according to the project details.

Along with installing HVAC fresh air and air conditioning systems throughout the three schools, each building will get a secure entry vestibule and an upgrade on their fire sprinkler system. 

If necessary, they will get improvements on their electrical and water systems, along with their building management system. LED lights will also be installed within all the ceilings where work is being done.

The estimated cost depends on the building: Osborn Hills' work is estimated to cost $597,500, North Stratfield's is estimated to cost $652,500 and work at the middle school is estimated to cost $769,500. 

All three will receive a state reimbursement grant of about 26 percent of the cost of their project, with an estimated grant amount for Osborn Hills of $155,768, a grant of $170,107 for North Stratfield and $200,609 for the middle school.

Greenwich

The cost to renovate, add four classrooms and make Old Greenwich School Americans with Disabilities Act accessible is going to be slightly more than $45 million.

The project will get a 20 percent reimbursement from the state, now it has been listed on the state's construction priority list, worth about $9 million. 

According to the project details, OGS was originally built in 1902 and has not undergone any significant capital projects in 25 years. 

The project proposal includes adding in new HVAC systems, installing an emergency generator and upgrading the building's communications, fire alarm and emergency lighting systems, along with selective roof and window replacements. 

It also will include creating a new, secure, ADA-accessible main entrance at the front plaza. There will be a new elevator and more ADA-compliant bathrooms.

Norwich

Norwich is getting two new school buildings. 

Both John M. Moriarty Elementary School and Uncas Elementary School lack proper security, technology, power needs and building systems, according to the project details. The new buildings will "address these issues and provide a new, updated learning environment."

The two new buildings will be built on the current buildings' sites. Once their built, the old building will be demolished. 

The new schools are expected to feature air-conditioned and adequate air ventilation to meet current codes along with a fire alarm system that uses audible and visual alarms to notify people if there is a fire. Both buildings are slated to offer a school-wide intercom system that will be linked to the emergency notification system, sprinkler system and other features. 

The new John M. Moriarty building is expected to cost $74 million while the new Uncas building is estimated to be $76.4 million. 

Both schools are expected to get a state reimbursement rate of slightly more than 67 percent: The John M. Moriarty project, will receive about  $49.7 million; Uncas is expected to receive $51.3 million. 

Plainville

Plainville Middle School is set for a renovation. 

While the main structure is in good conditions, the infrastructure and most of the building’s original components are in poor condition, according to the project details. 

"In addition, most of the programmatic spaces are lacking in fundamental needs such as security, technology, power distribution and 
quality building controls that regulate temperature and air quality," according to the project description. 

The renovation project, which is estimated to cost about $62 million, is going to increase classroom size, add a secure entry vestibule and replace outdated mechanical equipment. It will also include an HVAC and electrical and plumbing upgrade and a roof replacement. 

This project is slated to get a nearly 43 percent state reimbursement, which is estimated to be $40.4 million.

Woodbridge

District 5's Amity Regional High School's media center and surrounding classrooms will be getting an upgrade. 

There will be new lighting, temperature controls and systems, fire systems, plumbing and furniture. 

The current library layout "allows no line of site of the entrance, which will also be expanded" so students can come and go in a more efficient way, the project details state. 

The project is estimated to cost about $3 million and will also include expanding the collaborative areas in the library so more students can interact. The classroom attached to the media center will also be redesigned. 

The state reimbursement rate for the project is about 43 percent, which is estimated to be $1.3 million.

Students, administrators celebrate first day at new Torrington High: ‘Everyone was really excited’

Jack Sheedy

TORRINGTON — Principal Brian Scott said despite the subzero temperatures, most things went smoothly during the first day of classes in the new Torrington High School building Jan. 22.

“The parent drop-off line definitely was a little bit longer than we had anticipated, but I think that was the combination of a new building plus some really cold weather this morning,” he said at the end of the day.

He said it was 6 degrees below zero when he arrived in the morning.

“I think a lot of families that the students normally walk in, got driven in today, so (that) created a little bit longer line than we had anticipated,” he said.

Superintendent Michael J. Wilson agreed the day went smoothly, thanks in part to advance planning.

“Amazing day,” he said. “We were here first thing this morning to greet all the kids in the central office (and) other administrators throughout the district. And, you know, obviously all the high school administrators were really welcoming the kids first thing this morning. And it was a great atmosphere, a great vibe. Everyone was really excited.”

Opening-day confusion was at a minimum, he said, because many parents and students had toured the building earlier during parent-teacher nights.

“We held them here rather than at the old building,” he said. “Students got a chance to find their way around, so that helped a lot. But this morning, there were a couple of anxious faces. And we reminded everyone, if it says 1001, you're on the first floor. If it says 2001, you're on the second.”

The four-story, 310-000-square-foot building will cost about $179.5 million, with the state reimbursing the city 85%. The middle school wing will open for classes in September.

Wilson expressed thanks to Mayor Elinor C. Carbone, the Board of Education, the building committee “and everyone who worked really hard for the citizens of this wonderful community to make this happen. I mean, this is an amazing facility.”

In contrast to these impressions are some memories of April 29, 1963, when the soon-to-be-demolished THS buildings were new.

Paul Bentley, an alum from the Class of 1966 and author of several Torrington-themed books, recalls that day in a Facebook message: “I remember a lot of confusion that first day and being amazed with the A-B connector which was state-of-the-art to me.”

Phil Oles, from the Class of 1964, recalls in an email, “I remember how nice the new chem labs were. I think there were students or teachers directing us to homerooms because the school was massive and easy to get lost in.”

A yearbook from 1964 recalls “moving into a fine building referred to as the new high school. The first day was marked by a flag-raising ceremony.”

Editors of the 1965 yearbook wrote, “As we walked wide-eyed through the glass-enclosed corridors, we noticed many new and strange devices (including) a public address system, which reaches every part of the five-unit building.”

Enrollment in 1963, according to The Torrington Register of that day, was 1,754. Enrollment in 2025 is 1,050, Scott said, adding there are 107 certified teachers and counselors and 94 non-certified employees.

“I think the building and all of the facilities in the building are going to give the students a lot of really new and exciting opportunities, particularly in the performing arts, as well as in the STEM fields,” Scott said.

He said the school has new construction and engineering labs, including a new auditorium, podcast studio and music studio.

The 495-seat auditorium features cameras and microphones placed strategically to record events, Scott said. The side walls feature acoustic sails, which he said redirect sound toward the center. The ceiling has what he said is an “acoustic cloud,” which absorbs sound to minimize echoing.

“There is actually additional acoustic panels that lower down to form a shell behind the band to redirect the sound,” he said.

Students will have the opportunity to learn the Dante sound system, which Scott said is widely used across the country. Fully certified and licensed sound engineers could be qualified to work at TV stations or for Broadway productions, he said.

Scott said the first major use of the new auditorium will likely be the spring production of the Broadway musical “Working,” an adaptation by Stephen Schwartz of the book by the same title by Studs Terkel. The play ran on Broadway in 1978, according to IBDB.

A podcast recording studio will be used by Music Tech II students, taught by band director Wayne Splettstoezer, Scott said. “We are hoping to expand it and have other teachers in other departments also start creating podcasts,” he said.

Across the hallway is a modern band room, with electronic instruments and a DJ stand. “Once we have it all set up, we will have a full recording studio for music on this side and a full recording studio for podcasts on that side,” Scott said.

Micheal Ahoua, a THS senior who has excelled academically and in football and track, said he is excited about the new high school building.

“I’m honestly impressed with how smooth (opening day) went, especially for moving into a new school midway through,” he said. “When schools and districts have new schools, you usually wait until the end of the year and then kick it off at the start of the year, but we went with doing it in the second semester, and honestly, it looks so far (that) it’s going pretty well.”

Micheal said he is looking forward to the renovation of the Connie Donahue Gym, the only structure from the old THS buildings to be spared the wrecking ball.

“The Connie Donahue is going to be refurbished and essentially broken down and rebuilt and then connected to our current new school,” he said.