2007 Formal Opinions

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• Honorable Susan Bysiewicz, Secretary of the State, Formal Opinion 2007-016, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have asked this Office for an opinion concerning the use of the City of New Haven’s “Elm City Resident Cards" during the electoral process. Specifically, you have asked us to opine whether your Office has the legal authority to issue the following directives with respect to the use of such cards by individuals seeking to vote or register to vote in Connecticut

• Honorable Thomas R. Sullivan, Commissioner, Department of Insurance, Formal Opinion 2007-029, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  This letter is in response to your November 19, 2007 request that I reconsider my formal legal opinion issued to Comptroller Nancy Wyman on July 25, 2007 (Attorney General Opinion 2007-012).

• Honorable Susan B. Bysiewicz, Secretary of the State, Formal Opinion 2007-009, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have asked for a formal opinion as to whether Connecticut's "Voter's Bill of Rights" requires municipalities to provide a voting system accessible to the physically disabled in each polling place in non-federal elections, including elections held this year.

• Honorable Pam Law, Commissioner of Revenue Services, Formal Opinion 2007-014, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  This opinion is in response to your request for advice on whether § 33 of Public Act 07-253 (Public Act), which imposes a tax on gross earnings from the provision of community antenna television service, video programming service by satellite, and certified video programming service in the State

• Mr. Brian S. Sigman, Executive Director, Board of Education and Services for the Blind, Formal Opinion 2007-035, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have asked for my opinion on the authority of the Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB) to choose the brand name products to be sold in vending machines placed on public property by BESB pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-303

• Honorable Robert Farr, Chairman, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Formal Opinion 2007-018, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  This letter responds to your request for a formal opinion on “whether or not the Board of Pardons has the authority to commute a non-parole eligible offense, as defined by CGS § 54-125a(b)(1), to make it a parole eligible offense.”

• Honorable Patricia H. Mayfield, Commissioner, Department of Labor, Formal Opinion 2007-027, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have asked for advice on whether inmates working within a correctional institution other than as part of an enterprise program combining State Use Industries with Private Sector Prison Industries may be considered employees of the Connecticut Department of Correction

• Peter A. Clark, Executive Director, Judicial Review Council, Formal Opinion 2007-032, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  Thank you for your letter requesting my opinion on two questions: (1) whether the Judicial Review Council (“the Council”) has jurisdiction over misconduct committed by acting workers’ compensation commissioners appointed on a per diem basis pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-280(a)

• Honorable Thomas R. Sullivan, Insurance Commissioner, Formal Opinion 2007-022, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have requested an opinion (1) whether “the Insurance Department has the legally required jurisdictional authority to hear and decide an employment status dispute between an insured and its insurer where the dispute solely involves the factual determination of whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor

• Honorable Nancy Wyman, Comptroller, State of Connecticut, Formal Opinion 2007-012, Attorney General, State of Connecticut

  This letter is in response to your request for a formal legal opinion as to whether, pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 5-259, municipalities may purchase risk-pooled, self-funded health insurance through the Municipal Employees Health Insurance Plan

• The Honorable M. Jodi Rell, Governor, Formal Opinion 2007-011, Attorney General State of Connecitcut

  You have asked me several questions regarding the funding the University of Connecticut (“UConn”) may use to repair code violations discovered in buildings constructed or renovated under the University of Connecticut 2000 Act

• Karen Senich, Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Formal Opinion 2007-031, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  You have requested our opinion on whether religious organizations are eligible to accept awards in the Arts Presentation Grant Program (Grant Program) of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism

• Jeanne Milstein, Child Advocate, Formal Opinion 2007-013, State of Connecticut Attorney General

  This letter responds to your request for a formal opinion as to whether the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is authorized, under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-13m, to obtain records in the possession of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

• Honorable Valerie Lewis, Formal Opinion 2007-003, Attorney General State of Connecticut

  Asked this office whether the Board of Governors of Higher Education and the Department of Higher Education's have the statutory authority to require the constituent units of the state system of higher education to provide the Board and DHE with personally identifiable confidential student and student family information, including social security numbers.

• Richard F. Banbury, Esq., Executive Director Council on Probate Judicial Conduct, Formal Opinion 2007-030, Attorney State of Connecticut

  Thank you for your letter requesting my opinion on whether the Council on Probate Judicial Conduct (“the Council”) has jurisdiction over a complaint concerning alleged misconduct committed during a Judge of Probate’s term of office, but not filed until after the expiration of the judge’s term