(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has received notification from Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Commissioner James C. Rovella regarding his intention to retire from state service effective next month.

To ensure a smooth transition of leadership at this critical state agency, which consists of six divisions and is responsible for providing a broad range of the state’s public safety, emergency response, and homeland security services, Governor Lamont announced that he will be nominating Ronnell A. Higgins to succeed Commissioner Rovella in this leadership position immediately upon his retirement.

Additionally, Colonel Stavros Mellekas, deputy commissioner of DESPP and commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, which is a division of DESPP, plans to step down from his service with the state. Higgins will identify a successor to serve in this role.

Commissioner Rovella has served as the head of DESPP throughout the duration of the Lamont administration, which began in January 2019. His spent his career in public safety, first starting as a patrol officer, then detective, with the Hartford Police Department. He then spent 12 years working for the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, where he oversaw cold case and other investigations. Following this, he returned to the Hartford Police Department to become its chief of police, and then was asked by Governor Lamont to serve in his current position with the state.

“Commissioner Rovella is a valued and well-respected member of my administration and Connecticut’s law enforcement community, and throughout his career he has provided the people of Hartford and the residents of our entire state with service that has improved the safety of our neighborhoods while focusing on efforts that reduce recidivism and build stronger communities,” Governor Lamont said. “He is incredibly hardworking and has made many sacrifices to make himself available day and night in this critical role for longer than nearly any other commissioner in the past fifty years. I applaud his service to Connecticut and the people of our state, and I wish him nothing but the very best on this well-earned new chapter in his life.”

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve the people of Connecticut, as well as all of the many dedicated professionals who work across each division of DESPP,” Commissioner Rovella said. “I am immensely proud of our team and respect their passionate work and loyalty to ensure the safety and protection of the people of our state. Connecticut’s public safety and emergency response services and those who provide them are among the best, and I am thankful to have had this opportunity to serve as commissioner overseeing these operations.”

Higgins currently serves with Yale University in the position of associate vice president for public safety and community engagement, which he has held since June 2022. Immediately prior to being appointed to that position, he served as Yale’s chief of police beginning in 2011, and concurrently served as director of public safety beginning in 2015. He first joined Yale’s police department in 1997 as a police officer and served the department in several ranks, including as sergeant, patrol commander, and lieutenant. Prior to joining Yale, Higgins worked as a correction officer with the Connecticut Department of Correction at the Bridgeport Correctional Center from 1994 to 1997.

“Ronnell Higgins has been a member of Connecticut’s law enforcement community for nearly thirty years, including service as a correction officer before becoming a police officer and being promoted to several ranks that eventually led him to becoming a police chief, in which he oversaw public safety and emergency management operations at one of our state’s largest police departments,” Governor Lamont said. “He is respected locally and nationally for his knowledge, service, and aptitude, and his experience makes him more than capable of leading this critical, multi-division state agency. I appreciate his willingness to join state service and I look forward to his leadership in this role.”

“I am truly honored at the opportunity to serve as the next commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for the State of Connecticut,” Higgins said. “I am looking forward to applying my experiences, as well as listening, learning, and leading this important, six-division agency.”

In his current position, Higgins is responsible for developing relationships and partnerships among those in the Yale community with the goal of listening to every voice and ensuring those throughout the community have access and resources to the public safety resources they need. He also serves as a key liaison to the broader New Haven community by identifying points of intersection among campus safety, community safety, and community engagement. He is the first person to serve in the role.

During his tenure as police chief and director of public safety, Higgins was instrumental insignificantly reducing crime on campus, reducing UCR crimes to their lowest levels since Yale began reporting in 1985. He spearheaded numerous programs supporting excellence in on-campus safety, community policing, and deep collaborations with stakeholders, leaders, and members of both the university and the City of New Haven communities, while at the same time ensuring leading-edge focus on efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from state, national and global threats.

He has been an active member of several government and community groups, including the Connecticut Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities, the Connecticut Police Officers Standards and Training Council, the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives for Connecticut. He was recently named among the "Most Influential People in Security" by Security magazine and named one of the "100 Most Influential Black People in Connecticut" by the Connecticut NAACP.

He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement from the University of New Haven, and earned a Master of Arts degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

The Office of the Governor will forward Higgins’s nomination to the Connecticut General Assembly for its advice and consent upon the start of the 2024 regular legislative session. During the time prior to his confirmation by the legislature, Higgins will serve as interim commissioner.

DESPP is comprised of the following six divisions: the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control; the Connecticut State Police; the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security; the Police Officers Standards and Training Council; the Division of Scientific Services; and the Division of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Baltimore police say multiple people shot near Morgan State University

The university and officials have urged people to shelter in place.

The story is developing.. more updates later

BPD and MSU officials are asking concerned family members to avoid the campus area. They may report to the Safeway parking lot at 4401 Harford Road. A BPD Officer will be available at that location. pic.twitter.com/qu1PiREYBP

— Morgan State University (@MorganStateU) October 4, 2023

Tuesday, the Biden-Harris Administration took another major step towards lower health care costs for seniors and families and announced that all manufacturers of all ten drugs selected for negotiation have signed agreements to participate in the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. For decades, Big Pharma fought to block Medicare from directly negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries, while nearly three in ten Americans struggle to afford their medications because of cost. President Biden and Congressional Democrats finally beat Big Pharma and allowed Medicare to directly negotiate lower drug prices by passing the Inflation Reduction Act – despite zero Republicans voting in favor of the bill. 

In total, the 10 drugs selected for negotiation accounted for $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million Medicare enrollees in 2022. These drugs are used to treat heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, cancers, blood clots, and other conditions.

Manufacturers participating in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program:

*Represents average out-of-pocket spending for enrollees not receiving Low Income Subsidy
Source: CMS (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf), HHS (https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/aspe-ira-drug-negotiation-fact-sheet)

In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the first ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act. The deadline for manufacturers of these drugs to notify CMS whether they were participating in the negotiation process was October 1^st, and the deadline to submit manufacturer-specific data to CMS was October 2^nd.

Any prices negotiated for the first set of drugs participating in the drug price negotiation program will go into effect in 2026. Over the next 4 years, Medicare will negotiate prices for up to 60 drugs covered under Medicare Part D and Part B, and up to an additional 20 drugs every year after that.

Continuing to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

Every day, millions of seniors are saving money on prescription drug costs because of the Biden Administration’s actions. People with Medicare are saving an average of $70 in out-of-pocket costs on vaccines like shingles and Tdap because President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act made recommended vaccines free for beneficiaries starting this past January. Nearly four million seniors and others on Medicare with diabetes had their insulin costs capped at $35 per month this past January, saving some seniors hundreds of dollars for a month’s supply. And some seniors taking drugs covered under Part B for which manufacturers have hiked prices faster than inflation are saving up to $618 in lower coinsurance this quarter thanks to the new Medicare inflation rebates.

People with Medicare will continue to see their prescription drug costs go down as more provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act go into effect in the coming years. Medicare Part D enrollees will no longer pay 5% co-insurance when they reach the catastrophic phase of their benefit starting in 2024. Nearly 19 million seniors and other Medicare Part D enrollees are projected to save $400 per year on prescription drugs when the out-of-pocket cap drops to $2,000 in 2025, and 1.9 million enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. And, the prices negotiated for the high-spend drugs selected in August will go into effect in 2026.

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Free Discount Card Enables Consumers To Receive Savings on Certain Prescription Drugs

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced that effective today, Connecticut residents can now enroll in a newly launched program enabling them to receive a discount card that can be presented at pharmacies to receive savings on certain medication.

The discount card is provided through ArrayRx, a multistate consortium Connecticut recently joined that has a goal of providing accessible pharmacy solutions for state partners. Other participating states include Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The multistate consortium uses the leverage of bulk purchasing to offer up to 80% savings on generic prescription drugs and 20% savings on name-brand prescription drugs.

To receive a discount card, Connecticut residents must apply online at arrayrxcard.com. A valid physical Connecticut address and e-mail address are required to enroll. The card is provided to consumers digitally via e-mail and can be downloaded to smartphone wallets. There is no cost to receive a discount card, and there are no age or income restrictions.

Authorization for Connecticut to join the partnership was established by a provision of Governor Lamont’s health care affordability bill, which was approved by the General Assembly and signed into law earlier this year (Public Act 23-171). The program is administered by the Office of the State Comptroller.

“Obtaining this discount card is a way that consumers can save some money on medications they need to stay healthy,” Governor Lamont said. “I encourage all Connecticut residents to sign up for a discount card and use it at the pharmacy.”

“Affording prescription drugs is a significant obstacle many Connecticut residents are facing at a time when costs are rising and insurance covers less than it used to,” Comptroller Scanlon said. “Governor Lamont and I are working hard to rein in high healthcare costs, and the ArrayRx card is a free and secure tool all residents can use to save at their local pharmacy. Regardless of their health insurance status, I urge all Connecticut residents to take advantage of this free program.”

Anyone can visit arrayrxcard.com to search for their prescription and see the cost at local pharmacies, even before signing up. Some examples of potential savings include:

For more information on how the ArrayRx discount card works, including a list of frequently asked questions and a drug price lookup tool, visit arrayrxcard.com.

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont