Posted inNews

Watchdog agencies spared as Malloy nails down budget cuts

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration already has secured one-fifth of this year’s savings called for in the union concession deal–and apparently won’t be trying to take any more funding from Connecticut’s three chief watchdog agencies. Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes reported Tuesday that $135 million was withheld from agencies’ budget allotments for […]

Posted inNews

Charter school founder to be named education commissioner

One of the founders of an acclaimed Connecticut charter school who later led the redevelopment effort in Lower Manhattan after the attacks of 9/11 will be named Connecticut’s next commissioner of education. Gov. Dannel Malloy is expected to appoint Stefan Pryor, now the deputy mayor of Newark, N.J., to succeed Mark McQuillan, who resigned abruptly […]

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Online hotel brokers could be next in state’s tax crosshairs

State government began this summer trying to force online retailers to collect tax on sales to Connecticut consumers. Next up could be the Internet travel brokers who refer business to Connecticut’s hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. And the stakes are high, given that the state’s occupancy tax just jumped by one-quarter, from 12 to 15 percent. The […]

Posted inHealth

ECHN terminating UnitedHealthcare contract Oct. 15

Eastern Connecticut Health Network, the parent company of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, announced Tuesday that it will terminate its contract with UnitedHealthcare and Oxford Health Plans as of Oct. 15. At that point, the hospitals would be out of the insurers’ networks, and patients covered by those plans would face out-of-network rates if […]

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Americans support religious freedom, but some uncomfortable with Muslims

Americans overwhelmingly agree that the United States “was founded on the idea of religious freedom for everyone, including religious groups that are unpopular,” a new Brookings report says, but significant numbers view Muslims with some mistrust. Although 88 percent agree that the country stands for religious freedom, 47 percent say Islam and American principals are […]

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If you are wondering what an “inevitability campaign” looks like

William Tong says on our page today that Chris Murphy is running an “inevitability campaign,” portraying himself as the clear choice in a three-way race with Tong and Susan Bysiewicz for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. The Murphy campaign was quick to reinforce that today. Not only did it announce an endorsement by the […]