“It is with profound sadness and deep regret that I have decided, despite having recently been reelected to my ninth term  as the State Senator from the 13th District (which includes Meriden, Middletown (part) and Cheshire (part)), that I will exit from the political arena and will not take the oath of office on January 5, […]

State Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey, D-Meriden, agreed today to plead guilty to misdemeanor larceny charges in connection with double-billing travel expenses, which covered the cost of a girlfriend accompanying him to legislative conferences. He will resign his seat in the General Assembly. Gaffey, 51, a senior member of the Senate and the co-chairman of the […]

Connecticut’s cities and towns made it clear Monday they’re guarding against the traditional shell game state government has employed in past fiscal crises – shielding assistance in high profile programs while stripping funding from lesser ones. And this year’s game has a new wrinkle after many state officials campaigned this past fall on a pledge […]

One son is an actor in New York. Another sings in a collegiate choral group in Virginia. To understand their father, know that House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, sees himself as a performer, too. Cafero loves public speaking. And on Jan. 5., once the clock runs out on the terms of Gov. […]

Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams’ hold over his top leadership post has been considered shaky for a while, leading to all sorts of delicious speculation about an exit strategy. Would he take the state auditor’s job? Would he get a job from the Malloy administration? If so, who would move up in leadership? […]

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will not appeal the Connecticut Insurance Department’s rejection of its request to raise health insurance premiums by 19.9 percent for about 48,000 state residents. But the company expects to file a new request that, if approved, would take effect April 1. Company officials are reviewing comments in the insurance […]

Gov.-elect Dan Malloy today said he intends to keep on Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s well-regarded commissioner of Veterans Affairs, Linda Schwartz. “With her experience as a veteran and a nurse, Commissioner Schwartz brings first-hand knowledge to the job that few others have,” said Malloy, who becomes governor Wednesday. “Her dedication to improving the lives of […]

Three days on the job and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already taken a whack at the state’s budget deficit: He’s promised to cut his pay–and the salaries of top aides–by 5 percent. Returning $8,950 from his $179,000 salary may not seem like much, but analysts say it’s likely a precursor to efforts to […]

There was a Mike Fedele sighting today. The lieutenant governor hasn’t been seen much since the election. He took a pass on attending the testimonial dinner for his boss, M. Jodi Rell, who never quite got around to endorsing his run for governor. But Fedele was seen chatting in the Senate chamber with Nancy Wyman, who […]

Even as Republicans in Congress try to undo federal health care reform, the action is shifting to the states, Sarah Kliff says at Politico–and Connecticut is one to watch. The SustiNet program could become a model for a state version of the so-called “public option,” which was excluded from the federal reform bill. Under a […]

Gov.-elect Dan Malloy has spent the better part of the last year trying to navigate between a political rock and a fiscal hard place. On one side there’s a general public wary of the next major state tax hike, state employee unions still smarting from 2009 concessions, and a host of other special interests fearful […]

Former U.S. Rep. William Ratchford, a former state House speaker from Danbury who later represented western Connecticut in Congress, was remembered Sunday by Attorney General-elect George Jepsen as “a kind, compassionate man” and an advocate for high ethical standards in government. Ratchford, 76, died Sunday in Arlington, Va., from complications from Parkinson’s disease. Jepsen said […]