WASHNGTON — The Senate on Tuesday sent on to President Obama a final defense authorization bill that paves the way for an increase in defense spending in Connecticut and the nation.
November 10, 2015
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal seeks last-minute safety measures in highway bill
WASHINGTON — Senate and House negotiators are working on a long-awaited, long-term transportation bill, but Sen. Richard Blumenthal and safety advocates are concerned the legislation will be seriously flawed.
Posted inPolitics
Parsing what it meant to be ‘there’ at Sandy Hook
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was not necessarily wrong when he told a television interviewer Monday night he “was there” when relatives of Sandy Hook shooting victims were informed of their deaths. But was he misleading?
Posted inMoney, Politics
Treasurer raises more concerns about Malloy’s plan for pensions
While Gov. Dannel P. Malloy intensified his pitch Tuesday to restructure Connecticut’s troubled pension funds, state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier repeated earlier fiscal concerns — and raised new legal questions. The treasurer also said she would offer a “less radical” alternative next month to the governor’s plans for pensions involving state employees and public school teachers.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Shrinking revenue forecast shows CT’s red ink spreading fast
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature face more than $600 million in red ink this fiscal year and next combined — and another shortfall close to $1.4 billion after the next state election — if new revenue estimates released Tuesday are correct. That means the financial problems facing the Capitol over the next few years are roughly five times the size of Connecticut’s modest $406 million emergency reserve.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
UConn faculty not to blame for tuition hikes
The University of Connecticut administration attribute the need for another tuition increase to labor contracts with university faculty. This is not the case. We agree with the administration that declines in state appropriations are a primary cause of the UConn budget shortfall, but there is little evidence to support the claim that faculty salaries and benefits alone are driving up expenses.