Opening arguments begin today in a trial five-month trial to ultimately determine whether the education being provided in Connecticut’s lowest-achieving school districts fulfills the state’s constitutional obligation.
2016
Posted inJustice, Politics
A governor, a commissioner and a new take on prison
Dannel P. Malloy is a socially progressive Democratic governor trying to make prison a place for second chances. Scott Semple is a Republican who came of age as a correction official when the primary mission of U.S. prisons was to punish. Together, they are trying to remake criminal justice in Connecticut.
Posted inPolitics
DeLauro defies Obama on State of the Union issue
WASHINGTON — Once again, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is defying President Obama as he prepares to give his State of the Union address to the nation. Once again, the split is over trade.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Borrowing to pay off debt could poke new holes in CT’s budget
The state’s controversial practice of borrowing to pay off debt now threatens to poke new holes in the budget — a small one this fiscal year and a larger one after June — just a few weeks after lawmakers and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wrapped a special session to balance the books.
Posted inNews
Aetna, Cigna boost spending on lobbyists
WASHINGTON — Aetna and Cigna spent more than $1.3 million last year on outside lobbyists whose work is aimed mainly at winning government approval of their respective mergers with Humana and Anthem.
Posted inPolitics
Obamas to put Malloy in spotlight at State of the Union
WASHINGTON — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be one of the most notable guests at Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, sitting with Michelle Obama.
Posted inPolitics
U.S. asks CT, other states, for help enforcing gun rules
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration coupled its move to tighten gun laws with a plea to Connecticut and other states for help to strengthen a flawed system used to screen gun buyers.
Posted inJustice
Malloy gives early peek at 2015 stats showing falling crime
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy demonstrated one of the first rules of modern politics Thursday: If you have good news, get it out. And he says it looks like the news on crime in Connecticut is continuing to be good.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut IS preventing and ending homelessness
In August of 2015, Connecticut made history when we became the first state to end the long term homelessness of veterans with disabilities. We are also on track to end the long-term homelessness of all Connecticut residents with severe disabilities by the end of this year. Rep. Dan Carter wrote in a recent op-ed that our state’s system to addressing homelessness, “merely put a Band-Aid on the hopelessness of those already without a home.” He also referred to the people we serve as, “’statistics’ who will be back out on the street in no time at all.” These statements could not be further from the truth.
Posted inHealth
Coming soon to your mailbox: An Obamacare tax form
Even if you don’t get your health insurance through the federal health law, you’re likely to get the form, which is part of the way the federal government verifies whether people are complying with the mandate that nearly all Americans have health care coverage. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inPolitics
Challenges at home as Malloy raises national profile
He’s already had five years of crisis, conflict and close calls. But 2016 is dawning as a pivotal year for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat taking on a leadership role in national politics while trying to solidify a legacy in Connecticut.
Posted inJustice
Another Connecticut prison is bound for mothballs
EAST LYME – The Connecticut prison system shrinks again this weekend when the final two dozen inmates depart the Niantic Annex, a section of a century-old complex of prisons that was reopened in 2011.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The what and why of ‘due process’
Since Gov. Dannel Malloy announced his intention to issue an executive order barring people who appear on the federal government’s “no-fly” list from buying guns, a debate has ensued about whether such an order would violate a person’s right to “due process.” The purpose of this post is not to join that debate, but instead to help non-lawyer readers understand what the “due process” debate is really about.
Posted inJustice
Hartford police begin New Year with old civil rights problem
It was the late 1960s and many American cities were ablaze with racial tensions involving police that often resulted in rioting and violence. Hartford was no exception. The result was a lawsuit and a legal agreement for the city to make a number of changes, including hiring more minority police officers. But after more than 40 years, the police force is still bound by the agreement and struggling to more closely mirror its community.
Posted inPolitics
Obama’s action on guns fulfills promise to Newtown families
WASHINGTON — Tearing up as he spoke of the slaying of 20 Newtown first-graders, President Obama made an emotional appeal to the nation for support of his gun-control initiatives on Tuesday, saying, “Every time I think about those kids, it makes me mad.”