CT Mirror’s John Dankosky, Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Pazniokas, State Budget Reporter Keith Phaneuf and Environmental Reporter Jan Ellen Spiegel recap a busy legislative session — and the special session that followed. They answer audience questions and look ahead to what’s next for Connecticut.


Featuring

Jan Ellen Spiegel, Environmental Reporter

Jan has won awards for her reporting on energy, environment and food and agriculture. In 2013 she was the recipient of a Knight Journalism Fellowship at MIT on energy and climate. She is a former editor at The Hartford Courant, where she handled national politics including coverage of the controversial 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. As a freelance reporter, her stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. She was an editor at the Gazette in Colorado Springs and spent more than 20 years as a TV and radio producer at CBS News and CNN in New York and in the Boston broadcast market. She graduated from the University of Michigan and attended Boston University’s graduate film program.

Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief

Mark is a founder of the CT Mirror, a former staff writer for The Hartford Courant and Journal Inquirer and a former contributing writer for The New York Times. In 35 years as a reporter, he has covered some of the most compelling political stories in the state, including the impeachment inquiry and resignation of Gov. John G. Rowland in 2004, the nationally watched Senate race won by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman as an independent in 2006, and Linda McMahon’s efforts to remake campaigning in Connecticut by spending $100 million on runs for U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012. The Washington Post included Mark on its list of best state capitol reporters in the U.S. in 2014. Mark is a graduate of Boston University.

Keith Phaneuf, State Budget Reporter

Keith has spent most of his 31 years as a reporter specializing in state government finances, analyzing such topics as income tax equity, waste in government and the complex funding systems behind Connecticut’s transportation and social services networks.  He has been the state finances reporter at CT Mirror since it launched in 2010.  Prior to joining CT Mirror Keith was State Capitol bureau chief for The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, a reporter for the Day of New London, and a former contributing writer to The New York Times.  Keith is a graduate of and a former journalism instructor at the University of Connecticut.

John is CT Mirror's Director of Events. A well-known and highly-regarded radio personality and moderator, he divides his time between CT Mirror — where he heads up our events program and serves as a multi-platform consultant — and the NPR / PRI program Science Friday. Previously, John was executive editor of the New England News Collaborative and the host of NEXT, a weekly program about New England. He also appeared weekly on The Wheelhouse, WNPR’s news roundtable program. His 25 years in public media also include serving as vice president of news for Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, host of WNPR’s Where We Live, and regular fill-in host for the PRI program Science Friday in New York. He was twice recognized by PRNDI as America’s best public radio call-in show.