The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/author/kphaneuf/)
Keith, with Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, won first prize in investigative reporting from the Education Writers Association in 2012 for a series of stories on the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The former State Capitol bureau chief for The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Keith has spent most of 24 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. A former contributing writer to The New York Times, Keith is a graduate of and a former journalism instructor at the University of Connecticut. E-mail him at kphaneuf@ctmirror.org.
Republican gubernatorial contender Mark Boughton upped the ante Monday in his plan to phase out the state income tax, pledging more than $380 million in taxpayer relief in his first two-year budget. Continue Reading →
The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday to sell the former West Hartford campus for $5.2 million to a global financial-technical firm to develop a new, $283 million technology headquarters there. Continue Reading →
Connecticut’s truck drivers and other motorists that use diesel fuel faced their first tax hike this week in five years, paying an extra 2.2 cents per gallon. Continue Reading →
The State Elections Enforcement Commission deferred action again Thursday on Republican gubernatorial contender Steve Obsitnik’s application for public financing while acknowledging its probe into Obsitnik’s campaign continues. Continue Reading →
After three consecutive years of draining its emergency reserves, state government is on pace to deposit nearly $780 million in its rainy day fund. Continue Reading →
A leading global financial-technical firm, Seven Stars Cloud Group, announced plans Tuesday to establish a $283 million global headquarters for technology and innovation on the former University of Connecticut branch campus in West Hartford. Continue Reading →
NEW BRITAIN — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced the construction Monday of a $1 billion, fuel-cell-powered, data center that leaders predicted would dramatically expand Connecticut’s digital economy. Continue Reading →
While U.S. Rep. John B. Larson endorsed fellow Democrat Ned Lamont on Monday in the race for governor, Lamont challenged the GOP rivals to pledge to defend Connecticut’s laws supporting abortion rights. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – The prospect of a bruising battle over a Supreme Court nominee will permeate many political campaigns this year, including some in Connecticut, where Democrats are using the prospect of another Trump-appointed justice as an issue that will help them organize and raise money. Continue Reading →
A pregnant teen died late Thursday night in an apparent suicide at the state’s psychiatric hospital for children, officials at the Department of Children and Families reported Friday. Continue Reading →
Republican legislative leaders are balking at the governor’s plans to cut $2 million from an elderly nutrition program. The governor must find $21.5 million in savings in the General Fund once the new fiscal year gets underway on Sunday. Continue Reading →
A U.S. Supreme Court decision Wednesday that weakens public-sector unions, whose members are the largest segment of organized labor and an influential Democratic ally in Connecticut politics, became an instant rallying point in the mid-term elections and potential wedge issue in the race to succeed Gov. Dannel P. Malloy as governor. Continue Reading →
Connecticut hospitals won’t have to wait until the summer’s end as they originally feared to receive close to $300 million in supplemental state payments. Continue Reading →
While adopting a new budget that maintains the existing tuition schedule, University of Connecticut officials nonetheless expressed concerns Wednesday that declining state aid could soon be taking a toll on class sizes, academic aid and support services. Continue Reading →
With tuition and fees already slated to rise next fiscal year at the University of Connecticut, the Board of Trustees will consider a new budget Wednesday that could leave the flagship university facing additional hikes a year or two down the road. Continue Reading →