Gov. Ned Lamont says his tax relief plan is the largest in CT history, yet it’s a tiny share of the government’s current financial windfall.
Keith M. Phaneuf
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.
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Lawmakers direct Lamont: Save less, fill vacant state jobs
The new CT state budget limits Lamont’s ability to save money once the fiscal year is underway to encourage filling of more vacant state jobs.
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Senate adopts ‘humane’ budget that cuts taxes, looks beyond pandemic
The Senate voted 24-12, largely along party lines, to adopt the package, which now heads to Gov. Ned Lamont, who is expected to sign it.
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Analysts: CT could cut taxes $1 billion more within federal rules
Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly said an estimate from the Office of Fiscal Analysis vindicates the GOP’s calls for bigger tax cuts.
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Forecast says CT’s ‘fiscal cliff’ will be gone when pandemic aid expires
New projections show state finances will be in the black even after federal pandemic relief is gone in 2025.
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House adopts one of the largest tax cuts in CT history
The budget positions Connecticut to make an unprecedented $3.5 billion supplemental payment against its massive pension debt.
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Money keeps pouring into CT’s coffers; This year’s surplus now $4.8 billion
CT legislators awoke to good news Monday as they prepared to debate a new budget: an extra $856 million in tax receipts.
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Businesses, essential workers come up short in final CT budget deal
The state budget, which could be adopted Monday, includes no major bailouts for businesses or essential private workers hurt by the pandemic.
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One out of six CT government jobs is vacant as workers keep leaving
With nearly 4,000 CT state workers having retired or planning to in the first half of this year, 17% of most Executive Branch jobs are vacant.
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Senate approves bill to shield contracting watchdog from budget cuts
A second proposal, to allow the board to investigate all quasi-public entities created by the legislature, was stripped from the bill.
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House balks at proposal to privatize delinquent tax collection
Legislators want more information next year from Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration on its plan to sell CT tax debt.
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CT budget deal includes $600M in tax cuts, extends gas tax holiday
Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders have agreed on a new $24 billion state budget that features nearly $600 million in tax cuts.
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Lamont, legislators on the cusp of a new CT budget deal
Legislative leaders and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration have offered compromises, and debate and a vote could be as soon as this weekend.
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Senate gives final approval to raises, bonuses for CT state employees
The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 22-13 along party lines to approve the contracts, which cover about 46,000 workers.
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Social service agencies see big raises for unions and ask: Why not us?
As state budget talks wind down, CT nonprofits ask why a $72 million proposal to help their industry, which employs 115,000, is bogged down.