Gov. M. Jodi Rell reversed herself Monday, pledging to oppose any cuts to Metro-North branch line rail service–less than one week after her budget office suggested such reductions to help close a shortfall in the state’s winter heating assistance program. “I can understand the confusion and questions that people have so let me be quite […]

The legislative panel charged with improving state government efficiency tentatively endorsed more than $250 million in new cost-cutting measures Monday, particularly targeting state health care services for the poor and elderly. The Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes, whose final report is expected Dec. 15, also issued recommendations regarding state contract awards, energy costs, agency consolidations […]

State officials ordered as much surplus spending over the past 12 years as the entire deficit looming over the next fiscal year, according to a new report from nonpartisan legislative analysts. Past and present governors and legislators spent $2.76 billion from surpluses as soon as they were available, and took another $696 million left over […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell challenged the legislature Wednesday to adopt $38 million in cuts to this fiscal year’s budget to maintain the emergency winter heating assistance program at last year’s level — and to alleviate a $33 million shortfall legislators created by gambling on extra federal aid. Writing to leaders of the Appropriations Committee, Rell […]

It’s the budgetary day of reckoning that state officials have avoided for nearly two decades. But when Gov.-elect Dan Malloy attempts to convert state financing to generally accepted accounting principles starting next year, it’s likely to mean more than paying for over $1 billion in papered-over problems from the past. For a legislature that initially […]

As if the massive deficit forecast for next year wasn’t enough, fiscal analysts issued a new warning on the state budget Tuesday, saying projected spending in 2011-2012 is on pace to exceed the constitutional cap by more than $1.1 billion. Though the economic downturn that has gripped the state since early 2008 has restricted spending […]

Gov.-elect Dan Malloy unveiled a 22-member transition team Monday that includes officials from state and municipal government, representatives of business, labor and the private, nonprofit community, political consultants and several individuals from a racial or ethnic minority background. Malloy made the announcement two days after being publicly accused by the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP […]

The Connecticut NAACP Saturday accused Gov.-elect Dan Malloy of naming a transition team with a “shameful” lack of diversity, but Malloy’s chief of staff responded that no team has been named so far. “It is unfortunate that the NAACP chose not to discuss their concerns with us first before sending out a press release,” Malloy […]

Gov.-elect Dan Malloy’s relationship with the labor unions who helped him win on Election Day is facing its first test this week as Connecticut’s largest health care workers union called on him to halt a controversial privatization policy. New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, which has been battling  with Gov. M. Jodi Rell […]

A day after legislative analysts issued a deficit forecast more than $300 million higher than Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s, the governor’s budget office defended its projection for the coming year, saying that most of the gap arises from differing assumptions on the level of funding to cities and towns. Office of Policy and Management officials, […]

With just seven weeks left in her term, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is headed for one last fiscal showdown with Democratic legislators – with winter heating assistance for the poor hanging in the balance. The governor wrote to legislative leaders Wednesday, warning them she would oppose borrowing the funding needed to maintain heating assistance […]

State government’s budget crisis is nearly $500 million worse than projected this fall, and about $390 million worse than Gov. M. Jodi Rell warned her successor just this week, according to a new report from nonpartisan legislative analysts. Gov.-elect Dan Malloy will face nearly $3.8 billion in deficits when he is sworn in on Jan […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell suggested Monday that Gov.-elect Dan Malloy go down several controversial paths she largely avoided –  including tax hikes, deep cuts in town aid, and huge state employee givebacks – to close the $3.4 billion deficit he must tackle in just three months. Rather than propose specific cuts, the lame duck governor used […]

The state’s emergency heating assistance program will run out of funds next month–and possibly earlier–Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget director testified Monday, noting that a fiscal gamble taken by lawmakers in late September turned sour earlier than expected. The shortfall could turn a projected $300,000 budget surplus into a $45 million deficit. “The demand has […]

Despite figures showing Democrat Dan Malloy winning the governor’s race by more than 5,000 votes, state Republicans began a town-by-town search Friday afternoon for grounds to challenge the apparent defeat of Tom Foley. As of 6 p.m. Friday, 5,637 votes separated the candidates, although that number could change if municipalities submit amended returns. The current […]