The state Department of Public Health says it will not stop licensing funeral homes, funeral directors or embalmers, despite announcing plans earlier in the week to do so. On Monday, the department released a statement detailing its plans for cutting $20.6 million over two years. It said that, “DPH will no longer license funeral homes, […]
Money
Stories about Connecticut’s budget, the federal budget, jobs and employment, state investments and casinos.
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State pink slip count drops slightly due to new retirements
Though nearly 3,000 state employees still have received layoff notices, the number targeted to lose their jobs shrank slightly over the last week as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration begins the complicated “bumping” process of reassigning workers based both on seniority and skills. According to the latest weekly update from the governor’s office, the pink […]
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Three AFT chapters ratify concession deal
Three American Federation of Teachers chapters that represent 2,800 teachers at the state’s vocational-technical high schools, technical colleges and professionals at the University of Connecticut have ratified the tentative concession deal. The governing councils at these three chapters voted to ratify the deal without another vote by rank-and-file members. Jan Hochadel, head of the State […]
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Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan premiums being lowered for most members
The state has received federal approval to set a flat premium for its Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, allowing anyone who qualifies to get coverage for $381 a month, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. The new rate will take effect Sept. 1. Currently, the premiums vary by age, with rates as high as $893 a month. […]
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Lieberman off the fence, a “yes” on the debt deal
A spokeswman for Sen. Joseph Lieberman said this morning that the Connecticut independent will be a “yes” vote on the debt-ceiling deal, which is set for a noon vote in the Senate today. Lieberman had said yesterday that he was on the fence over the agreement, citing concerns about the possible defense cuts included in […]
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DPH to end licensing for funeral homes, embalmers, some clinics
As part of a plan to cut $20.6 million in two years, the state Department of Public Health will stop licensing funeral homes, funeral directors and embalmers, college infirmaries, and certain types of clinics, the department announced Monday. The cuts stem from a budget gap created when state employee unions rejected a concession deal aimed […]
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Giffords’ appearance buoys House in midst of high-stakes vote
If there was a bright spot in Monday night’s House vote on the debt-deal, at least for Democrats, it was the surprise appearance by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords for the high-stakes, high-drama vote to increase the debt ceiling and slash federal spending. Giffords is the Arizona Democrat who was shot in January, in an incident that […]
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Lieberman’s on the fence in the debt deal, citing concerns about deep defense cuts
Sen. Joseph Lieberman has been one of the most vocal members of the Connecticut delegation when it comes to calling for major fiscal reform in Washington. Any meaningful package, the Democrat-turned-independent has said, must include both tax increases and entitlement cuts. But Lieberman signaled that he might draw a line in the sand Sunday night […]
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AAUP chapter’s leadership ratifies concession deal
An American Association of University Professors chapter that represents 1,150 faculty members and others in the four-campus Connecticut State University system has ratified the tentative concession deal. The AAUP chapter’s governing council voted to ratify the deal without another vote by rank-and-file members, who approved the previous tentative agreement by a 9-1 margin. The action […]
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Boehner won’t get any votes for his debt plan from CT lawmakers
No one knows yet how the debt-ceiling standoff in Washington will end. But we can at least report that Connecticut lawmakers have lined up against the plan put forward by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, which will come up for a cliffhanger vote later this evening. Boehner’s plan would raise the debt ceiling in two […]
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Bysiewicz gets EMILY’s List nod
U.S. Senate hopeful Susan Bysiewicz got a political lift today from EMILY’s List, a national fundraising group that recruits and supports Democratic pro-choice female candidates. EMILY’s List put Bysiewicz, Connecticut’s former secretary of the state, “on the list.” That’s not a full-fledged endorsement but it will almost certainly help draw Democratic donors to her campaign. […]
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Larson, Courtney on frontlines in dealing with allegations against Oregon Dem
House Democrats are confronting another possible sex scandal within their ranks, and two Connecticut lawmakers will be on the frontlines of handling the fallout. The Portland Oregonian reported on Friday that a young woman called the office of Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., this spring and accused him of an “unwanted sexual encounter.” House Minority Leader […]
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Blumenthal, Lieberman back Reid plan, minus any enthusiasm
Washington’s debt-ceiling drama seems to produce a new proposed plan every day. But for what it’s worth, both of Connecticut’s U.S. senators are on board with the latest solution, put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid’s plan would raise the debt ceiling by $2.7 trillion and cut federal deficits by the same amount–$2.7 […]
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Disability insurance program a target in debt talks
Health care spending is a target in every debt-reduction package that’s being talked about in Washington these days. One program that’s currently in the bulls-eye: the so-called CLASS Act, or Community Living Assistance Services and Supports. It was created under federal health reform to increase health care options for people with disabilities, seen as a […]
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Malloy says debt ceiling impasse would hit CT hard
Gov. Dannel Malloy said Friday that if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling, it would have a severe impact on the state. “For Connecticut, such a failure would result in a serious disruption to our cash flow, negatively affect our access to the capital markets, and harm our economy,” Malloy wrote in a letter […]