A sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh dominated the national news last week and brought into stark relief the differences between how men and women – and Democrats and Republicans — view the controversy and the broader and politically tricky issue it represents.
The Kavanaugh allegation dominates the week
Posted inPolitics
Legislative leaders tighten sexual harassment policy following survey
Findings from a recent survey of those who work at the state Capitol show that nearly a quarter of respondents have experienced sexual harassment, spurring legislative leaders to expand the scope of the General Assembly’s sexual harassment policy and tighten some of its protocols.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Yale Law professors call for ‘neutral’ probe of Kavanaugh sexual assault accusation
WASHINGTON – As the partisan tussle over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court continued Friday, Yale Law School faculty weighed in with a letter asking that the FBI or another “neutral factfinder” investigate an accusation that the nominee sexually assaulted another teen at a high school party decades ago.
Posted inEducation
Lamont wants to make college free for vets. Here’s how much that would cost.
Ned Lamont promised this week to make college free for veterans attending the state’s public colleges by subsidizing the school fees they must pay. He just didn’t say who, exactly, would foot the bill.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Help protect the climate and create jobs with a transportation lockbox
This November, voters will have an opportunity to ensure that Connecticut has the resources needed to modernize our transportation system. Voting “Yes” on the Transportation Revenue Lockbox Amendment will protect funding for repairing our state’s roads and bridges while expanding access to public transit. Those investments will help reduce the traffic congestion that costs commuters time and money and chokes our cities with harmful pollution.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
An arbitrary metric stifles honest comparison of candidates
The notion that poll numbers should determine gubernatorial debate participation is contrary to the best interest of Connecticut voters and the use of that metric should be abandoned immediately. Political debates represent the best opportunity for candidates to meet on a level playing field. Expensive media buys, particularly television ads, offer no chance for side-by-side comparison. Valid rebuttal only results when all candidates can respond publicly in a singular forum.
Posted inTransportation
The electric car comes of age, right when we need it
Imagine you’re mired in heavy traffic on I-95 on a steamy summer day, with plenty of time to study the car ahead of you. Something puzzles you about it, but you’re not sure what. After staring for a long minute, you realize — aha — that it has no tailpipe. You are tailing a Tesla — an electric car. If you’ve not yet had this experience, you soon will.
Posted inHealth
CT docs say health information exchange would help fight opioid epidemic
As Connecticut residents continue to die from opioid overdoses at an alarming rate, several doctors agree that being able to share health records electronically across the entire state would help fight the epidemic. But a system to accommodate that sharing remains elusive.
Posted inMoney
Malloy finally catches an economic break in his final budget
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy may be enjoying more economic good fortune during his last year in office than he did in the first seven years combined. State income tax receipts tied to Wall Street continue to surge, potentially leaving Connecticut with $2 billion in reserves 12 months from now.
Posted inPolitics
CT sexual assault victims back Kavanaugh accuser
Victims of sexual assault in Connecticut on Thursday joined others across the country in backing Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago when both were attending a teenage party. Meanwhile, Ford’s lawyers began negotiations with Senate Republicans regarding the conditions on her testimony.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy defends investment record at penultimate Bond Commission meeting
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, keenly aware of the unwelcome role his record is playing in the campaign to succeed him, spent one of his final State Bond Commission meetings Thursday defending state borrowing made during his tenure to promote economic development statewide and help Connecticut’s struggling capital city.
Posted inHealth
Long-time Access Health CT director appointed as new CEO
A long-time director at Access Health CT was named the new chief executive officer of the state’s health insurance exchange. The exchange’s board of directors voted to appoint James Michel as the permanent CEO at its Thursday meeting.
Posted inPolitics
Will Maria response energize CT Puerto Rican voters?
One year after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, there a debate about whether the storm has created political winds that will prompt Connecticut’s Puerto Ricans to shed their reputation as unlikely voters.
Posted inNews
After CJTS closure, juvenile detention officer injuries increase
Employees at the state’s two juvenile detention centers are being injured and going out on workers’ compensation at significantly higher rates than usual, leading to increased risks for the remaining staff and the children held in the facilities, union officials say. Those able-bodied staff remaining are left to work mandated overtime shifts multiple times a week, resulting in exhaustion and potentially unsafe conditions for the juveniles housed in Bridgeport and Hartford.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut does not need a state-run retirement plan
Despite what’s being touted by advocates, including AARP, as a solution to a growing retirement readiness problem, the state’s controversial retirement mandate is not the answer. It’s important that residents understand the financial risks it will impart upon many Connecticut workers.