It was strained, awkward and raw. Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, came home to explain his defection to the GOP on a key budget vote as a matter of conscience. A few applauded. Others didn’t buy it, accusing him of unnecessarily prolonging Connecticut’s budget impasse.
Voting with GOP, then explaining it to hometown Democrats
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Malloy, GOP spar over whether budget’s town aid increase is real
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration charges that the reported bump in municipal aid in the Republican-crafted state budget is fiction — “gimmickry” that understates last year’s local aid to make the new grants look larger. Senate Republican leader Len Fasano insists the aid is real and that the governor should sign the budget, which attracted bipartisan support.
Posted inNews
Talk of bipartisanship, but little action on Connecticut’s budget
Calls for compromise and bipartisanship began to emerge in last week’s political discussion over Connecticut’s continuing failure to adopt a budget, but there was little to show for it.
Posted inNews
Use of private email by Trump’s voter fraud commission isn’t legal, experts say
President Donald Trump’s voter fraud commission came under fire earlier this month for using private emails to conduct public business.
Experts say the commission’s email practices do not appear to comport with federal law.
Posted inPolitics
CT online voter registration was ‘targeted by Russian agents’
Connecticut’s online voter registration system was among election-related systems in 21 states targeted by Russian agents before the 2016 presidential election, state officials learned Friday, but they said the agents didn’t manage to get past the state’s network security.
Posted inHealth, Money
CT says it would lose $7 billion under teetering ACA overhaul plan
Federal healthcare funding to Connecticut would be reduced by about $7 billion, and “dramatic numbers” of individuals would lose coverage or have it reduced between 2020 and 2026 under the latest Republican proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, state officials said Friday. But the legislation suffered a potentially fatal blow Friday when Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona announced his opposition.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut’s most critical need: Bipartisanship
The events of the last week have highlighted the need for true bipartisanship in solving the state’s fiscal problems.
Why bipartisanship? Because we desperately need the best ideas from both sides of the aisle.
Last Friday and Saturday’s votes in the Senate and House were a reflection of what most people are looking for — a new approach, a break from policies that haven’t worked, and ultimately, a risk that could lead to greater rewards.
Despite a likely veto, that vote was exactly what state residents and businesses needed to see: those with different views working together to improve Connecticut for everyone.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy: My GOP budget criticism is vetting, not kvetching
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took a softer tack Thursday in his continuing critique of the Republican budget now on its way to his desk, saying he was offering “constructive feedback” and vetting of a plan whose passage late last week caught lawmakers, legislative analysts, the press and public by surprise.
Posted inEducation, Health, Justice, Money, Politics
Labor, urban advocates rally to urge Malloy veto of GOP budget
Labor groups and advocates for Connecticut’s cities rallied Thursday outside the Capitol, urging Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to veto a Republican-crafted budget they argued would hurt workers and students.
Posted inPolitics
Drew apologizes, promises campaign refunds to city employees
In an early stumble in his campaign for governor, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew admitted “an error in judgment” Thursday and apologized to city employees for obtaining a mailing list from the city that his campaign used to solicit contributions.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Government always matters
Our natural rush to respond to disasters brings out the collective best in us to help each other survive and recover. It unifies us. Let’s capitalize on this unifying spirit to mitigate the occurrence of self-inflicted disasters. Disasters caused by how we may choose to negotiate international diplomacy; to send our military into harms way; to address economic growth and security; to understand science; and to enforce the rights and fair treatment of the abused and vulnerable. Being passive observers won’t do. We must rush to help our government focus on creating a common good that is meant for all of us. To avoid self-inflicted disasters our leaders must choose wisely, and choose our leaders wisely we must.
Posted inMoney
GOP, Dems both lack solution to CT’s cycle of budget deficits
Neither Republican nor Democratic legislators’ latest budget plans would spare Connecticut from grappling with another massive budget deficit two years from now, according to nonpartisan analysts.
Posted inPolitics
State office complex named for Grasso and Fauliso
A two-building state office complex in downtown Hartford was dedicated Thursday in the names of Gov. Ella T. Grasso and Lt. Gov. Joseph J. Fauliso, friends and political allies over long and storied careers in Connecticut politics.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Bipartisan budget talks take back seat to partisan sniping
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Wednesday called the Republican budget a “hot mess” that deals a body blow to education in Connecticut. One Republican responded by questioning the governor’s grasp of reality. Another says UConn’s president needs to stop “bellyaching.” It does not bode well for budget talks Friday.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Ending the budget impasse ‘by the numbers’ — a rational formula
Regarding the current, derailed budget process at the state capitol in Hartford; it is obvious that both massive cuts in state spending and massive new revenue flows are needed to shore-up our collapsing state economy. There are obvious, appropriate areas in which to find massive spending-reduction opportunities and massive revenue-stream opportunities which have not been thoroughly or properly addressed to this point. Here they are…