Hattie Harris spoke last, slowly rising off a folding chair after the mayor and governor each said their piece Friday afternoon, warning that President Trump’s budget cuts could undo Connecticut’s elimination of chronic homelessness and Hartford’s smaller victories, like the one on the block where Miss Hattie has lived since the president was Dwight D. Eisenhower.
A victory on Vine Street amid worries about Trump’s budget
Posted inPolitics
Jepsen joins effort to protect transgender service members
Two days after President Donald Trump tweeted that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed in the military, 19 attorneys general, including Connecticut’s George Jepsen, publicly opposed the ban with a letter to the Senate and House Armed Services committees.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
After-school programs bring big benefits to families
It’s 3 p.m., do you know where your children are? We often refer to youth as our future, yet when budget cuts roll around, the money used to invest in students gets put on the chopping block. Even with a state line item for after- school programming, 44 percent of students in Connecticut who are not enrolled in a program would be likely to participate if one was available.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Protect your family from Meningitis B
As a public health advocate, I work each day to educate families and health care providers about the importance and availability of vaccines. As a parent, my top priority is the health and safety of my children. So, it was surprising to me when I recently encountered a potential issue in getting my son immunized against a deadly, yet vaccine-preventable disease — Meningitis B.
Posted inCities & Towns, Education, Money, Politics
Budget standoff about to take a big toll on cities and towns
As Connecticut begins its second month without a state budget next week, the cost to cities and towns will take a big leap, topping $100 million.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Senate fails to repeal Obamacare
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans failed early Friday to win approval of a “skinny” bill they hoped would grow into a full-fledged repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, putting an end to efforts to eliminate Obamacare, at least for now. The dramatic vote in the middle of the night is a boost to Connecticut Democrats who fought the GOP campaign to repeal the ACA.
Posted inTransportation
DOT valued expertise over price in Hartford rail competition
Connecticut rejected the lowest of five bidders for the contract to operate train service on the new Hartford Line, instead picking the overall top scorer in a ranking system that valued expertise and experience over price, according to scoring sheets released Thursday by the Department of Transportation.
Posted inMoney
AG opinion strikes middle ground on cutting wages, benefits
A formal opinion released Thursday by Attorney General George Jepsen warns of legal peril in rewriting state-employee contracts through legislation, but notes the free hand legislators have after contracts expire and the flexibility the courts have granted in some cases in the event of extreme fiscal emergencies.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
New charter seats will strip Bridgeport Public Schools of resources
On July 19, the unelected, governor-appointed Connecticut State Board of Education approved 504 additional seats in state charter schools for next year, with 154 of those seats going to Capital Preparatory Harbor School in Bridgeport. Go figure: Connecticut is in a budget crisis with every expense being monitored, yet new charter school seats, which cost the state $11,000 each, are being initiated. The cost will be more than $5.5 million.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut’s Medicaid efficiency is at the providers’ expense
If Connecticut residents are wondering what Connecticut’s “secret sauce” is to rank us tops in efficient Medicaid spending, it’s a combination of Inadequate and flat Medicaid reimbursement to home health providers, a State Plan Amendment cutting Medicaid behavioral home health nursing rates by 15 percent and other factors — all at the suffering and demise of our Medicaid provider community.
Posted inCities & Towns
In Meriden, there is action near the station as development ramps up
Officials hope the trend toward transit-oriented development, or TOD, will lessen traffic congestion, reduce pollution and create dense and lively town centers that can attract bright young workers – the ones the General Electrics and Aetnas say they want.
Posted inNews
Immigrant mom who took refuge in a church can go home
Hundreds of immigrant rights activists took to the streets of Fair Haven to celebrate — rather than protest as planned — after a 43-year-old woman taking sanctuary in a neighborhood church won a stay allowing her to remain in the country.
Posted inPolitics
House defense bill dashes hopes for increased EB sub production
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is poised to throw cold water on plans to increase the rate of submarine building at Electric Boat. That’s because a defense spending bill the House hopes to vote on Friday does not contain language or money that would allow the Navy to purchase the next block of Virginia-class submarines and increase a two-a-year production rate to three.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy calls Trump’s transgender ban ‘ignorant’ and ‘troubling’
Hours after President Donald Trump tweeted that transgender individuals would no longer be accepted or allowed in the military, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a largely symbolic executive order strengthening the state’s nondiscrimination policies in the military.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
Connecticut updates goals for energy, climate change
Connecticut published a draft of its overdue comprehensive energy strategy Wednesday at a tumultuous time as the Trump administration steps away from international climate accords and the state faces the threatened loss of its biggest source of carbon-free power, the Millstone Power Station.