As Republicans in Congress seek to cut off federal funds to Planned Parenthood, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has proposed legislation that would allow the state to make up any federal Medicaid dollars the clinics would lose.
CT would protect Planned Parenthood Medicaid funds under Malloy proposal
Posted inJustice, Money, Politics
Pistol permit fee hikes prompt NRA, others to rebuke Malloy
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposal to bolster state pistol permitting fees drew a sharp response from the National Rifle Association, a Connecticut-based advocacy group and top Republican officials.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Charter schools pose financial risk to municipalities
In December of last year, the Connecticut Department of Education issued a request for proposals for new charter schools – the first time in nearly three years. As the state grapples with a budget disaster and Gov. Dannel Malloy continues to propose changes that would dramatically change the way Connecticut pays for education, the state should refrain from opening any new charter schools and freeze the funding of existing ones.
Posted inTransportation
Feeling heat from CT, feds say they may alter high-speed rail plan
WASHINGTON — In the staredown between the Federal Railroad Administration and opponents of a part of its plan in Connecticut to bring high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor, the federal government has blinked. It has agreed to consider additional input from those concerned about the route the plan would take in Connecticut, and more importantly, the FRA is willing to modify that plan.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Cigarette tax hike: Promoting health or penalizing the poor?
Although everyone agrees smoking is harmful, and smoking has declined as the cigarette tax has risen, some oppose hiking it further because it disproportionally impacts low-income people, who smoke at higher rates.
Posted inEducation
Yale’s Calhoun College renamed after female mathematician
The Yale Corporation voted to make the change Saturday after months of protest over the residential college’s being named for John C. Calhoun, a U.S. senator who was a leading 19th century voice against the abolition of slavery.
Posted inEducation
Richard McHugh on teaching in Hartford: ‘We are a second home for many’
Richard McHugh teaches in an inner-city public school where boarded-up houses are the view from his classroom, police sirens often interrupt instruction and three out of every five of his students speak limited English. As the legislature once again addresses how to help struggling public schools such as his, McHugh tells why he loves his students – and his job – so much.
Posted inNews
The big budget lands hard
The state budget was last week’s big focus for Connecticut lawmakers and policymakers. It almost took attention off the continued political fireworks in Washington, D.C.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Worried Betsy DeVos could ‘destroy’ public education? Here’s what you should know
Betsy DeVos earned more opposition than any of President Trump’s cabinet picks — and any nominee for education secretary in history. Now that DeVos has been confirmed, here’s what you should read to start getting a handle on the possibilities.
Posted inHealth, Politics
‘Massive confusion’ abounds for insurers as GOP wavers on Obamacare redo
Premiums for Obamacare plans sold by New Mexico Health Connections could rise as little as 7 percent next year, says Martin Hickey, the insurance company’s CEO. Or they might soar as much as 40 percent, he said. It all depends on what happens in Washington.
Posted inPolitics
Deutsche Bank remains Trump’s biggest conflict of interest
If you measure President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest by the amount of money at stake, or the variety of dicey interactions with government regulators, one dwarfs any other: his relationship with Deutsche Bank.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics, Transportation
Legislators begin to push back on Malloy’s new budget
The General Assembly began its review of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s new two-year budget Friday with a strong, bipartisan pushback from the Appropriations Committee.
Posted inEducation
Judge: Legislature’s rejection of DCF deal may lead court to act
Updated at 5:30 p.m.
BRIDGEPORT — After the state legislature rejected a settlement last week that would have brought the Department of Children and Families’ decades-long court oversight closer to an end, the federal judge presiding over the case said he may take matters into his own hands.
Posted inMoney
Malloy says intellectually disabled winners in new budget
It’s a budget laden with cuts, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s first event after Wednesday’s rollout of his fiscal plan for the next two years was to highlight what he says are significant improvements in services to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Who should pay for highway sound barriers?
Building and maintaining our highways is expensive. But here’s a quiz question: on interstates 95 and 84, what costs a half-million dollars a mile to construct? The answer: sound barriers. Why are we spending that kind of money to enshroud our interstates simply to protect the peace and quiet of their neighbors? Didn’t they know that living that close to a highway came with the twin costs of increased noise and air pollution along with the benefits of proximity to the highways?