WASHINGTON — The inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump and related events may bring a record number of Connecticut residents to Washington, both to support the swearing in of the 45th president and to protest policies they expect him to implement.
Thousands from CT heading to D.C. to celebrate – and protest – inauguration
Posted inPolitics
In Avon, a feeling of unease lingers as inauguration nears
AVON — For some, the anxiety is driven by the uncertainty surrounding Trump. But for others, it is the circumstances they have endured over the last eight years that drive it – and they hope Trump will bring solutions. Fourth in a series of visits to Connecticut towns leading up to the inauguration.
Posted inJustice
Gonzalez fails to block judicial confirmations
The General Assembly confirmed the reappointment of two dozen Superior Court judges and trial referees Wednesday, including a handful who faced objections from litigants in contentious family court cases during confirmation hearings last week.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Malloy: ‘Serious concerns’ about DeVos
WASHINGTON — Gov. Dannel Malloy on Wednesday joined the group of Democrats panning Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps’s choice to head the U.S. Department of Education. He said her testimony at a confirmation hearing “causes me to have serious concerns.”
Posted inHealth, Money
Nonprofits say privatizing social services could save CT $1.3B
Hoping to stave off cuts in the next state budget, nonprofit social service providers said privatizing an array of services for the intellectually disabled and mentally ill could save more than $1.3 billion in total over the next three years.
Posted inEducation
State tells Hartford it must increase spending on schools
The State Department of Education has notified Hartford school officials that their budget for the current school year, which slashed local school spending, is in violation of state law that prohibits low-performing school districts from reducing spending.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CEA report mischaracterizes Trailblazers and Stamford academies’ spending
We write in response to the recent Connecticut Education Association report on charter school management fees, and more specifically about two of the schools mentioned in that report, Trailblazers Academy and Stamford Academy. Throughout that report, there seems to be a misunderstanding of what our schools are, who we serve, what we do, and the costs associated with running our schools.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Malloy begins making a case for changes to local school funding
Malloy, a Democrat, has been reminding everyone that Connecticut covers the entire cost of municipal teachers’ pensions in both affluent and impoverished school districts, and those costs are escalating quickly. This has left many local leaders worried their overall state aid may be cut to help close the 8 percent deficit in the next state budget.
Posted inPolitics
In Ansonia, a shift toward Trump as new symbol of hope
ANSONIA — Donald J. Trump’s message of a strong defense and economic growth resonates in the Naugatuck Valley, a region that’s never recovered from the disappearance of brass mills and other heavy industry. This is the third in a series of visits to Connecticut towns leading up to the inauguration.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Murphy presses DeVos on guns in schools
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chris Murphy asked Betsy DeVos, President- elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Education, if she believed guns belonged in or around schools. “I believe that’s best left to the locales and states,” she answered.
Posted inMoney
CT revenues take a tiny bump up as Malloy preps next budget
General Fund revenues for this fiscal year and each of the next two have grown — but by a tiny fraction of 1 percent in each case — according to a consensus report from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget agency and the legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis.
Posted inPolitics
List of Trump nominees opposed by Blumenthal, Murphy grows
Connecticut’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, said Tuesday they will attend the inauguration Friday of Donald J. Trump as an endorsement of the peaceful transfer of power, even as they plan to fight many of the Republican president-elect’s policies and cabinet choices.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut college presidents: Support the federal BRIDGE Act
I am writing to you and the entire Connecticut Congressional delegation to request your support for the bipartisan Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act which was reintroduced in the Senate yesterday, with companion legislation expected in the House. As you know, Connecticut believes in accessible and affordable public higher education for all of our citizens, including those who are undocumented.
Posted inMoney
Children’s group says tax hikes must be part of CT budget fix
A progressive children’s advocacy group has issued the first call for a major tax increase to help solve the state’s latest budget crisis, outlining more than $3 billion in revenue-raising options.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Despite officials’ claims, Connecticut not on positive job-growth trajectory
I read with great concern and disappointment a recent article that appeared in the Sunday Stamford Advocate (and affiliated papers) on 1/8/17 entitled “New Jobs are job No. 1.” As a business owner, business leader and one connected with hundreds of businesses in the state and the region, I can comfortably say that many of the perceptions stated by the various elected officials quoted in this piece are categorically false and demonstrate how out of touch many in elected office in Hartford seem to be.