Change Course CT, a political action committee associated with Democrats for Education Reform, a national group Gov. Dannel P. Malloy addressed during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week, has polled voters on two primaries in Bridgeport and one in New London. A second charter group is paying for promotional literature and T-shirts.
Charter school advocates playing in General Assembly primaries
Posted inHealth
CT Zika-fighting efforts could feel pinch if Congress doesn’t act
WASHINGTON — Connecticut has received nearly $1 million this week from the federal government to combat the Zika virus – enough for now, state officials say, but not if the crisis worsens. Meanwhile, the blame game continues in Washington over who is responsible for holding up more than $1 billion that could bolster states’ efforts to fight the disease.
Posted inPolitics
CBIA targets swing districts, tries to tilt CT Senate to GOP
The state’s largest business trade group is making its first major foray into world of independent expenditures with a $400,000 campaign aimed at helping Republicans win a majority in the Connecticut Senate and narrow the Democratic majority in the House.
Posted inEducation
SAT shows large numbers of juniors unready for college or jobs
One-third of high school juniors are not reading and writing well enough to begin taking college courses or start a career, statewide SAT results released Tuesday show. Math results are even more dire – nearly two-thirds are behind and one-quarter of all juniors are significantly behind.
Posted inEducation
SAT Results: How did your district and school do?
Follow this link for the SAT results from each of the state’s school districts and high schools.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy makes mid-term staffing changes
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy named new communications and government affairs directors Wednesday as his administration announced the mid-term departures of three senior staffers: Mark Bergman, Devon Puglia and Paul Mounds.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Don’t blame Malloy for transit fare hikes
Sure, it was sleazy of Gov. Dannel Malloy and the Connecticut Department of Transportation to release news of a proposed 5 percent fare hike on Metro-North on a Friday afternoon in July, hoping nobody would notice. But the more I dig into the proposal, the more I realize the governor and CDOT are not to blame. It’s the Connecticut legislature that’s really responsible for this fare hike.
Posted inMoney
State offers reassurances over its aid to Bridgewater hedge fund
The state Department of Economic and Community Development responded with reassurances Thursday to a recent news report that a major Fairfield County hedge fund — to which Connecticut just pledged $52 million in economic assistance — is slowing its hiring.
Posted inHealth, Justice
Aetna offers divestitures, Cigna looking at its options
WASHINGTON — Aetna and Humana said Tuesday they have an agreement to sell Medicare Advantage business covering 290,000 people to rival insurer Molina if their planned merger is allowed to be completed. Aetna also said it is halting 2017 plans to expand participation on public exchanges and is reviewing all of its current participation on Affordable Care Act exchanges.
Posted inHealth
After strong push, 41 percent losing Medicaid get new coverage
After a strong push from Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, about 5,600 low-income parents and caregivers transitioned to new health coverage through the state exchange before losing their state-sponsored Medicaid at the end of July.
Posted inHealth
State receives nearly $1 million in grants to combat Zika virus
State officials have nearly $1 million in new funds at their disposal to fight the Zika virus after receiving a pair of federal grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The price of health care ’empire’ too high for consumers
Last Tuesday, the Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) held a public hearing regarding the Yale New Haven Health System’s proposal to take over Lawrence and Memorial Health. A very diverse cross section of the Greater New London community raised significant concerns about the impact of this consolidation on health care costs, access to health care services, and real local control over our community hospital. I share their concerns, and believe this deal should not be allowed to go through until we have real protection against high health care prices charged by the state’s fast-growing health care corporations.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Pew report: Half the states trying to promote retirement savings
Connecticut is not alone in developing new options to assist private-sector workers who lack a retirement plan, according to a recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. At least 24 other states have introduced legislation, studied state-sponsored retirement savings programs, or enacted programs to reduce poverty among retirees.
Posted inTransportation
CT split on rail overhaul; Malloy says repairs should come first
WASHINGTON — There is split opinion in Connecticut on ambitious proposals to overhaul rail service in the Northeast Corridor, with some preferring to put resources into a coastal route to Boston and others backing an inland route that runs through Hartford with a new stop near Storrs.
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal calls for emergency session to address Zika virus
EAST HARTFORD — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called on Republican leaders in the Senate Monday to convene an emergency session to approve new federal funding to combat the Zika virus.