As most state Judicial Branch layoffs took effect Thursday — including elimination of 101 marshal posts — the branch announced state police troopers would be retained for a second week to patrol outside of courthouses in four major cities.
State troopers to remain outside urban courthouses another week
Posted inEducation
Legislative leaders call UConn ‘tone deaf’ over raises for top staff
Legislative leaders Thursday blasted hefty pay increases University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst awarded to four senior staff members as the state and public university grapple with big budget cuts.
Posted inJustice, Money
CT court officials say deep budget cuts left them few options
As Connecticut’s Judicial Branch moves ahead this week and next with a major reorganization driven by deep budget cuts, its leaders warn even they aren’t entirely certain what the full impact will be, though they agree with the court marshals union that security is being stretched to a highly questionable degree.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Ferries are not the answer for Connecticut commuters
Recently, New York City Mayor DeBlasio announced a $325 million plan to re-introduce ferry boat service to the five boroughs, charging the same fare as subways. The mayor says these boats could carry 4.5 million passengers a year.
So why don’t we have ferries in Connecticut? There are several reasons:
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Animal agriculture — not automobiles — the greater threat to our air
A response to Legislature fiddles while Connecticut’s carbon dioxide levels rise by Don Strait: Like most other so-called “environmentalists,” Mr. Strait completely ignores the greater source of environmental degradation. Fifty-one percent of all greenhouse gases emitted is due to animal agriculture — NOT the fossil fuels we burn.
Posted inPolitics
GOP cuts off Dems’ revolt, CT lawmakers say they won’t quit
Updated at 2 p.m.
WASHINGTON — House Republicans pulled the plug on a revolt by Democrats led by Connecticut Rep. John Larson and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis by adjourning in the middle of the night for the long July 4th break. Larson and other Democrats vowed to continue fighting for votes on gun control measures.
Posted inPolitics
Trump’s fundraising woes extend to Connecticut
Washington – Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has raised less than $50,000 in political cash in Connecticut, while Democratic rival Hillary Clinton pulled in $3.6 million, the latest filings with the Federal Elections Commission shows. Trump’s money deficit in the state is in line with the yawning gap with Clinton he has in fundraising across the nation
Posted inHealth
First Access Health CT transition fair for Medicaid is a bust
DANBURY — Some 14,000 low-income parents will lose their state-sponsored Medicaid health insurance coverage Aug. 1, so Connecticut’s health care insurance exchange held an enrollment fair Wednesday to help them find a replacement plan. Nobody came.
Posted inEducation, Justice
Court: UConn can withhold names of animal researchers, for now
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a trial judge used the wrong legal standard when he ordered the University of Connecticut to give an animal-rights group the names of researchers who had violated animal-research protocols. The university withheld the names to protect the researchers from potential abuse by animal-rights activists.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal asks DOJ to stop Aetna-Humana, Anthem-Cigna mergers
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and six other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to block two proposed mergers involving Connecticut health insurers, Aetna-Humana and Anthem-Cigna.
Posted inEducation
A few top UConn officials get pay increases despite tough times
In a fiscally challenging year in which few non-union managers received pay increases – at UConn or elsewhere in state government – President Susan Herbst is sticking by promises she made in 2013 and 2014 to give multiyear increases to four senior staff.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Time for adult responsibility at Connecticut Juvenile Training School
At the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS), workers compensation claims are soaring, mostly because staff is frequently injured putting youth in physical restraints. The Department of Children and Families and union officials told The Connecticut Mirror that restraints are necessary because youth at the facility are so difficult. They point to recent policies that removed many young people from CJTS, leaving only the most challenging youth at the facility. This reaction is disturbing on several levels and underlines the need to work toward closing CJTS.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Aetna-Humana, Anthem-Cigna facing different merger obstacles
WASHINGTON – So far, Aetna appears to be clearing the regulatory and antitrust hurdles it faces to merge with Humana more easily, while Anthem’s proposed marriage to Cigna has faced more troubles. Neither has yet cleared the hurdle of antitrust approval from the U.S. Justice Department.
Posted inPolitics
New chance for ‘terror gap’ gun bill
WASHINGTON – After the Senate voted down four gun control bills inspired by the Orlando massacre, a compromise emerged that would prevent those suspected of terrorist ties from purchasing weapons – and Connecticut’s senators say that’s encouraging.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy, Fasano challenge each other on fundraising issues
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, whose Democratic Party just reached a record $325,000 settlement to resolve allegations of improper fundraising, exchanged jabs Tuesday with Republicans over whether the Democrats owe voters the release of emails and documents related to the allegations.