After spending six months studying new ways to control ever-growing health care costs, a state-hired consulting firm presented a plan to Connecticut’s Health Care Cabinet Tuesday that calls for the largest reorganization and consolidation of health-related state agencies in two decades.
Sweeping plan put forward to control rising health care costs
Posted inPolitics
MGM stalled in effort to block new Indian casino in CT
WASHINGTON — MGM Resorts International’s efforts to block the establishment of a third casino run by Connecticut’s gaming tribes has stalled on Capitol Hill, leaving the future of the effort in doubt.
Posted inEducation
Murphy calls segregated CT schools ‘unconscionable,’ proposes bill
With two-thirds of Connecticut’s black and Hispanic children attending segregated schools – one of the highest rates in the country – U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy hopes Congress will step up to offer funds to entice school districts to diversify.
Posted inPolitics
Pelto bids for Green Party nomination in 2nd District
Jonathan Pelto, a former five-term state representative and public education advocate, announced Tuesday he plans to seek the Green Party’s nomination for the 2nd District congressional seat. The Green Party’s 2nd District nominating convention will be held on July 30 in Mansfield.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy calls GOP hypocritical in criticizing his bonding proposals
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy challenged his Republican critics Tuesday to vote against — and not just complain about — his borrowing proposals, adding that the GOP historically votes with him on these matters nine out of 10 times.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Bond panel may preview campaign battle over CT’s credit card
Today’s meeting of the State Bond Commission could offer a preview of one of the key issues Republican legislators plan to campaign on this fall: Connecticut’s escalating debt.
Posted inHealth
Murphy urges Aetna, Cigna to stay, doesn’t oppose mergers
With decisions from the Justice Department pending on two potential mergers involving Aetna and Cigna, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., sent a pair of letters Monday urging both companies to maintain a “strong presence” in Connecticut regardless of the outcome. He did not oppose the mergers.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Fate of legislature’s investigative arm hangs on budget battle
The fate of the legislature’s chief investigative arm probably will be determined in the next few weeks as top leaders decide whether to impose a cut that would chop the nonpartisan agency in half.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Gutting legislature’s program review staff makes no sense
Out of left field on May 4, the legislature’s bipartisan efficiency committee, Program Review & Investigations, took a direct hit of 50 percent of its personnel in the negotiated budget. The committee staff was not previously targeted by the Democratic, Republican, or governor’s proposed budget cut lists — the evisceration appeared overnight. Now, for the sake of saving $750,000, the state is destroying the very committee that saved taxpayers $89.5 million in FY 2010 and $111.9 million in 2011. How could anyone think this a logical decision?
Posted inPolitics
Malloy keeps things running at often-raucous Dem platform meeting
At times the room was raucous, especially when Sen. Bernie Sanders lost on a key issue concerning a trade pact with Pacific Rim nations, but Gov. Dannel Malloy was able to keep Democrats moving forward Saturday on the party’s platform.
Posted inPolitics
Rep. Mary G. Fritz of Wallingford dies at 78
State Rep. Mary G. Fritz, D-Wallingford, an independent-minded social conservative who was one of the longest-serving legislators in the history of the Connecticut General Assembly, died early Saturday after a yearlong battle with cancer.
Posted inPolitics
Amid Democratic discord, Malloy takes reins of party platform committee
Gov. Dannel Malloy presided Friday over the Democratic Platform Committee meeting in Orlando, Fla., an event held under the pall of the shooting deaths of five police officers the night before in Dallas and shootings this week by police officers of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. The platform is usually overshadowed by the drama of officially nominating candidates for president and vice president at the convention. But not this year.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut must pause, grieve, and strive to be better
Over the last week, the nation has witnessed horror. The events have shocked our collective soul. They have been jolts to our conscience – both in Connecticut and across the country – that require a moment of mass reflection.
Posted inEducation
Top UConn staff to forgo part of their controversial pay increases
Bowing to pressure from legislative leaders, University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst late Friday announced three top staff members who have received hefty, multi-year pay raises or bonuses will forgo part of those increases.
Posted inPolitics
After Dallas shooting, Murphy knocks Congress for inaction on gun control
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s members of Congress called for calm, prayers, healing and justice in the wake of the shooting of five police officers in Dallas and the slaying by police of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. But Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also slammed Congress for inaction on gun control.