A constitutional amendment barring the disposal of state-owned land without a public hearing and legislative approval fell short Wednesday of the margin necessary to be placed on the November ballot.
Constitutional amendment fails to make November ballot
Posted inPolitics
Notifying legislators of special sessions goes electronic
Legislators would be able to be notified of special sessions via email under legislation that won final passage in the state Senate Wednesday.
Posted inEducation
The basics: Bill shifting consent standard in campus sex assaults wins final passage
Essentially, the burden shifts from the accuser having to prove an assault took place and to the accused having to explain how they knew they had permission for a sexual encounter.
Posted inNews
Budget tracker: A first look at what’s in the budget deal
Here is a rundown of what’s in the budget deal struck by the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Democratic legislative leaders, according to documents provided to legislators.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Overtime: General Assembly to return next week for budget vote
The leaders of the House and Senate Democratic majorities gave up Wednesday on adopting a new state budget before the legislature’s constitutional adjournment deadline of midnight, instead scheduling a special session for next week to finish its business for 2016.
Posted inEducation
Not this year: Financial aid for undocumented students dies
“Dreamers” at the Capitol Wednesday. “Dreamers” at the Capitol Wednesday. Legislation that would make undocumented students eligible to receive financial aid does not have enough votes to pass in the state House of Representatives, the bill’s sponsors say. “It doesn’t look good for that bill. There are a lot of my colleagues that are telling me, ‘Not […]
Posted inHealth, Politics
Revised physician non-compete bill wins final passage
The proposal grew out of work by the Senate’s top Democrat and Republican to address the changing health care landscape, including the trend toward doctors giving up owning their own practices to work for hospital systems or large group practices.
Posted inMoney, Politics
CT’s top taxpayers took a big earnings hit last year
Connecticut’s 50 largest state income tax filers reported nearly $3 billion less in quarterly earnings this spring than they did one year ago — which resulted in a $217 million hit to the state’s coffers, the legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal staff reported Wednesday.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Opioid bill wins unanimous approval in Senate
The bill would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute medical conditions to a seven-day supply, and aims to ensure that more first responders carry drugs that can reverse the effects of an overdose.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Ways to improve Connecticut health care should not be overlooked — or taxed!
There is perhaps no better demonstration of the tremendous value -– in terms of health, and cost -– of affordable and accessible health care provided by ambulatory surgical centers, where today about half of all colonoscopies are performed. All of this makes the Connecticut state legislature’s last-minute decision in 2015 to target these outpatient surgical facilities with a burdensome new health care tax a distressing example of an industry taking one significant step forward, only to be pushed two steps back.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The time has come for a Connecticut college credit bank
In this budget-challenged environment, college students in Connecticut are being particularly stressed. State subsidies are being cut. Reliance on student loans is increasing. All the while, those of us in higher education spend too much effort “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” It is time to find real solutions to systematic problems in higher education. We must revisit what we can — and what we should — do to support our students. And we must think big.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Flame retardants in kids’ clothes unnecessary and toxic
This past weekend the Connecticut General Assembly House of Representatives voted to support a ban on certain flame retardant chemicals in children’s products. Their vote to support HB 5299 made the statement that our State Representatives are listening and actually hearing that these chemicals, once touted as necessary to save lives are actually causing illness and death both in their inanimate state as well as when they are smoldering after being ignited.
Posted inEducation, Health, Justice, Money, Politics
Democrats, governor strike budget deal, aim for Wednesday vote
Updated at 1 a.m. Wednesday
Democratic legislators ended a tense day of negotiations Tuesday by announcing a deal on a new state budget that the General Assembly will race to adopt Wednesday before the constitutional adjournment deadline of midnight.
Posted inMoney, Politics
GOP leaders insist they won’t stand for a rushed CT budget debate
As majority Democratic legislators scrambled in hopes of adopting a new state budget before Wednesday’s midnight deadline, Republicans warned they wouldn’t tolerate a rushed or incomplete debate on solutions to a nearly $1 billion deficit.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy declares ‘substantial progress’ on budget as deadline nears
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy emerged from a two-hour, closed-door talk with Democratic legislative leaders Tuesday evening declaring “substantial progress” had been made negotiating the 2016-17 state budget.