Washington – One of Rep. John Boehner’s final acts as Speaker of the House this week was to negotiate a budget deal with the White House that will help Connecticut’s defense industry by boosting Pentagon spending and save the state government about $65 million in health care expenses for low-income residents and state retirees.
Federal budget deal helps CT defense industry, state budget
Posted inNews
Train safety, gun checks, Medicare premiums among issues affecting Connecticut
Congress delayed for years the deadline for implementing a train safety system and passed a two-year budget that will help Connecticut defense contractors and Medicare recipients. Connecticut students received a mixed report card from the U.S. Department of Education, and whether Pratt & Whitney won a big engine contract remained a military secret.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy’s new pension fix is a big departure from his first try
One year after taking office, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy vowed to accelerate payments into the state’s cash-starved pension fund, much as a family might make extra mortgage payments now to lessen balloon payments looming in future years. This week, the governor dramatically altered that strategy.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Want to fix Connecticut’s economy? Pass property tax reform to help the cities
To help our cities create jobs, Connecticut must reform property taxes. It’s no coincidence that unemployment is highest in our cities where property taxes are highest.
Posted inPolitics
No resolution over SEEC’s authority in Malloy case
A Superior Court judge was disinclined Thursday to resolve whether federal law preempts state authorities from investigating if the Democratic Party illegally supported the re-election of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy with contributions from state contractors. The party wants him to halt the investigation with a ruling about jurisdiction.
Posted inHealth
Senate tackles mental health care reform
WASHINGTON — A Senate panel took up the issue of mental health care Thursday, discussing legislation promoted by Sen. Chris Murphy to overhaul the system, an unusual move since Congress hasn’t tackled comprehensive reform in decades.
Posted inPolitics
With eye on ’16, GOP hits Malloy in municipal races
In mailings coordinated by the state Republican Party and in campaign materials independently crafted by GOP candidates, voters are being urged to express their disapproval at the polls next week of an unpopular Democrat not on any ballot, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Call it the soft opening of the 2016 campaign.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Traveling by tube (not just in London)
Will the train of the future be a high-speed tube, not a railroad? That’s inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk’s and others’ vision. The concept sounds simple: move passengers in a sealed tube through a series of giant pipes propelled by air pressure at speeds up to 700+ mph. That would mean a trip from New York to Washington, D.C. would take 20 minutes.
Posted inNews
Malloy administration settles with Yelmini over dismissal
The administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy reached a settlement Wednesday evening with Linda Yelmini, the chief labor relations lawyer dismissed a year ago in what the administration termed a layoff and Yelmini called a firing without cause. The agreement is worth $325,000, according to the administration.
Posted inPolitics
CT senators introduce bill to close ‘loophole’ in checks of gun buyers
WASHINGTON – Joined by several of their Democratic colleagues, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy on Wednesday fulfilled a promise to introduce a bill aimed at closing a “loophole” in federal gun laws that allows a gun sale to proceed if an FBI background check is not completed in 72 hours.
Posted inEducation
UConn again looking to tuition increases to fill budget gap
The University of Connecticut will consider closing up to one-third of its $40.2 million budget shortfall by boosting how much it costs students to attend the public university.
Posted inMoney
Malloy calls for big change in pension financing, modest business tax cuts
EAST HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy outlined Wednesday a sweeping plan to overhaul state government’s pension system, pushing some costs off for a decade and a half to control spiking costs that he argued could drive up taxes and drain vital programs. He also proposed modest cuts in business taxes and a cut of 500 state workers.
Posted inNews
Pratt & Whitney could be big winner – or loser – in new bomber contract
WASHINGTON — Pratt & Whitney could be a big winner, or a big loser, in the Pentagon’s decision to award a multi-billion contract to Northrop Grumman to manufacture the nation’s next generation U.S. warplane , the Long-Range Strike Bomber. The Air Force says the identity of subcontractors on the plane must be kept secret for national security reasons.
Posted inHealth
Obamacare Q&A: Signups start next week
Sunday marks the start of the third open enrollment period for health insurance under the federal health law. That means the nearly 170,000 Connecticut residents who buy their own health insurance will have a chance to shop for new plans — and many will need to take action to keep the coverage they have. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Superintendents’ group seeks a radical overhaul of state testing
Now that President Obama has called for limits on testing of schoolchildren, the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents hopes that this increased attention will result in an opportunity to consider the radical overhaul of state testing for which CAPSS has advocated for four years.