Washington –- Dolores Yevich of Orange had no problem paying for food until her husband died in February. Then the household income supplied by two Social Security checks shrunk to one Social Security check. “I was desperate because I was destitute,” Yevich said. Yevich, 70, applied for to the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program, a federal […]
Reductions in food stamp eligibility, benefits, likely
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Enviros call energy bill a retreat
A Senate renewable energy bill that pitted environmentalists and consumer activists against legislative allies and the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was revised Tuesday by House of Representatives on a 112-33 vote and returned to the Senate. The environmental community and power generators were quick to express disappointment, saying that the revised version still […]
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Connecticut lags in use of Sandy relief
As Connecticut’s shoreline continues to struggle after Superstorm Sandy pummeled it seven months ago, tens of millions of dollars in federal assistance the state is eligible for has not reached those who need it. Some of the delay can be attributed to Congress, which took months to approve Sandy aid. Some is due to the […]
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Malloy defends budget deal, jabs at GOP
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy came out strong Tuesday in his defense of a tentative budget agreement, framing the deal struck Friday as balanced, constitutionally sound and free of new taxes. The Democratic governor rebutted his GOP gubernatorial rivals in the legislature, saying those who accuse him of crafting a gimmick-laden budget are “trying to score […]
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Orlando Rodriguez: A rarely discussed consequence of immigration reform – undocumented people increasing states’ political clout — from ctlatinonews.com
By Orlando Rodriguez In February, Jessica Bravo, an 18-year-old college student who was brought to the U.S. illegally by her parents when she was 3, went to see Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. He is the U.S. representative for southern California where Jessica lives. Jessica wanted “her” congressional representative to support a path to legal residency […]
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Bill Phillips: Lawmakers can’t back down on improving public education
By Bill Phillips, president of the Northeast Charter Schools Network Amid difficult budget negotiations, legislators in Hartford should not break the promises they made to thousands of Connecticut children seeking entry to public charter schools. As the membership association for Connecticut’s charter schools, we hope legislators scrap proposals to cut funding for key education reforms […]
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Compromise on power plant tax brings officials to brink of budget deal
Negotiators for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature’s Democratic majority concluded negotiations Friday evening on the brink of a deal for the next two-year state budget, sources said. The framework for a final agreement, which is contingent on a few spending reductions still to be identified by the administration, includes a scaled-back version of […]
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Education Secretary to students: ‘You have to demand that things change.’
During a town hall-style meeting in Hartford Friday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said schools need to find ways to become safer without being turned into prisons. He and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also announced school security grants. Duncan announced a $1.3 million grant to help the Newtown community heal from its trauma. Malloy said […]
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First lawsuit filed in Metro-North crash
Washington –- On the same day that federal investigators said that a portion of track involved in last week’s Metro-North crash had been repaired a month ago, the first lawsuit by an accident victim accusing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of negligence was filed. A joint bar, used to join two sections of rail together, has become the […]
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A time for deals, odd alliances
The 12-hour session that ended early Friday signaled that the season of deal-making is on at the General Assembly, yielding strange, if temporary alliances in the name of politics and pragmatism. A day after the dyspeptic House required nearly eight hours to pass an immigration bill, the same legislators sitting at the same desks passed […]
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Malloy to sign bill closing sexual assault loophole
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is expected to sign a bill eliminating what victim advocates and prosecutors say is a loophole that makes it nearly impossible to prosecute certain sexual assault cases. The bill expands the legal definition of “physically helpless” in the context of sexual assault. Prosecutors and advocates for victims and people with disabilities […]
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Uncertainties underlie insurance cost calculations under Obamacare
A key question about federal health care reform is what it will cost to buy health insurance next year, when the key provisions of the law kick in. And for insurers and regulators, figuring that out requires grappling with more uncertainty than usual.
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House compromises on labeling of genetically modified foods
The House of Representatives voted 114-7 early Friday to approve a compromise bill on the labeling of genetically engineered foods, ending a day of frantic negotiation to resolve the issue before the General Assembly breaks for the Memorial Day weekend. If passed by the Senate, the bill would make Connecticut the first state to enact a […]
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With an eye to ’14 campaign, Democrats back minimum wage increase
After one last tweak sought by the governor, the Senate voted 21-15 Thursday night to raise Connecticut’s $8.25 minimum wage by 45 cents on Jan. 1, 2014, the start of an election year when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be campaigning for a second term. The bill also would impose a 30-cent raise in 2015, […]
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Senate adopts measure to coordinate care for mentally ill children
The state Senate unanimously adopted a measure Thursday aimed at improving coordination between a wide array of caregivers and support services for children with mental health needs. The bill, crafted in response to last December’s mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, lays the groundwork for a more comprehensive, coordinated response by mental […]