New Britain — Everyone was polite. Even as they accused Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of ignoring the Second Amendment, of violating his oath, of wanting to put a local gun manufacturer out of business, of secretly wanting to confiscate their guns, they were polite. Malloy came to New Britain High School for a community forum […]
A polite evening talking across the great gun divide
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Three finalists named to lead state’s college system
The Board of Regents Thursday announced the three finalists to run the state’s largest public college system. Faculty and students will have a chance to meet the candidates Monday or Tuesday in Hartford. The finalists were selected from 29 applicants. “These three were clearly the most outstanding,” board Chairman Lewis J. Robinson Jr. said in […]
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Assault weapons ban approved by Senate panel expected to die on floor
Washington — As soon as the Senate Judiciary committee approved a bill Thursday that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips, planning began to split the legislation to improve chances some of it would become law. The panel took the action three months to the day after 20-year-old Adam Lanza used a high-capacity, semi-automatic […]
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Advice for addressing mental health: Start early
Legislators considering changes to mental health policies have gotten an earful from parents who’ve learned the hard way how challenging the mental health system is. They’ve heard about lengthy wait times to see child psychiatrists because the state doesn’t have enough, how insurance doesn’t always cover the services a child needs, or won’t cover them […]
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All aboard! Malloy says cuts to higher education follow other states
As Gov. Dannel P. Malloy faces mounting skepticism about the funding cuts made to the state’s public colleges and universities, he is pointing to reductions in higher education elsewhere in the country in defense of the cuts he has made here. A new report from a national group, however, says that when factoring in the […]
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Critics say Bridgewater deal sidesteps state and local policies
Opposition to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s $115 million deal with Bridgewater Associates is growing, as observers charge that he is sidestepping state and local policies to move the country’s largest hedge fund from Westport to his hometown of Stamford.
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Parking Is Really Annoying
No, but seriously. Not just for us commuters, but for retail and housing developers as well, because it adds to their costs — and therefore makes things more expensive for the rest of us. In a story from the New Haven Independent this week, developers at a panel discussion cited minimum parking requirements as one […]
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‘First decision of its type’ made allowing arbitrator to fire superintendent, not school board
An independent arbitrator has decided to fire the superintendent of Groton, the “first decision of its type” says a law firm that represents several school boards in the state. In a 43-page report released last week, the arbitrator found the superintedent “is a strong, committed administrator, but also he has been an abusive, insensitive supervisor.” […]
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Tuition increase given the nod by college system’s finance panel
The Board of Regents’ Finance Committee has approved a plan to increase tuition and fees at the state’s public universities by 5.1 percent and community colleges by 5.3 percent. The increase, if approved by the full governing board during a meeting next Thursday, means students will be required to pay up to $465 more in […]
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Biden: CT’s early childhood system ‘a real model for the rest of the Country’
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy received accolades from Vice President Joe Biden last month for the education the state provides its youngest students. “Connecticut’s success with early childhood education is a real model for the rest of the Country. As you well know, early childhood education is critical to America’s future,” Biden wrote the governor after […]
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Momentum building for gun control, bipartisan or not
A far-reaching package of gun-violence legislation in response to the Sandy Hook school massacre is widely seen as inevitable in the General Assembly, with legislative leaders saying Wednesday night their goal is a vote by the end of March with or without a bipartisan deal. In separate interviews, Democratic and Republican leaders said they are […]
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State could lose over $900M in defense funds without sequestration deal
Connecticut could lose more than $900 million in federal defense spending this year, according to a new analysis, though a compromise measure pending on Capitol Hill could mitigate some of that pain. The state legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis also projected that most of the pain from the so-called sequestration cuts tied to the […]
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Three finalists selected to lead state’s largest college system
The Board of Regents is nearing the finish line to select a leader to run the state’s 93,000-student college system. The system’s governing board has whittled a list of eight candidates down to three finalists, Interim President Philip Austin told the Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee Tuesday. “Quite honestly they are supurb They are far above what […]
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Bill would screen school kids for behavioral health problems
A bill requiring all public school and homeschooled children in Connecticut to have behavioral health assessments in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 is drawing criticism from parents and homeschool advocates who say it would stigmatize children and intrude on parents’ rights. The bill was crafted in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting with the hope […]
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Newtown riders arrive in D.C.; hope to change Congressional hearts on gun control
Washington — For Monte Frank and 25 other bicyclists from Newtown, riding 400 miles in four days may not be as challenging as changing minds in Congress on the issue of gun control. Frank, a Danbury lawyer, is a member of Newtown’s “Team 26” cyclist group. The team, a mix of professional and amateur cyclists, takes […]