Washington — A bill that would expand background checks on gun purchasers was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on party lines Tuesday, its prospect of Senate approval diminished with the withdrawal of a key GOP supporter. The Senate panel also approved a bill that would provide schools with federal grants for school safety programs, […]
Senate panel approves background check, school safety bills
Posted inNews
Q Poll: Malloy strong in crisis, weaker on routine
Buoyed by his crisis leadership, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy won a 48 percent to 39 percent job approval rating in a Quinnipiac University poll released today, his highest mark since becoming governor in January 2011. Malloy, 57, the first Democratic governor in 20 years, still faces considerable political challenges as he looks to re-election in […]
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Life terms for juveniles: Change is on the way
With several inmates in Connecticut serving more than 60 years for crimes committed as children, the question facing legislators is not whether they will change state laws in reaction to a U.S. Supreme Court decision barring mandatory life sentences for juveniles, but how far the change will go. “We have the United State Supreme Court […]
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Newtown-bred activists partner with national gun-control groups
Washington — The 26 gun control activists who biked from Newtown to Washington, arriving Tuesday, belong to a growing group of Newtown residents who, with the help of national groups, are becoming a lobbying force on Capitol Hill. The residents and family members of the 26 killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings are […]
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Surprise — Average Connecticut Commute Times Are Worst in Fairfield County
The darker the color, the longer the commute. Map from WNYC’s Data News Team. OK, so it’s not really a surprise. But this very cool map from WNYC uses Census Data to tell us what we know and make it look pretty awesome. Click here for an interactive version. The really purple areas show unlucky […]
Posted inHealth
Do gun laws lead to gun-related convictions?
In the last five years, just one person has been convicted of not safely storing his weapons around children, though 82 people were arrested for this offense during that time. This is one of many gun-related offenses on the books where a small percentage of those arrested are convicted, reports the legislature’s nonpartisan Office of […]
Posted inMoney
Jepsen negotiates privacy settlement with Google
Google will pay Connecticut $520,823 as part of a $7 million settlement with 37 states over the unauthorized collection of unsecured wi-fi data by its roving “Street View” vehicles that collect images for its mapping system, Attorney General George Jepsen announced Tuesday. As the lead state in the investigation, Connecticut won a larger share of […]
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Bipartisan ceremony for Sandy Hook aid bill
A bipartisan deal on gun violence remains elusive, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and legislators held a ceremony Tuesday to mark last week’s unanimous passage of a bill creating the Sandy Hook Workers Assistance Fund. “I want to commend the members of the General Assembly for coming together in a bipartisan manner to provide relief […]
Posted inMoney, Politics
Every demographic backs minimum wage increase in poll
Increasing the $8.25 minimum wage is popular among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters in the Quinnipiac University poll released today.
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CCSU students rally against proposed tuition, fee, housing increases
New Britain — Central Connecticut State University student Cameron Sutphion is mindful of the cost of college, so he saves money where he can. He started off his college career at a more affordable community college, lives with his parents in Enfield and commutes to school to avoid having to take out student loans for […]
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Pressure builds as leaders work on gun control
The National Rifle Association and three makers of AR-15 rifles filled the Legislative Office Building with gun owners and firearms workers Monday, a show of force intended to blunt the reach of gun-control legislation now being negotiated by the General Assembly’s leadership. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate adjourned without a […]
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Harriet Beecher Stowe house wins national historic designation
Washington — The home of abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe has joined the Hartford homes of Mark Twain and gun maker Samuel Colt on an exclusive list — it has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the Interior Department. But the home of the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is not being honored for […]
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Stamford Advocate: More people riding buses, bikes
Some encouraging numbers from yesterday’s Stamford Advocate: 7,726 bicyclists were logged boarding Stamford’s public buses last year. That’s a new record, up from 7,630 in 2008.Bus ridership was recorded at over 3.4 million last year, up from 3.3 million the year before. That’s a 3.5 percent increase from the year before, and a 15 percent […]
Posted inPolitics
Lieberman joins conservative think tank
Washington — Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman will join the American Enterprise Institute, the conservative Washington-based think tank announced Monday. In a statement AEI said Lieberman will serve as co-chairman of the American Internationalism Project, alongside former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. “The American Internationalism Project, under the leadership of Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Jon Kyl, […]
Posted inHealth, Money
DSS launches new online service
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced in a news release Monday that the state Department of Social Services has launched a new user-friendly online service as a first step to modernize its fragile, outdated system. The service, at www.connect.ct.gov, allows clients to check on the status of their benefits and the public to check on whether […]