Legislators have wasted no time filing bills for the legislative session that began today. Some are likely to be central to the session, like Senate Bill 1, “An act concerning the protection of children, families and other individuals from violence” (the language so far is vague): amend the general statutes “to protect children, families and […]

Washington — If the federal government can require background checks for gun buyers, why can’t there be the same checks on ammunition buyers? U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Tuesday he plans to introduce a bill later this month that would require instant background checks for the sale of bullets. He also said the bill is […]

Faced with cuts in state funding, declining student enrollment and mandatory pay raises for faculty, the Board of Regents for Higher Education is considering raising tuition by as much as 12.4 percent next school year. “I don’t think it’s a surprise, given the budget cuts… This is pretty simple math,” Gary F. Holloway told regents […]

When the General Assembly is sworn in Wednesday for its new two-year term, its 187 members will include a record dozen Hispanic lawmakers, including Connecticut’s first two Latino state senators, Andres Ayala and Art Linares Jr. Despite the gains in 2012, the political influence of Latinos in the state the still reflects more promise than […]

Washington – When Super Storm Sandy’s winds and water battered Connecticut in October, the Coast Guard Academy in New London suffered severe damage to its main pier and its Seamanship and Sailing Center, where cadets learn to sail. There was also damage to a seawall, the academy buildings’ slate roofs, flooding of playing fields and […]

While Connecticut receives a greater share of federal aid than it would receive based on population alone, state government should create a new office — at no added cost — to maximize and better track efforts to secure federal assistance, according to a report from the legislature’s chief investigative panel. The report from the Program […]

Any rail official could probably learn a few things from reading this fascinating piece from the Atlantic Cities: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/01/3-keys-drawing-drivers-mass-transit/4327/#. It’s about drawing more drivers to mass transit. The idea is to redesign a transit system to draw people to it emotionally — the same way many are attached to the cars.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today released the names of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, the panel he created last week to examine gun control, school security and mental health issues arising from mass shooting of 20 students and six educators in Newtown. Its membership includes the former Hartford police chief and state public safety commissioner, […]

Washington — The outlines of the strategies both sides will use in the expected bitter fight over gun control are beginning to take shape, with advocates looking to act quickly on a broad package of reforms, and opponents hoping to stall the battle until memories of the Newtown shootings dim. A White House panel, headed […]

The investigation that led to the arrest Friday of former state Sen. Ernest Newton II of Bridgeport was sparked by a campaign worker’s complaint to state elections officials that he had not been paid, according to an arrest affidavit released Monday. Newton, who is accused of falsifying records to quality for $80,550 in public financing […]

Washington — Sen. Richard Blumenthal Monday said he’s not sold on President Obama’s choice for Secretary of Defense, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel. “I respect the president’s right to select Cabinet members, but I have a responsibility as a member of the Armed Services Committee to ask Senator Hagel’s views on critical defense policy issues […]