Hours after Democratic legislative leaders rallied with unionized teachers opposed to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s education reforms, they sent the administration revisions that largely keeps intact the unions’ authority in the state’s lowest-performing schools. A summary of the revised bill prepared by the Office of Legislative Research indicates that the Democratic majority is unwilling to […]

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, said Wednesday night after a Democratic majority caucus that he has the votes to pass a compromise minimum-wage increase Thursday — and a deal with Republicans to avoid a filibuster. The $8.25 minimum wage would jump by 25 cents in each of the next two years, a significant retreat […]

It’s fair to say Geno Auriemma is not intimidated addressing the state House of Representatives, part of the annual Husky Day observance at the state Capitol. The women’s basketball coach took over the speaker’s podium after the House voted on a party-line vote to raise the minimum wage. “Lovely if you had the same cooperation […]

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Wednesday night to legalize the production, distribution and use of marijuana as a palliative for the chronically ill, reviving Connecticut’s role in a national debate. The final vote was 96-51. Seventeen Republicans joined 79 Democrats in support, while 17 Democrats joined 34 Republicans in opposition. If passed by the […]

With memories still fresh of the severe storms that slammed Connecticut during the second half of 2011, the state Senate Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a bill targeting price gougers who take advantage of weather emergencies. The measure, which passed 33-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives, empowers the Department of Consumer Protection to level […]

Standing before municipal leaders at the state Capitol complex Wednesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he has changed his mind about cutting state funding to small communities if they don’t reduce the high costs of running their schools over the next few years. He does want the state to study ways that the smaller districts […]

Washington — With his leadership PAC, Sen. Richard Blumenthal is helping friends and seeking greater influence in the Senate. Blumenthal, a Democrat, established the Nutmeg PAC (political action committee) last year, but it had very little activity until recently. According to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, Blumenthal has stepped up efforts to […]

Using a warning letter solicited from the U.S. attorney, opponents of medical marijuana are expected to use a potential conflict with federal law in a last-ditch effort to block a legalization bill likely to pass today in the state House of Representatives. David B. Fein, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, wrote a letter to opponents […]

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows overwhelmingly support for raising the minimum wage, a timely political boost to an issue that legislators and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy are reluctant to take up in the last two weeks of the legislative session. The poll also found complex, generally negative views on the abolition of the death […]

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows overwhelming support for raising the minimum wage, a timely political boost to an issue that legislators and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy are reluctant to take up in the last two weeks of the legislative session. The poll released Wednesday also found complex, generally negative views on the abolition of […]

While gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy pledged repeatedly to dive into a new budgeting system based on honesty and transparency within moments of taking office, Governor Malloy waded more gradually into Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. And now, plagued 16 months later by sluggish revenues, a small-but-growing deficit and reluctant legislators, Malloy may not get to dip […]