Brian K. Hill said today he was suspending his campaing for U.S. Senate after failing to gather sufficient signatures to earn a place on the Republican primary ballot. In a five-candidate field, only Chris Shays had more than the required 15 percent of the GOP convention vote to automatically qualify for the primary against the […]
Short of signatures, Brian K. Hill suspends Senate campaign
Posted inNews
Facing primary, Roldan will not seek re-election
State Rep. Kelvin Roldan, D-Hartford, who faced a difficult primary, announced today he will not seek a fourth term. Roldan, 33, was on the losing end of a fight for control of the Democratic town committee slate in his district, which foreshadowed his losing the party endorsement for re-election. Had he run, he would have […]
Posted inEducation
Poll: voters want more education reform
A poll of commissioned by one of the nation’s leading education reform groups reports that half of the Connecticut voters surveyed feel the new education law doesn’t go far enough, while 17 percent feel it’s a huge step forward. Student’s First leader Michelle Rhee points to this poll as reason that her group will be sticking […]
Posted inNews
WWE to JI: I know you are, but what am I?
Maybe this is gonna end up in a steel cage, and we’re just seeing the build up. In any case, World Wrestling Entertainment escalated its war of words with the Journal Inquirer today by saying that the newspaper was the purveyor of porn, not the WWE. Finding an ad for an adult video store in the […]
Posted inNews
McMahon, Shays to debate June 14 on Fox
Linda McMahon and Chris Shays, the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, will debate at noon on June 14 at the University of Connecticut. It will be streamed live online at Courant.com and CTnow.com and broadcast at 7 p.m. on Fox CT. Their first one-on-one meeting since a five-person GOP field was narrowed is sponsored by […]
Posted inMoney
Some foster children to get regular visits with siblings
Some foster children will be guaranteed weekly visits with their siblings beginning October 2014, as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signed into law a bill that requires the Department of Children and Families to facilitate these visits. The law follows an outcry from foster children complaining that they have lost touch with their brothers and sisters […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Take a deep breath and thank Reggi
Power plant carbon dioxide emissions down through the cap-and-trade program in the Northeast (known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or reggi)? By 23 percent, according to the NYTimes’ Green blog? We’ll take that!
Posted inNews
Cash flow report sparks fears state may need to borrow to pay bills on time
A new report showing state government continues to tap into its capital project accounts to pay its operating bills sparked bipartisan fears Wednesday that Connecticut may need a loan later this year to keep its finances running smoothly. And though state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier also wrote that total available cash remains “adequate” right now, she […]
Posted inNews
In crisis, Donovan turns to loyal friend, kindred spirit
The word through the grapevine was that “something really bad” was unfolding in House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan’s congressional campaign, so Tom Swan sent Donovan a simple text message: “You’ve got a friend.” Less than 48 hours later, Swan faced reporters as Donovan’s new campaign manager, vouching for his friend’s character, fighting a slight case […]
Posted inNews
State expands charter enrollment, but still far behind
The State Board of Education Wednesday approved expanding by 380 the number of students Connecticut’s charter schools can enroll. But according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education, Connecticut remains well below the national average in the percentage of public school students attending charters. It’s not for lack of demand: According to […]
Posted inNews
State board votes to intervene in 3rd school district in a year
The State Board of Education unanimously voted Wednesday to intervene in New London Public Schools, marking the third time the state has stepped in in the lowest-performing districts in the last year. The board decided to have Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor appoint a “special master” to a one-year term to manage a turnaround plan for […]
Posted inNews
McMahon, Murphy open big leads in Senate primaries
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Chris Murphy opening big leads in their primaries for U.S. Senate, with McMahon being competitive in general election matchups for the open seat for the first time. The poll released today is a dramatic reversal of a Quinnipiac survey in March that showed Christopher […]
Posted inEducation
Commissioner, I’ll take ‘substantial majority’ for $39.5 million
Included in the state’s $100 million education reform package, legislators created a $39.5 million pot of money for the state’s education commissioner to dish out to the state’s worst-performing districts that promise to make certain reforms. Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor is now signaling to districts that some of that money will be able to pay […]
Posted inEducation
State school board: Must we define chronic absenteeism?
Facing a July 1 deadline to create a statewide standard of when a student’s absences from school can be considered “excused,” and when districts will be required to step in and do something about habitual absenteeism, State Board of Education members are questioning why it’s necessary. “I don’t like that… I don’t think that’s the […]
Posted inHealth
Mickey Mouse loves his vegetables
First Michelle Obama. Then New York’s Mayor Bloomberg. Now Disney is pushing more healthful eating, according to the Financial Times. Will we see Lady and the Tramp spooning over quinoa, rather than spaghetti? Disney chief executive Michael Iger is quoted, “We’ve taken steps across our company to support better choices for families, and now we’re […]