John Murphy is making it official Saturday. Long a behind-the-scenes campaign organizer and lobbyist for progressive and union causes, Murphy is declaring his candidacy for the 8th House District seat held by Republican Tim Ackert of Coventry. Murphy now splits his time between the Connecticut Citizen Action Group and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. […]

The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday legalizing liquor sales on Sundays and holidays starting July 1 and modestly easing liquor price controls — though far less than proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The measure, which passed 116-27 and now heads to the Senate, creates a new task force to study […]

Washington — Although lawmakers wanted information on what is wrong with New England’s aging electric power grid, they heard from a Connecticut utility Thursday about what that utility is doing right. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he called for the hearing because of the electricity outages […]

On a party-line, election-year vote, the House of Representatives voted 88-62 Thursday for a compromise to raise the $8.25 minimum wage by 25 cents in each of the next two years, bringing pressure on a reluctant Senate to follow. Ten Democrats joined all 52 Republicans in opposition, including Rep. William Tong of Stamford, a candidate […]

Michael Daley credits his college success to winning the school choice lottery and getting into two of the region’s high-achieving public middle and high schools. “I was so far behind my classmates,” the Hartford native said, reflecting on his first week at a middle school in the suburb of Granby under a longstanding school choice […]

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 […]