A bill repealing the death penalty cleared the Judiciary Committee on a 24-19 vote Wednesday night and was headed to the Senate, where a proponent, Sen. Eric D. Coleman, D-Bloomfield, said he was “very optimistic” about winning passage. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is committed to signing a repeal bill similar to one vetoed by Gov. […]

Washington — With their constituents’ anger on the rise over high gasoline prices, Connecticut lawmakers say Wall Street is to blame and want the Obama administration to take action against speculators. “What we need is tough enforcement against speculation that is contributing to the crushing prices at the pump,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The […]

Democratic state legislators this week wedged themselves between a fuel pump and a fiscal hard place — and there may be no easy way out. Trying to outmaneuver Republicans on the sticky issue of rising gas prices, Democrats pledged to cap a wholesale fuel tax, announcing Wednesday it could be approved next week. But because […]

Connecticut voters support Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s push for teacher tenure reform and Sunday liquor sales, while the state is evenly divided on the governor’s job performance, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The poll also found across-the-board voter support for the legalization of medical marijuana and strong opposition to abolishing the death […]

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s public personna is confident, if not aggressive. And that seems to be playing better with men than women. The Quinnipiac poll out today — our full story is available here — has an anomaly: Men are evenly divided on the governor, whose approval rating crept higher again, but women are negative. […]

Waterbury — It’s been decades since teachers and their unions have been this upset, and it began with a governor with ambitious plans appearing to publicly chide their profession. “In today’s (public education) system, basically the only thing you have to do is show up for four years. Do that, and tenure is yours,” Gov. […]

Republicans ran out the clock on two controversial proposals to extend collective bargaining rights to daycare and home care workers Tuesday, preventing either from getting a vote by the legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee before its deadline for acting on bills. But those on both sides expect the proposals, which grew out of executive […]

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration recognized shrinking tax revenues in its latest budget forecast Wednesday, yet remained the only entity still projecting that state government will wrap up the fiscal year in just over three months in the black. In a report filed Wednesday with the comptroller’s office, the governor’s budget agency did note that […]

In a bipartisan committee vote Tuesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy prevailed on lifting the ban on Sunday liquor sales, but fell short of the sweeping reforms he proposed in January on price and competition. The question now is will Malloy declare victory and move on, or will he direct his administration to continue lobbying for […]

Washington — The average American is barred by the embargo from traveling to Cuba, but Connecticut students are packing their bags to visit the island. After President Obama loosened travel restrictions last year to allow greater religious, cultural and academic travel to Cuba, a number of Connecticut colleges rushed to take advantage of the opening. […]

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal attended a news conference Monday to support a bill promoted by anti-prostitution crusader Raymond Bechard — the same man Blumenthal sued as attorney general over allegations of charities fraud in 2009. Was Blumenthal unaware of the connection? Or, as Bechard suggested, did the senator’s presence signify that the still-pending lawsuit was […]