Middlesex Hospital and UnitedHealthcare have until April 1 to reach a new contract agreement before becoming the latest hospital and insurer to sever ties in the state. Representatives for both say they’re working toward a settlement, but if the two sides fail to reach an agreement, the Middletown hospital could be out of UnitedHealthcare’s network, […]
Middlesex, UnitedHealthcare contract up April 1
Posted inHealth, Money
State employee health plan now open to municipalities
The state comptroller’s office has officially launched a health insurance plan for municipalities, boards of education and other public employers. The CT Partnership Plan grew out of a longtime effort to open the state employee and retiree health insurance plan to outside groups. A compromise last year between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration and Democratic […]
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With a new script, McMahon is back on stage
Newington — All campaigns are theater, and none more so than the back-to-back Senate runs of Linda McMahon, a co-founder and former chief executive officer of the marketing and media juggernaut that is World Wrestling Entertainment. On Wednesday, McMahon stepped to a microphone in Bruno Zavarella’s woodworking factory, a precisely angled banner above her head […]
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Rhee: Connecticut is the state to watch
Michelle Rhee, one of the biggest names in the national education reform movement, traveled to Connecticut’s Capitol Wednesday with a message: Democrats nationwide are watching. “This is the state that has a Democratic governor and a Democratic legislature that is taking the most aggressive stance on education reform,” Rhee told a crowd of about 75 […]
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A senator struggles for an answer on capital punishment
Last year, a visit with Dr. William Petit persuaded Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, to block the repeal of the death penalty.This year, Prague had another visitor: James Tillman. Tillman, of East Hartford, spent more than 16 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit before he was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2006. He […]
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A center of collaboration on education reform rejects Malloy
New Haven — New Haven teachers were apprehensive when they backed a new evaluation system three years ago, but they were not angry. As New Haven Superintendent Reginald Mayo said Tuesday night, “It has been done through collaboration … We are doing it through consensus.” The model — which led to 2 percent of the […]
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Transportation bill helps Connecticut – a little
Washington — With the help of Connecticut lawmakers, the Senate approved a two-year $109 billion transportation bill Wednesday that state officials say may help them move forward with priority projects. Distributed to the states by formula, the money authorized for Connecticut would increase slightly — by about $10 million — over what the state has […]
Posted inEducation
Teachers union to Rhee: Butt out
Hours before Michelle Rhee is set to speak at a rally at the state Capitol, the head of the state’s teachers union offered a suggestion for legislators considering a gamut of education reforms: ignore her. “Michelle Rhee is recognized for divisive politics as evidenced by her short-lived tenure in Washington, D.C. Why should [Connecticut] citizens […]
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Key committee embraces Sunday sales, not deregulation
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s sweeping reforms of liquor laws are about to be downsized: A key legislative committee is poised to side with Malloy and lift the ban on Sunday sales, while opposing his call to repeal controls on price and competition. The question now is will Malloy accept the bipartisan consensus reached Tuesday by […]
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State cuts deal with NU over NSTAR merger
Connecticut agreed Tuesday to endorse Northeast Utilities’ merger with NSTAR in return for $120 million in rate relief, $300 million in system improvements, $20 million in open space and a commitment to keep NU’s headquarters in Hartford. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Attorney General George Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Elin Katz announced a deal negotiated since […]
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Advocates frustrated with Obama administration over food safety law
When Haylee Bernstein of Wilton was 3 years old, she and an older sister fell seriously ill and were rushed to the hospital. Haylee barely survived. She suffered kidney failure, bleeding in her brain requiring emergency surgery and was temporarily blinded. The reason: The children had snacked on lettuce tainted with E.coli, a bacteria that […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Donovan launches his final push for pooling
Flanked by fellow legislators and advocates for health reform, Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan launched what’s likely to be his final push for the state to adopt one of his favorite causes — opening the state employee health care pool to the public. The concept is a top item on the wish list […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Malloy administration: Basic health program “premature”
The Malloy administration is urging lawmakers to hold off on creating a health program for low-income adults who don’t qualify for Medicaid under federal health reform, saying action now is premature. As it did last year, the administration is arguing that more information needs to be available from the federal government before the state can […]
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Lawmakers say online hotel brokers dodging occupancy tax
Internet brokers who refer business to hotels and motels no longer would be spared from Connecticut’s 15 percent occupancy tax under a new bill raised by a legislative panel. And while Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s revenue commissioner and several legislators on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee said the measure is about tax fairness, opponents […]
Posted inNews
Irene fraud costs 42 state employees their jobs
The state has fired 27 employees accused of improperly obtaining disaster benefits after Tropical Storm Irene, and another 15 either resigned or retired as they faced disciplinary hearings, the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Monday. The scope of the inquiry has expanded, with another 240 recipients of disaster aid having been identified as […]