Washington — It was the tale of two governors. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, was expected to provide stark contrast to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder at a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing Wednesday on job creation. Instead, the governors were often on the same page. “There were many cases where Gov. Snyder […]
Malloy tells Congress: Skip the partisanship and help the states
Posted inEducation
What not to major in at college
Even with the downsizing of newsrooms across the country, it turns out that college journalism majors don’t face the harshest job market. Architecture majors do. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce’s annual “Not all College Degrees are Created Equal” shows that 14 percent of recent graduates in architecture programs are jobless, and those […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
A new agriculture committee?
As we reported a week or so back, the idea of re-establishing an agriculture committee in the General Assembly for the first time in decades was being considered by a pair of Republican lawmakers. On Thursday, Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, and Rep. Penny Bacchiocchi, R-Somers, will announce plans to create a Select Committee on […]
Posted inEducation
UConn students will no longer will be suspended for marijuana possession
Following the state’s lead in decriminalizing marijuana, the University of Connecticut has taken the next step and knocked down the penalties on campus. The plan approved by the Office of Community Standards will have university officials treat possession of marijuana the same as possession of alcohol. Instead of suspending students caught with small amounts of marijuana, […]
Posted inPolitics
Of Valentines and endorsements, trackers and silliness
Three apparent firsts today in the 2012 congressional season: two statewide constitutional officers made their first endorsements, a video tracker showed up to record an opponent’s event, and a worker for the candidate being tracked responded with sufficient childishness to become part of the story. The campaign of Elizabeth Esty dispatched a young intern with […]
Posted inHealth, Money
PCA collective bargaining recommendations delayed 2 weeks
The working group charged with recommending ways to structure collective bargaining rights for some home care workers has gotten a two-week extension on its final report. The group had been expected to issue its recommendations by today, but will instead meet and finalize them Feb. 15. The process was created by a controversial executive order […]
Posted inHealth
Joining trend, Anthem to pay docs for coordinating care, work outside office visits
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer, announced plans to encourage primary care doctors to coordinate patient care and compensate them for activities that improve health but don’t require office visits. The announcement is the latest endorsement of efforts to change the way primary care providers are paid. Earlier this week, […]
Posted inNews
Malloy’s lukewarm to Donovan’s minimum-wage pitch
The election-year effort by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, to raise the $8.25 minimum wage and index it to inflation energizes his labor base and creates tension with a less-than-enthusiastic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The push to pass a minimum wage law for the first time since 2008, when Democrats overrode the veto of […]
Posted inNews
Auditors seek access to confidential tax records when reviewing whistleblower complaints
The legislature’s top watchdog office is seeking access to confidential state tax information to assist in processing whistleblower complaints filed by state employees. Auditors John G. Geragosian and Robert M. Ward also used their first annual report to lawmakers on Tuesday to recommend overhauling how agencies report lost funds, tightening competitive bidding rules and closing […]
Posted inNews
Anti-poverty advocates look to promote — and protect — new tax credit for working poor
As tax season arrives, advocates for the Connecticut’s new income tax credit for working poor families are trying to keep commercial tax preparers — and revenue-hungry state officials — from getting their hands on it. The Connecticut Association for Human Services, one of the private, nonprofit community’s leading anti-poverty organizations, is coordinating an outreach campaign […]
Posted inNews
Giuliano says SEEC was ‘bullied’ into dumping him
Sebastian N. Giuliano says that the State Elections Enforcement Commission has compromised its independence by rescinding its selection of him as executive director and general counsel in the face of what he called legislative bullying. “If you cave into political pressure, how do you claim you are an independent, non-partisan watchdog agency if are a […]
Posted inNews
As lawmakers consider STOCK Act, some say it’s not tough enough
Washington — With public approval at an all-time low, Congress is beginning work on a new ethics law aimed at rooting out insider trading. But some say it’s not tough enough, and others say it’s not needed. The Senate began debate on the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge, or STOCK, Act, today, which would bar […]
Posted inNews
DCF’s savings gone, future of some reforms uncertain
Budget cuts by the Malloy administration will stall some plans to turn around the Department of Children and Families, an agency under federal court oversight for failing too many abused and neglected children, their budget chief says. “This will delay us from moving forward,” Cindy Butterfield, DCF budget chief, told a group of community providers […]
Posted inNews
After years of flat funding, nonprofits could face cuts
Meriden — If all goes according to plan, the glassed-in attachment to The Arc of Meriden-Wallingford’s building will soon be filled with fish, worms and vegetables. Executive Director Pamela Fields envisions the future aquaponics set up — made from donated equipment and built by community volunteers — as an employment opportunity for the people with […]
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy in Washington to promote his record
During a whirlwind two-day visit to Washington, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has been asked by two very different groups to talk about his brief record in the governor’s office. Although he was inaugurated only last year, Malloy was asked by Governing magazine to be its keynote speaker Tuesday for its “Outlook in the States & […]