A last-minute reprieve has saved fall sports for more than 1,500 students at the state’s vocational-technical high schools, Acting Education Commissioner George Coleman announced late Wednesday, but the move will require the State Department of Education to identify budget cuts elsewhere. “Gov. Malloy and the Office of Policy and Management have worked with [the SDE] to […]
Last-minute agreement saves fall sports at state vo-tech schools
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Education chief calls for tougher penalties on test cheating
Educators who cheat to improve their schools’ test scores should be subject to financial penalties, the state’s top education official said Wednesday as the state began an investigation of alleged cheating at a Waterbury school. State Education Commissioner George Coleman said he plans to propose toughening the state’s anti-cheating laws by making teachers or principals […]
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Study finds Connecticut’s business tax burden is lightest in the nation
Despite its reputation as an expensive place to do business, Connecticut’s state and local governments imposed the smallest tax burden last year of any state when compared with its economic output, according to a new study released by a trade group for major corporations. The survey prepared for the Council on State Taxation found that […]
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The hottest ticket in Washington: A seat on the ‘super committee’
WASHINGTON–It’s the hottest new club in Washington, even if the name isn’t very snazzy: the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. That’s the 12-member congressional panel created under the debt ceiling agreement that just passed Congress, hours before a possible U.S. default. It’s already been dubbed a “super committee,” and it will wield enormous power. […]
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Report: Most state communities are off-limits to middle-income families
Families earning the state’s median income can’t afford a median-priced home in two-thirds of Connecticut’s cities and towns, according to a report released today by the Partnership for Strong Communities. Although the number of communities deemed “unaffordable”–112 of 169–remained the same from 2009 to 2010, that fact conceals a negative trend: While median home sales […]
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Three AFT chapters ratify concession deal
Three American Federation of Teachers chapters that represent 2,800 teachers at the state’s vocational-technical high schools, technical colleges and professionals at the University of Connecticut have ratified the tentative concession deal. The governing councils at these three chapters voted to ratify the deal without another vote by rank-and-file members. Jan Hochadel, head of the State […]
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State pink slip count drops slightly due to new retirements
Though nearly 3,000 state employees still have received layoff notices, the number targeted to lose their jobs shrank slightly over the last week as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration begins the complicated “bumping” process of reassigning workers based both on seniority and skills. According to the latest weekly update from the governor’s office, the pink […]
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Energy assistance for families needs to be preserved
On a sunny summer day, it’s easy to forget that winter is just around the corner. That’s no problem for some, as the thought of winter conjures up happy memories of family gatherings, snowmen, and hot cocoa. But for more than 300,000 families throughout Connecticut, winter is a time of desperation and danger, because they can’t […]
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ESPN receives $25M aid package to help launch 2nd digital center in Bristol
BRISTOL–Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Tuesday the state will invest more than $25 million in cable sports giant ESPN’s plans to develop a second digital center on its main campus here. ESPN, which has pledged to create a minimum of 200 jobs over the next five years, would be the third recipient of incentives through […]
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Connecticut may seek waiver from NCLB requirements
Connecticut education officials are considering seeking a waiver to requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, saying the state is unlikely to meet the benchmarks. “We do not have the resources necessary to do what No Child Left Behind requires,” said State Board of Education Chairman Allan B. Taylor. “Connecticut should certainly apply for […]
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As Congress sharpens its knife, advocates urge funding of heat aid
Connecticut lawmakers and social service advocates on Tuesday urged Congress to preserve funding for an energy assistance program that helps more than 113,000 low-income state households heat their homes in the winter. Such appeals could become commonplace in the coming weeks, as the fallout of a deal to cut $550 billion in federal domestic discretionary […]
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State income tax hike hits paychecks starting this week
Depending on how much they earn, Connecticut workers could start noticing less in their paychecks at week’s end as state government starts collecting at special income tax rates to reflect new increases – and to apply them retroactively back to Jan. 1. But while Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and his fellow Democrats in the legislature’s […]
Posted inHealth
Health insurance explained, and animated
If you’ve been meaning to learn about health insurance regulation but were turned off by the lack of animated options, the Oregon Insurance Division has just the explainer for you. The 7-minute video provides the division’s answers to why insurance costs so much, how premium costs are set, how the insurance division regulates health insurance, […]
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Lieberman off the fence, a “yes” on the debt deal
A spokeswman for Sen. Joseph Lieberman said this morning that the Connecticut independent will be a “yes” vote on the debt-ceiling deal, which is set for a noon vote in the Senate today. Lieberman had said yesterday that he was on the fence over the agreement, citing concerns about the possible defense cuts included in […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan premiums being lowered for most members
The state has received federal approval to set a flat premium for its Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, allowing anyone who qualifies to get coverage for $381 a month, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. The new rate will take effect Sept. 1. Currently, the premiums vary by age, with rates as high as $893 a month. […]