By a single vote, the State Board of Education on Wednesday gave Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch the “miracle” he says is needed to turn around the troubled schools in the state’s largest city: a takeover by the state of Connecticut. “The status quo in the Bridgeport Public School System is not OK,” Finch told the state […]
State authorizes takeover of Bridgeport schools
Posted inNews
Malloy edges toward renewed concession talks
NEW BRITAIN — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took a small step Wednesday toward renewed talks about concessions with unionized state employees when he said he likely would send an aide to inquire how labor leaders hope to revise their contract amendment ratification rules. But the governor also warned that without clear direction first from labor […]
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In debt crisis, doctors see an opportunity
WASHINGTON — With spending cuts central to the debate on the national debt, health interests are understandably nervous. Advocate for the poor worry about Medicaid. Hospitals already are airing commercials, pre-emptively defending against cuts in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. But doctors’ groups, led by the American Medical Association, have a different outlook. They see the […]
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Wilson-Foley touts business in congressional run
Lisa Wilson-Foley aimed high in her first try for public office: Offering herself as an outsider with business acumen, she ran for lieutenant governor in 2010, narrowly losing in a Republican primary. Now she’s using the same niche to run for an open seat in the state’s 5th Congressional District. Wilson-Foley, an entrepreneur who started […]
Posted inMoney
Lieberman lukewarm, Blumenthal mum on Senate Dems 2012 budget plan
Senate Democratic leaders unveiled a 2012 budget blueprint Wednesday, discussing the document behind closed doors during a policy lunch. After emerging from the session, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal declined to comment on the measure, which comes as Congress faces an increasingly tight deadline to craft a debt-and-budget deal. But Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent who […]
Posted inPolitics
Tong, Murphy tout strength in Senate campaign organizations
William Tong may have to keep up-or even speed up-his fundraising pace, given the campaign staff he’s assembled for his U.S. Senate bid. In a release Wednesday, Tong, a state representative from Stamford, touted the political talent he’s hired for his campaign to replace retiring Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Among the recruits are Jim Jordan, a […]
Posted inEducation
State education officials intervene in Bridgeport, then name new leader in Windham
Thirty minutes after deciding to takeover the Bridgeport school board, state education leaders announced who they intend to lead the other district they intervened in earlier this year. The controversial former superintendent of Hartford Public Schools Steven Adamowski has been named the new leader of Windham Public Schools. “He can make some positive differences. We […]
Posted inMoney
Blumenthal lauds reversal on suicide condolence letters
Sen. Richard Blumenthal applauded the White House’s decision to begin sending condolence letters to families of service members who commit suicide. Previously, the Administration’s policy had been to only send letters to families of personnel who were killed in combat or noncombat incidents in war zones. The White House initiated a review of that policy […]
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Without new offer, unions ask Malloy to reopen talks
State employee union leaders formally asked Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday to “reconvene discussions” on labor concessions, but they have no plan to amend the voting process that sunk the first concession package last month. The governor’s office did not reject the prospect of more talks with the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, but […]
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Malloy vetoes insurance rate review bill
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy used one of his first vetoes on a controversial bill that would have created a new public review process for proposals to increase health or long-term care insurance rates. In his veto message, Malloy called the bill, which drew support from consumer advocates and fierce opposition from the insurance industry, “bad […]
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With budgets tight, some districts chafe at special ed spending
Facing a major cut in funding for the schools in Bristol, Superintendent Philip Streifer has cut electives, scaled back four-hour kindergarten to two hours, pruned athletics and cut other costs everywhere he can. But his hands are tied to reducing costs to the fastest growing section of his budget — special education. Twenty percent of […]
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Donovan juggles roles as speaker and candidate
Chris Donovan’s formal entry into the 5th District congressional race got sidetracked: On the eve of his scheduled announcement last month, the labor concession deal on which the state budget depended was failing, and as leader of the House of Representatives, Donovan had some work ahead of him. “My full-time job is still speaker of […]
Posted inHealth
Mini-med plans explained
Federal health reform was supposed to limit so-called “mini-med” plans-health insurance plans that cap how much health care they cover. But federal officials have granted some of these plans waivers from the law, out of fear that employers would drop any insurance option if they had to comply with the new rules. The Kaiser Family […]
Posted inHealth, Money
SEBAC, SustiNet and Sal Luciano’s letter
No one disputes the basic facts: The head of the largest state employee union, Council 4 AFSCME Executive Director Sal Luciano, sat on the board that developed the proposed SustiNet state-run health care plan. He was among the labor leaders urging state workers to ratify a concession deal that included changes to the state employee […]
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Tom Sheridan, the distinctive voice of the Connecticut Senate, dies at 62
Tom Sheridan, the long-serving clerk of the Connecticut Senate, died Monday after a battle with cancer that was measured, as were many things in his career, by legislative sessions. Sheridan, 62, was diagnosed after seeking medical attention the day after the legislative session ended a year ago. It was a struggle, but he served again […]