The General Assembly is poised today to grant Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s request for additional budget-cutting authority in response to a failed labor concession deal, but his proposal to curb some collective-bargaining rights for state employees faces resistance in the House. The budget cutting authority will come with strings: The legislature intends to retain the […]
Malloy’s proposed labor changes facing resistance in House
Posted inNews
Bad news at the beach: Pollution is up in state, nation
Not the kind of news you really want to hear going into one of the biggest beach weekends of the summer: The water at Connecticut’s ocean beaches was a lot more polluted last year than it’s been in awhile. The Natural Resources Defense Council’s annual report on the nation’s marine beaches showed there were 143 […]
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy endorses Segarra in Hartford mayoral race
As the House and Senate met for a special session Thursday to tackle the remaining whole in the state budget, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took time for Hartford city politics by endorsing Pedro Segarra for Mayor. Mayor Pedro Segarra (left) and Shawn Wooden (right) Segarra’s opponent, Democrat Shawn Wooden, dropped out of the race and […]
Posted inNews
Federal website shows most, least expensive colleges
High school students and parents planning some college tours this summer might want to check out a new federal website that lists the most and least expensive colleges and universities in several categories. It was created by the U.S. Department of Education under the Higher Education Opportunity Act, and this home page also includes links […]
Posted inHealth
New report highlights hurdles for small medical practices in adopting electronic records
Connecticut doctors have been slow to adopt electronic medical records, in part because a majority of the state’s physicians work in groups with four doctors or fewer. That means they don’t have a big institution, with deep resources, to help make some of the large technological investments needed to switch over to an electronic system. […]
Posted inMoney
Larson blasts Colombia trade deal
Rep. John Larson said Thursday that he would “actively oppose” a free-trade deal with Colombia negotiated by the White House. Larson said the deal would be bad for workers in the U.S. and in Colombia, because Republican had blocked the inclusion of provisions aimed at improving labor rights in the deal. Here’s Larson’s full statement: […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Congressional budget cuts threaten nutrition safety net
As Congress crafts a budget that addresses our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges, Foodshare and our partner agencies – more than 350 food pantries, meal sites, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs — are urging our elected officials to safeguard nutrition assistance and other safety net programs. The number of families struggling to make ends meet […]
Posted inHealth
Congressional budget cuts threaten nutrition safety net
As Congress crafts a budget that addresses our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges, Foodshare and our partner agencies – more than 350 food pantries, meal sites, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs — are urging our elected officials to safeguard nutrition assistance and other safety net programs. The number of families struggling to make ends meet […]
Posted inNews
Privatization could challenge social services nonprofits
As the Malloy administration prepares to cut spending in social service agencies–part of the plan the governor released Tuesday and wants the legislature to approve today–the nonprofits that provide many safety net services for low-income and disabled residents are wondering what the changes could mean for them and their clients. People who work with nonprofits […]
Posted inNews
Malloy wants to suspend operations of privatization watchdog
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will ask legislators today to suspend a linchpin of the state’s “clean contracting” law as he seeks to privatize state services in the face of nearly 5,500 recommended state employee layoffs. As part of a proposal to fill the $1.6 billion two-year budget gap created when state employee unions rejected a concession deal, Malloy is […]
Posted inNews
Senators examine high court record on cases against business
WASHINGTON–The Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Wal-Mart v. Dukes sex discrimination lawsuit was re-litigated on Wednesday–in the political arena, with the debate focused on the court’s approach to corporate cases. The Wal-Mart case was Exhibit A at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing probing whether the nation’s highest court has tilted too much toward big […]
Posted inNews
Malloy seeking legislation to reduce employee benefits
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said today he intends to ask the General Assembly to pass legislation changing the way state employee pensions are calculated, reducing their sick days and freezing longevity payments–relatively modest first steps in narrowing collective bargaining for union workers. In a conference call with editorial writers, Malloy said he is submitting legislation […]
Posted inNews
Keeping kids enrolled is key to reducing ranks of uninsured
Efforts to get kids health insurance are centered on a relatively new premise: One of the most effective ways to reduce the number of uninsured children is to make sure those who are already covered stay covered.
Posted inMoney
Blumenthal, Himes appear in “It Gets Better” videos
Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, both appear in new videos made for the “It Gets Better” project. The project began last year after several gay and lesbian youths committed suicide after being harassed, bullied, or shunned because of their sexual orientation. The videos, now numbering more than 10,000, encourage […]
Posted inHealth
25 nursing home contracts settled
Negotiators have reached agreements on new contracts for workers at 25 of 69 nursing homes where contracts expired earlier this year, according to the union representing the workers. “We’re a little less than halfway there,” said Deborah Chernoff, spokeswoman for the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU. The 25 contracts cover about […]