With two notable exceptions, the Connecticut delegation voted against twin resolutions critical of the U.S. military involvement in Libya. After an impassioned House debate Friday about the U.S. role in that conflict, the House approved a resolution stating that President Barack Obama had “failed to provide Congress with a compelling rationale” for the U.S. military […]
Larson, Himes only “yes” votes on resolutions critical of U.S. role in Libya
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DNA bill passes, dividing Black and Puerto Rican Caucus
The House of Representatives voted 127 to 20 Thursday night for a bill that will allow law enforcement authorities to take DNA samples from convicted felons who are arrested for a subsequent felony. Opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the bill was narrowed from an original version that would have required DNA samples of […]
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Bill would streamline handling of ‘whistleblower’ complaints, increase protections
After failing last year to address a backlogged system for processing state employee complaints of corruption and waste, the General Assembly adopted a bill this week granting state auditors broad discretion to reject complaints while expanding whistleblowers’ protections. The measure, which now heads to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s desk, also prohibits agencies and state contractors […]
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Shift to value-based health plan can cause worker anxiety
With health care costs fast outpacing company earnings and workers’ wages, Michelin North America assigned a team to find a new way to handle its health benefits. The result was a plan that gave workers a greater stake in taking care of their health and paid them for taking risk assessments and addressing problems the […]
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Malloy warns of deeper layoffs if concessions deal is rejected
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy sent a pointed message to unionized state employees Thursday, warning that a failure to ratify a tentative agreement for labor savings would lead to thousands more than his previously threatened layoffs, reaching senior employees. “We’re talking about a dramatic reshaping of state government with thousands more than 4,700 employees losing their […]
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After battling deficit, Malloy now faces constitutional spending cap
After tackling a $3 billion-plus state budget deficit and negotiating a tentative deal for unprecedented labor concessions, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy now faces a new fiscal challenge: the constitutional spending cap. The Democratic governor, whose original budget plan for next fiscal year fell a comfortable $406 million under the limit, now is expected to enter his first […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
State panel approves Connecticut’s first wind farm
Connecticut’s first commercial wind farm is on the books: The Connecticut Siting Council in a 6-1 vote, approved the first of two related projects in Colebrook. “A great message was sent by new the new administration that Connecticut is open for wind renewable energy,” said Greg Zupkus, co-founder of BNE Energy of West Hartford, the […]
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Does your dinner plate look like this?
The food pyramid is out, and a new dinner plate is in. In Washington today, First Lady Michelle Obama and other top officials unveiled the government’s new food icon, called “MyPlate,” to help Americans make healthier eating decisions. MyPlate (below) emphasizes that half of each meal should be fruits and vegetables. It replaces the more […]
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Is college worth it? In part, that’s up to students
As college graduates facing barren job markets, many are wondering if getting a degree was worth the time and effort, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa write in the Los Angeles Times. And in fact, many come away with “only limited improvement in the skills necessary to be successful in today’s knowledge-based economy.” Arum and Roksa, […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Teacher evaluation policies must reflect student needs
While most of the sound and fury during this legislative session has centered on the state’s budget deficit, there are crucial education issues that cry out for attention. For example, Connecticut’s current statutes related to teacher employment and evaluation policies are out of date. They are unfair to students and our best teachers and give […]
Posted inEducation
Teacher evaluation policies must reflect student needs
While most of the sound and fury during this legislative session has centered on the state’s budget deficit, there are crucial education issues that cry out for attention. For example, Connecticut’s current statutes related to teacher employment and evaluation policies are out of date. They are unfair to students and our best teachers and give […]
Posted inNews
Malloy’s UConn health center plan passes first hurdle in Senate
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s $864 million proposal to renovate and expand the UConn Health Center in Farmington passed the state Senate Wednesday, 15 days after it was first announced. Supporters of the bill cast the proposal as an urgently needed economic development plan that would create thousands of jobs while making the state a leader […]
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Election cops take the biggest hit in agency consolidation
Just a week after the Malloy Administration effortlessly filled a $400-million gap in the biennial budget, the state’s watchdog agencies were slashed Wednesday in a consolidation that saves a relatively modest $3.3 million in the next two years. Senate Democrats gave final legislative approval Wednesday to a budget bill that cuts the staffs of the […]
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Despite enrollment growth at charter schools, state still far behind
The State Board of Education Wedneday approved expanding the number of students Connecticut’s charter schools can enroll, but a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education ranks Connecticut well bellow the national average in the percentage of public school students that attend charters. It’s not a lack of demand: The State Department of Education […]
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DeLauro watching GOP reverse course of subcommittee she headed
WASHINGTON–Rep. Rosa DeLauro shook her head in quiet disbelief, as the House Appropriations Committee approved a provision that, in her view, amounted to a sneak attack on the Food and Drug Administration. Moments before, DeLauro had argued vehemently against the amendment, which requires the FDA to use so-called “hard science” in issuing new regulations. She […]