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: […]
Larson blasts Colombia trade deal
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 […]
Posted inHealth
Drug dispute as metaphor for national health care debate
A fight over whether the world’s best-selling cancer drug should be approved to treat breast cancer represents a metaphor for the national debate over the government’s role in health care, Maggie Fox writes in the National Journal. Fox writes that the drug Avastin has been shown to be effective in treating some tumors, but evidence […]
Posted inNews
Malloy recommends nearly 5,500 layoffs, $54M cut in town aid
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has recommended nearly 5,500 state employee layoffs, elimination of 1,000 other vacant positions and a $54 million cut in municipal aid to help offset the unrealized savings from the failed union concession deal. It was unclear from limited details released late Tuesday afternoon how much savings could be achieved over the […]
Posted inNews
Lieberman, Coburn offer Medicare plan ‘nobody’s going to like’
WASHINGTON–Here’s a political pitch you don’t hear too often: “Nobody’s going to like this plan. We understand that.” That’s how Sen. Tom Coburn, a hard-edged fiscal conservative from Oklahoma, described the Medicare reform proposal he’s been working on with Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut independent. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (l) with Sen. Tom Coburn: ‘Some strong […]
Posted inNews
Can labor and management cooperate on savings after deal failed?
Though state employees have voted down a concessions package worth an estimated $700 million in the next budget year, there are elements of that plan that don’t require a vote and–on paper–could save as much as $170 million. But Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday that he’s not confident those savings–which were supposed to come […]
Posted inNews
Malloy: With union deal dead, legislature may have to force change
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said today he will explore legislative options to curtail what he called state government’s unsustainable, long-term health and pension costs, but he refused to say if he will seek a curb on collective-bargaining rights for state employees. “We attempted to do that through negotiation. That has failed,” Malloy said. “The people […]