WASHINGTON–The Senate Judiciary Committee gave Connecticut’s Christopher Droney a light and breezy 15-minute quizzing at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, with no hard-ball or hostile questions for the appeals court nominee. The top Republican on the panel, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, asked Droney a half-dozen questions, querying him about a colorful quote he gave to […]
Droney gets a brief and cordial hearing on appeals court nomination
Posted inNews
As concessions face defeat, unions and administration react cautiously
On the eve of a vote by AFSCME that is expected to kill a tentative union concession plan, a top adviser to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the administration might be open to a new vote by the bargaining units that voted it down, but it won’t offer new terms. Union spokesmen called the question […]
Posted inNews
With givebacks in doubt, Malloy and legislators face new fiscal gap
The apparent rejection of a concessions deal by state employees leaves Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the General Assembly with a sizable hole in the budget for the year that begins in just over a week. The question is, how much do they have to make up? It’s not the $700 million that the labor […]
Posted inMoney
Obama’s Afghanistan plan gets mixed reviews from CT delegation
Several members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation expressed dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama’s plan to withdraw 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, said the president’s proposal “does not go far enough,” noting that the war is now a decade old. “We need to begin a more […]
Posted inNews
Report: Government jobs buoyed Hartford-area economy in recession
Nineteen of the 20 metropolitan areas that fared the best economically though the recession–including Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford–had growth in government jobs, Brookings reports in its latest MetroMonitor. Overall, employment was significantly stronger in the Hartford area during the recession than in the state’s other two metropolitan areas, Brookings said, falling just 1.5 percent from its […]
Posted inMoney
McKinney: Maybe concession failure will be catalyst for labor changes
Has the apparent failure of the state employee concession deal created a new political environment for labor isuses? Senate Minority Leader John P. McKinney, R-Fairfield, sounds like he wants to find out during a special session anticipated for next week. He said Republicans would try to raise collective bargaining changes at any special session, seeking […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
U.S. Dept. of Labor grants CT $5.8 million for green jobs
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced Wednesday afternoon that Connecticut will receive $5.8 million in grants for the creation of green jobs, pleasing both U.S. Rep. John Larson and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Green Jobs Innovation Fund. The Connecticut Department of Labor in Wethersfield and […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Larson pushes bill to expand health services for military families with autistic children.
Rep. John Larson introduced legislation Wednesday that would increase health care services for military families with autistic children. Right now, there is a spending cap on behavioral health services for autistic children covered by TRICARE, the military health insurance program. And there’s no coverage for the dependents of military retirees. Karen Driscoll, the wife of […]
Posted inNews
As concession deal teeters, Donovan postpones congressional announcement
One of the first politicians affected by the waning hopes for ratification of the state employees’ concession deal is one of labor’s biggest friends, House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden. Donovan, a former labor and community organizer, is postponing a formal announcement of his candidacy for the open seat in the 5th Congressional District, which […]
Posted inNews
In D.C., Malloy has an enforced day of cooling off over AFSCME
There probably won’t be any inflammatory footage of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy reacting to news that a vote by an AFSCME unit yesterday has left the SEBAC concession deal all but dead. He is in Washington D.C. for a meeting about a jobs program for returning veterans, ruling out any encounters with state Capitol reporters.
Posted inNews
AFSCME unit rejects concessions, making ratification unlikely
Chances of state employees ratifying their tentative concession agreement all but disappeared Tuesday night as a major AFSCME bargaining unit rejected the deal, leaving the last, slim hope for passage in the hands of a constituency hostile to givebacks: correction officers. The last chance for ratification by AFSCME, whose rejection would doom the concessions, now […]
Posted inNews
States review options after high court ruling on global warming lawsuit
WASHINGTON–Connecticut and other states on the losing side of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling limiting their ability to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions now face a strategic dilemma. Do they count on Washington regulators, working on a high-stakes environmental issue in a politically-charged climate, to push ahead with federal rules requiring power plants to cut […]
Posted inNews
For one physician, health reform means more time with patients
WASHINGTON–If federal Medicare officials need a star for their new public service ads touting preventive care benefits for seniors, Dr. Rebecca Andrews, a clinic director at the UConn Health Center, would be perfect for the role. Andrews, the Health Center’s associate medical director for general medicine, says her practice-among Medicare patients at least-has been transformed […]
Posted inNews
For some, going without health insurance is an act of faith
WINDSOR–Yvonne Mitto didn’t have health insurance when she had sinus surgery this winter, and she couldn’t be happier. She had her bills covered and, along with them, people across the country praying for her. “It was amazing,” she said. Mitto belongs to Medi-Share, a health care sharing ministry in which she and other members contribute […]
Posted inHealth
Thirty years into HIV/AIDS epidemic, challenges and misperceptions remain
Americans are no more likely to get an HIV test now than they were 14 years ago, and they are less likely to say HIV/AIDS is an urgent health problem. At the same time, the percentage of Americans who say they are “very concerned” about becoming infected with the virus has inched up, and stigma […]