So much for tradition: CCM praises aid levels

They used to be known as the Caucus of Crying Mayors, so reliably did the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities show up at the State Capitol to bemoan inadequate state aid or unfunded mandates. Not this year. In the midst of a national budget meltdown that has prompted other governors to slash local aid, CCM on […]

WASHINGTON–The Department of Defense today issued a stop-work order on production of the Joint Strike Fighter’s alternate engine, knocking out the rival to Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney, which makes the military fighter plane’s main engine. But even as Connecticut lawmakers applauded the Pentagon’s move, GE and Rolls Royce, which are developing the alternate engine, vowed […]

One year after raising the dropout age to 17–and before that change even takes effect–legislators are considering another change to require that students stay in school until they graduate or turn 18. “We can’t have the dropout rate as high as it is,” said Tom Murphy, spokesman for the State Department of Education. “Something has […]

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s relationship with the General Assembly is showing the first signs of strain as legislators and the administration begin the inevitable scuffling over the governor’s budget and plans to reorganize government. As legislative committees reach their deadlines for reporting out the governor’s reorganization legislation, some legislators are balking at the new administration’s […]

Hiring freezes are among the most common ways state and local governments try to address budget problems, but they’re not always effective, Melissa Maynard says at Stateline.org. For starters, there are always exceptions, like the need to maintain staffing for ’round-the-clock police and corrections operations. And invariably, attrition will cost agencies employees with skills not […]

While Connecticut lawmakers attended a birthday party with cake and testimonials, Congressional Republicans used Wednesday’s one-year anniversary of the health care reform law to tout their continued attacks on the measure–from full repeal to targeted defunding efforts. “In the coming weeks, you’ll see more votes and more hearings in the House to take this law […]

One year after students and faculty lined up to tell the University of Connecticut’s Board of Trustees that a 5.4 percent hike in tuition and fees was too much, just two students turned out for Wednesday’s board meeting–both worried that 2.5 percent is not enough. “It is not going to sustain us like we need,” […]

The University of Connecticut announced it plans to review the salary levels of all non-faculty administrators, following a barrage of criticism over the salaries of the university’s two top police officers–$246,961 and $193,616. “We hear your criticism, but I want to assure the public that we are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said Larry McHugh, […]

FARMINGTON–For the state’s first stem cell symposium, held in 2007 and called StemCONN, the organizers relied on imported talent. Experts came from universities in other states to discuss the emerging field, which had a relatively modest footprint in Connecticut. Four years and close to $30 million in state research grants later, StemCONN 2011 showcased what […]

WASHINGTON–In 2009, Bolton and Vernon were moving full speed ahead on a vital $25 million sewer project to replace inadequate septic systems serving the area’s residents. But as construction was about to start, local officials got bad news from Washington: $2 million in federal aid was suddenly being yanked. It wasn’t because federal officials questioned […]

Politically speaking, the world seemed to be divided into two warring camps on Wednesday, which marked the one-year anniversary of the health reform law’s passage. On one side, Democrats devoted the day to tout the sweeping overhaul, and on the other, Republicans spent the day blasting it. Connecticut’s independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman chose none of […]

Even as President Barack Obama opened up a new military campaign in Libya this week, Rep. Chris Murphy and other House Democrats are calling on him to stick to his pledge to end the war in Afghanistan-and soon. Obama has long vowed to begin drawing down U.S. troops from Afghanistan this summer. But just in […]

Another example of how words can affect survey results: A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that people are  more likely to support the ability of public employee unions to negotiate wages and benefits when it’s referred to as “collective bargaining rights” rather than just “collective bargaining.” In a telephone survey of 1,384 voters in Ohio, […]