Transit planners and advocates admired Dannel P. Malloy as the mayor of Stamford, and they are optimistic about him as governor, despite–or perhaps because of–his inability to find the right transportation commissioner nearly four months after taking office. “I’m glad he’s taking time. We’ve had so many commissioners over the last half-dozen years, let’s finally […]
Transit planners hope Mayor Malloy shapes Gov. Malloy
Posted inHealth
Mass. legislators vote to limit union bargaining on health care
The Massachusetts House of Representatives has approved a bill that would strip municipal union members of most of their rights to bargain over health benefits, Michael Levensen reports at The Boston Globe. Under terms of a compromise, the bill would give unions 30 days to discuss changes in health benefits with local officials before they […]
Posted inHealth, Money
New hospital tax formula makes new winners and losers
A new method for calculating the proposed tax on hospitals, part of the budget agreed to by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Democratic legislators, changes the projected financial outcomes for hospitals. Yale-New Haven Hospital would gain $27.2 million under the plan. Greenwich Hospital remains the biggest projected loser, although its loss–$7.3 million–would be less than […]
Posted inNews
New conservative center threatens budget lawsuit
The Roger Sherman Liberty Center, a new conservative think tank and training center, is putting out a call for lawyers for a possible legal challenge of the state budget — if it is adopted and implemented with an assumption of eventually obtaining $1 billion in labor savings. “The Governor is not a king, and the […]
Posted inNews
Anticipating improving revenues, Malloy preaches caution
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned legislative leaders today that an expected bump in projected tax revenues should be used exclusively for retiring debts, not to restore spending cuts, reduce tax hikes or give up on his demand for $1 billion in labor savings in the proposed budget for 2011-2012. With rosier revenue estimates expected by […]
Posted inNews
Malloy will sign kindergarten age bill without pre-school provision
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday he’s inclined to sign a bill raising the kindergarten age, although the measure now making its way through the legislature does not include a way to provide pre-school for children whose entry into public school will be delayed. “I believe we should have a uniform and narrower start date […]
Posted inNews
The word from Washington: ‘We have a lot of challenges’
Connecticut’s new man in Washington on Tuesday offered state agency leaders a glimpse at the job of trying to secure funding from a deficit-conscious Congress, in the midst of what he called a debate over the scope of the federal government. Don’t expect new federal programs, Dan DeSimone, director of the governor’s Washington D.C. office, […]
Posted inNews
Health care reform forum draws thin crowd with broad concerns
DANBURY–Two women worried about losing their health insurance wondered what they could do. An insurance broker asked how more money could be squeezed out of insurance companies that he said make modest profits. And in less than a half hour, everyone in the audience who wanted to speak had spoken. The crowd wasn’t big, but […]
Posted inHealth
Paid sick leave measure clears Judiciary Committee, goes to next Appropriations
Legislation requiring many Connecticut employers to provide paid sick leave cleared another legislative hurdle Tuesday, and will likely be considered by the legislature’s budget-writing committee next. The Democrat-controlled Judiciary Committee on Tuesday adopted the bill over Republican objections in a vote largely along party lines. The measure technically heads now to the Senate, but will most […]
Posted inNews
College student gets deportation reprieve
The Obama Administration has given a 22-year-old New Britain student a temporary reprieve from his impending deportation. The Department of Homeland Security announced today that Mariano Cardoso, who is a month from finishing his degree at Capitol Community College, will be granted a temporary stay of removal. Cardoso’s parents entered the United States illegally from […]
Posted inNews
Charter schools face shortage of talented leaders
Charter schools have flourished in the last decade, with enthusiastic backing from parents and bi-partisan political support. But their advocates fear the rapid growth could be stalled by a shortage of high-quality leaders, Sarah Butrymowicz says at the Hechinger Report. Public schools across the U.S. are also facing a leadership void, but charters face unique […]
Posted inHealth
Malloy only closing the door to a ‘public option’ this year
As supporters of Sustinet prepare to rally at the State Capitol Wednesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is adamant that a state-run insurance program will not happen this year. “If you’re asking do I think this year we could move into a Massachusetts model, the answer is no,” Malloy said Monday. But he’s not completely rejecting […]
Posted inHealth
If you didn’t support paid sick days before, this slogan might change your mind
As slogans go, this one is about as evocative as you can get: “No Boogers in Our Burgers.” Gross, yes. But effective? That remains to be seen. That catch-phrase promises to be on prominent display during a rally for paid sick days at Friendly’s Restaurant in West Haven tomorrow. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and others have […]
Posted inHealth
GOP’s Medicare proposal generates political heat
It didn’t take long for the House Republican’s budget proposal-which, among other things, calls for turning Medicare into a voucher program-to become a flashpoint in Washington’s never-ending campaign cycle. Democratic-leaning groups have launched TV and radio ads targeting House Republicans who voted for the plan. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is doing robocalls in […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Don’t undermine the Citizens’ Election Program
The landmark Citizens’ Election Program represents the most comprehensive and successful effort to remove special interest money from the political system undertaken by any state in U.S. history. With the two initial runs of the program, the state has made enormous progress, transforming our state from “Corrupticut,” an example of rampant wrongdoing after years of […]