A controversy over diversity sheds light on how judges are chosen

The path to becoming a Superior Court judge eventually involves a public examination and vote by the legislature, but it begins in private at the New Haven Lawn Club. Once every month, the Judicial Selection Commission meets at the club to interview would-be judges, then votes up or down on their prospects. Without exception, as […]

One day after the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus threatened to hold up her nominees for judgeships because of a lack of minority candidates, Gov. M. Jodi Rell came up with a compromise to get her choices approved by the Judiciary Committee. Three weeks after Rell threatened to veto a proposal by Democrats to […]

As the legislative session nears its end, proponents are pushing for passage of several bills they say will crack down on dangerous driving in Connecticut. “Most of them are ready to go,” said Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, co-chairman of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. “Let’s look at the big picture, these are public safety bills.” […]

A program that removes health insurance companies from managing the care of low-income patients likely won’t be expanded statewide this year as proponents had hoped. Instead, the House voted to expand Husky Primary Care only to Putnam and Torrington. HUSKY Primary Care gives children and some adults in low-income families the option to have their […]

The House overwhelmingly passed a bill requiring that parents and childcare providers be given 30-days’ notice before enrollment closes or eligibility requirements change for the state’s daycare subsidies. Childcare centers say they lose money when the program closes unexpectedly because they are not reimbursed for the children they have been caring for. Sudden program changes […]

The legislature’s Judiciary Committee today recommended the confirmation of nine white judicial appointees whose nominations had been held up by the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus. The nominations now will be considered by the House and Senate, where their fate could be linked to ongoing budget negotiations. A promise Gov. M. Jodi Rell made Monday […]

Town leaders are beginning to worry their budget needs have been placed on hold as focus at the Capitol seems to be on fixing the state’s budget first. “We are disappointed. We have made it very clear our towns need help,” said Jim Finley, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. With just one […]

Connecticut’s hopes of getting a balanced state budget for the next fiscal year may have been dealt a fatal blow by new warnings that nearly $366 million in proposed-but-not-approved federal aid is in jeopardy. Top legislative leaders from both parties conceded Monday any failure to receive the anticipated, expanded federal stimulus aid for health care […]

With the legislature’s adjournment deadline of May 5 fast approaching, the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus suddenly found itself with new political muscle Monday. Its members staged an ad hoc filibuster over Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s nomination of 10 white lawyers to the Superior Court and pressed for Rell to nominate a minority lawyer. Their […]

Tom Marsh, the Republican first selectman of Chester, announced today he is running for governor as an independent. An excerpt of his announcement: “On January 14th, after much careful consideration, my wife Kathy and I drove to Hartford and submitted the paperwork necessary to form an Exploratory Committee for statewide office. As a result of […]

The legislature’s Judiciary Committee today postponed a confirmation vote on an all-white class of nine judicial nominees after an ad hoc filibuster by black and Puerto Rican legislators. Members of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus are pressuring Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration to add a minority lawyer to what may be her last group […]

The House Majority Leader today said she plans to introduce legislation that will make it illegal to pay someone to register voters. “Any practice like this is fraught with the potential for voter fraud,” said Rep. Denise W. Merrill, D-Mansfield, who is a candidate for secretary of the state. The issue arose after the Stamford […]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave Connecticut a face-saving pat on the back Monday, saying the state is well-positioned to obtain federal transportation stimulus dollars to develop a high-speed rail corridor from New Haven to Springfield. “Connecticut has its act together,” LaHood said. “And Connecticut will be connected with intercity, high-speed passenger rail because of […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell came to work today on the 8:38 a.m. Amtrak out of New Haven, commuting with Connecticut’s other high-profile lame duck, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd. They shared a car with the U.S. transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, and other VIPs from Massachusetts and Connecticut to talk about federal dollars for high-speed rail from […]