Senate votes to cancel projects slated for future borrowing

The Senate voted unanimously Friday to tighten the limit on state government’s credit card as lawmakers adopted a bill to cancel or reduce planned borrowing for dozens of community and regional projects in their home districts. The measure, which now heads to the House of Representatives, also reduces bond authorizations for tourism programs, open space preservation […]

A Democratic “jobs” bill that taxes large bonuses paid by companies that got federal bailouts to pay for a small-business tax break passed the Senate Friday mostly along party lines. The bill eliminates the annual $250 business registration fee for small businesses, taxes bonuses over $500,000 from companies bailed out by the federal government and […]

The state Senate voted Friday for a sweeping overhaul of Connecticut’s public schools, approving a bill designed to help the state qualify for millions of dollars in federal school reform funds. Among other things, the bill calls for tougher graduation standards, a fast-track training program for principals, an expansion of charter schools and a system […]

In a rare move of bipartisan frugality, the state Senate unanimously adopted a bill this afternoon that cancels $422 million in planned borrowing to keep state government’s credit card under its statutory limit. The measure, which now heads to the House of Representatives, cancels dozens of community and regional projects in legislators’ home districts and […]

The House overwhelmingly voted in favor of providing tax incentives to school systems that use buses with 3-point seat belts, paid for by increasing the fines to reinstate suspended licenses. Seat belts on school buses got a fresh impetus following the death of a student from Rocky Hill in bus crash earlier this year. The Transportation […]

The statue of limitations for civil actions in child sex abuse cases will not be extended this year, as state lawmakers conceded today they cannot pass the bill this legislative session. “You’re running a marathon, not a sprint,” said Sen.Mary Ann Handley, D-Manchester, recognizing that time was not on their side with the legislature having […]

The Connecticut Mirror is beginning its new commentary section, CTCommons, just as the 2010 session of the General Assembly is drawing to a close-and we invite you to mark both occasions with your thoughts on the legislature’s work. What went right? What went wrong? How will the events of the last three months at the […]

State revenues were projected to increase without the help of a tax hike for the first time in 2 ½ years in a new report released late Thursday by Executive and Legislative branch analysts. But don’t break out the champagne just yet. The nearly $406 million in annual extra revenues Connecticut can expect by 2011-12 […]

Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision opening the door for corporations and organizations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political speech, state lawmakers are proposing a measure to require that such spending be disclosed. “We banned this type of spending in Connecticut for a reason, but now that’s unconstitutional,” said Rep. James F. Spallone, […]

A thaw in one of the General Assembly’s chilliest relationships has produced a sweeping, 11th-hour proposal to overhaul Connecticut’s electric regulatory structure and subsidize solar energy. Setting aside three years of conflict, Sen. John W. Fonfara, D-Hartford, and Rep. Vickie O. Nardello, D-Prospect, are collaborating on what could be the biggest energy bill since deregulation […]

The chances of survival for a controversial bill to force collection of sales taxes on Internet transactions have become very slim as the regular legislative session nears its May 5 deadline, key lawmakers said Thursday. The problem, according to leaders of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, is that many legislators fear businesses could be […]

The House passed a bill today that forbids businesses from charging customers when they return defective merchandise. Proponents say the law is needed because businesses are allowed to charge an unlimited amount when customers return a product. Several House members shared their personal stories of returning a product and being charged the fee before the […]

State employee unions have rejected Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s call to offer the second worker retirement incentive program in two years, according to a statement released late Wednesday night by the administration. But the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition responded that it didn’t reject anything. Rather, it said, it insisted that Rell assess how a […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell asked state legislators Wednesday to put nearly $1 billion in operating costs on the state’s credit card for the second year in a row as part of a complex scheme to avoid securitizing future revenues. The proposal, which is actually centered on tearing a new $1 billion hole in the current budget […]