Bonus tax moves ahead despite uncertainty

Despite last-minute uncertainty over whether taxing “excessive” executive bonuses will raise enough money to pay for the Democrats’ jobs plan, the legislature’s finance committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill Thursday. The bill exempts 48,000 small businesses in the state from the $250 annual business entity tax, a move that will cost the state […]

A key legislative committee Thursday approved several major education bills designed to reshape Connecticut’s public schools and improve the state’s chances to win millions of dollars in federal school reform money. The General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee approved bills that would expand high school graduation requirements, remove enrollment limits on charter schools, link teacher evaluations to […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration wants to move state government’s data center and supporting offices out of their East Hartford home and onto the Newington campus of a state psychiatric hospital slated for closure. Though the administration largely has been silent about its search for a new home for the Department of Information Technology, Rell’s […]

In Norwich, as in other cash-strapped public school districts, spring is the mean season. Trying to balance its budget, the district has decided to cut out middle school sports, foreign language classes and an instrumental music program. It will end some after-school bus routes. Officials are considering closing an elementary school. And nearly a quarter […]

State Comptroller Nancy Wyman certified a $371 million deficit today for the current fiscal year, down nearly $150 million from last month’s forecast. But the state’s chief fiscal guardian also expressed concerns about potential cost overruns across state government that could reach $285 million before the fiscal year ends on June 30. Wyman also declined […]

Faced with conflicting signals on legislative priorities, the tax-writing Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee may let its deadline pass next Tuesday without acting on some key issues facing the deficit-wracked state government. Chief among them: Which future revenues should be sold – at a discount – to secure a $1.3 billion payment needed to balance […]

In Norwich, as in other cash-strapped public school districts, spring is the mean season. Trying to balance its budget, the district has decided to cut out middle school sports, foreign language classes and an instrumental music program. It will end some after-school bus routes. Officials are considering closing an elementary school. And nearly a quarter […]

A state legislator says she wants to know why prison officials refused an officer’s request to shackle a death-row inmate shortly before the inmate assaulted him and at least four others. Rep. Karen Jarmoc, D-Enfield, said Wednesday that Daniel Webb assaulted a prison captain Monday after officials refused the officer’s request to shackle Webb prior […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced today she is nominating Superior Judge Stuart D. Bear to the Appellate Court Bear, 65, a trial judge since 2003, was a lawyer at Zeldes, Needle & Cooper for 30 years. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard, graduating with honors. He will succeed Chief Judge Joseph P. Flynn, […]

As his gubernatorial rivals focus on last-minute fund-raising, Ned Lamont is visiting a Hamden metal finisher today, continuing the low-key rollout of his economic development plan that began with events Tuesday in Hartford and Bridgeport. The Democratic frontrunner, a wealthy businessman who is expected to pay for most of his run himself, was one of […]

On an issue pitting struggling newspapers against financially-strapped towns, the General Assembly has come down on the side of the press–at least for this year. The state’s newspapers held on to an important source of revenue as the legislature rejected pleas from municipalities to relax the rules on legal advertising and allow them to post […]

Trying to follow state government’s budget surpluses and deficits is confusing enough in normal times. Spending and revenue trends are tracked for the current year and as far off as five years down the road – and three different agencies study some or all of them. Given that the past 18 months have produced more red ink […]

Newington Mayor Jeffrey Wright ended his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination this afternoon, adding he will endorse the early GOP frontrunner, Greenwich businessman Thomas Foley, in the next few days. Wright, 38, who has been mayor since 2007, also announced he still wants to be on the GOP’s ticket this fall, and will launch […]

Ever wonder what it would be like if politicians had to swear to tell the truth before talking about their qualifications for office? Susan Bysiewicz is about to find out. On Wednesday, the Democratic secretary of the state will be questioned under oath, probably on video, about whether she is qualified to run for attorney […]

Connecticut’s school reform plans got a mediocre grade in the federal Race to the Top competition, the Obama administration reported Monday, putting new pressure on state lawmakers to pass legislation to revamp the state’s public school system. Out of 40 states and the District of Columbia, Connecticut ranked 25th, well out of the running in […]