Chamber leaders oppose health insurance mandates

Chamber of commerce leaders are calling on the legislature to reject the 15 different bills that mandate increased health insurance coverage for various medical conditions. “We need a moratorium on new health care mandates,” said JoAnne Ryan, president of Northwest Connecticut’s Chamber of Commerce. Chamber leaders say the costs imposed on insurance companies will be […]

The legislature’s tax-writing committee adopted a revised plan this afternoon to boost the tax on wealthy estates, and to add a 5.5 percent levy on hospital gross revenues. The measure adopted by the Democrat-controlled Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee continues to exempt estates valued at less than $3.5 million. But the bill, which now heads […]

The legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee is expected to approve selling future revenues tied to monthly electric bills for pennies on the dollar to provide $1.3 billion to help balance next fiscal year’s budget, sources said this afternoon. The committee, which began meeting 10 minutes ago, also will not back an alternative securitization plan, […]

It wasn’t the fiscal lifeline that town leaders were hoping for, but they said they will happily take the small amount of money an increase in the hotel tax and town fees will generate. The Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on Monday passed two bills — one increasing the hotel tax from 12 to 15 […]

Despite the reams of test scores, enrollment figures, attendance records and other data it collects on public schools, Connecticut falls woefully short in trying to make sense of it all, a noted state economist says. Lawmakers are writing legislation to design a new statewide data collection system to meet requirements of the federal Race to […]

The legislature’s bonding panel offered its own plan Monday to keep state government under its credit limit. But while the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee recommended canceling more than 180 projects previously approved for funding – including dozens of community and regional projects in lawmakers’ home districts – it also targeted millions in economic development […]

Planning to attend a concert? Be prepared to pay the state admissions tax – unless the performance is held at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford, Ocean Beach Park in New London, or one of a few other select venues. Looking to store something? If it’s a boat, you’re in luck–no tax. If it’s furniture, […]

Passage of national health care reform apparently has ended a long-running stalemate between the legislature and the Rell administration over seeking federal reimbursement for a state-funded health care program. Three times over the last seven years, the legislature has directed the state Department of Social Services to apply for millions of dollars in federal matching […]

It was slow going. Everyone had a kind word for the returning James A. Amann, the former speaker of the House, as he headed for the elevators in the Legislative Office Building. He interrupted one conversation to return the greeting of a passing lawmaker, Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven. He called after her, “Thanks for […]

Nearly $4.7 million that the state Senate wanted to use to lower the budget deficit is now on its way out the door – in the form of bonuses to senior state employees. Though longevity payment checks likely won’t be issued until April 23, the funds had to be committed by the end of business […]

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 […]