New chief judge for appellate court

Judge Alexandra D. DiPentima is the new chief judge of the Appellate Court, effective immediately, Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers announced today. DiPentima will succeed Judge Joseph P. Flynn, who took senior status effective March 26, 2010. The appointment was announced in this statement released by the court: “Judge DiPentima is an excellent […]

Tom Marsh oversees a workforce of 20, not counting teachers, and a budget of a little more than $12 million as first selectman of Chester, population 3,842. He is looking to move up, take on a workforce of 55,000, a budget of $18.6 billion and a constituency of 3.5 million. Marsh wants to be your […]

While leaders of the General Assembly struggle–so far unsuccessfully-to close a half-billion dollar gap in this year’s state budget, a small group composed mainly of legislators has come up with a series of more modest proposals that could mean long-term savings for the state. Now the question is whether the legislature will take the time […]

As businessman Steven Simmons tries to fix what’s wrong with Connecticut’s public schools, he hopes to win the help of skeptics such as parent activist Gwen Samuel. Simmons has built an impressive résumé as a college professor, children’s book author and cable TV entrepreneur, but his recent appointment by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to head a […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s promised veto has prompted House Democrats to cancel today’s vote on the deficit mitigation plan approved early today by the Senate. Doug Whiting, a spokesman for House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, said that House leaders decided around 9 a.m. there was no point to bring the plan to a vote, […]

The state Senate adopted a deficit reduction plan shortly before 5:20 a.m. Saturday that aims to close a $518 million gap in the current year budget, despite the promise of a veto by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Although Democratic leaders of the Senate said they would not be deterred by Rell’s threat, it was enough to […]

The Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives, which caved Friday to Senate pressure to back a new deficit-mitigation plan, likely will cancel its Saturday session to vote on the package now the Gov. M. Jodi Rell has pledged to veto it, House sources said. As the Senate entered session just before midnight to vote on the […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced late tonight she would veto a new Democratic compromise plan to eliminate this fiscal year’s $518 million deficit and also wipe out about 10 percent of the red ink projected for 2010-11. The Republican governor said the plan, which boosts taxes on hospitals and cancels a recent tax break for […]

Democratic state lawmakers’ new deficit-mitigation plan would eliminate 21 deputy commissioners in Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration, saving $3.1 million annually, according to documents and other sources. The plan also would cancel seniority bonuses and require another furlough day for non-union workers, cut back health care, social service and education programs and make other reductions […]

The Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate reached a compromise this afternoon on a plan to eliminate most of this fiscal year’s $518.4 million deficit, relying chiefly on restoring a gross revenues tax on hospitals and reversing a January reduction in the levy on wealthy estates, sources said. The Senate is scheduled to […]

Cities and towns received a much-needed fiscal shot in the arm this week when Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration released $30 million in long-overdue road reconstruction grants. Municipal leaders have been clamoring since July for their Town Aid Road grants, one of the chief funding sources of local road improvements. The grant traditionally is dispersed […]

Funding for the state’s social “safety net” programs would be increased by nearly $345 million over spending levels proposed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell in the budget bill approved by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee Thursday, paid for by an anticipated influx of federal money and levying a new hospital tax. The hike in the Department […]

The General Assembly inched toward fiscal gridlock Thursday as its budget panel narrowly passed a plan that would boost spending next fiscal year by $350 million, shift social and environmental programs into unrelated funds backed by industry fees and electric bills, and dramatically redistribute payments to hospitals. The $19.28 billion Appropriations Committee proposal not only […]

Republicans who see political opportunity in Connecticut’s fiscal crisis tried not to gloat Thursday watching the General Assembly’s Democratic majority lurch towards a budget deadlock. Democrats on the Appropriations Committee voted to add $350 million in spending to the governor’s budget proposal, despite facing projected deficits for at least the next three years. House Minority […]

How powerful are the members of the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee? They can keep the sun from setting for two years. By a vote of 35 to 15, the committee approved a bill that delays for two years the “sunset” of the real-estate conveyance tax, which was due to expire July 1. The […]