State government’s credit card still carries a large balance, but it’s no longer on pace to shatter its limit. That’s due to dozens of projects being scrapped and modest revenue growth that expanded Connecticut’s borrowing capacity. According to new estimates from state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, the state will enter the new fiscal year on […]

Governor Rell has signed the highly touted ‘school reform’ bill, a bill that passed both chambers of the General Assembly overwhelmingly, garnering 31 votes in the Senate and 106 in the House. The Mirror describes the bill as the product of an “unlikely coalition” and the Governor’s press statement says “all of the interested parties […]

State Comptroller Nancy Wyman certified a $166.9 million surplus this afternoon for the fiscal year that ends on June 30. The latest monthly figure, up $61.9 million from the comptroller’s May forecast, also stands $27.6 million above the surplus target the legislature and Gov. M. Jodi Rell are counting on to help balance spending in […]

Richard Blumenthal’s U.S. Senate campaign is beginning its television advertising today with three spots that present him as a crusading attorney general on behalf of consumers. All three commercials feature the faces and voices of individuals who say they were helped by Blumenthal, including a Prospect man named Gary who says the attorney general intervened […]

He was the party-endorsed candidate in 10 previous races for public office, and Rob Simmons ultimately couldn’t bring himself to wage an 11th as a challenger in a Republican primary for U.S. Senate. When it was noted at last week’s farewell press conference that Connecticut Democrats had long ago lost their inhibitions about primaries, Simmons […]

After an unsuccessful first try, Connecticut’s second effort to win millions of dollars in federal education funds arrives in Washington, D.C today with much better odds, the state’s top education official says. Backed by a broad new education law, greater support from local school officials, and a coalition of public and private partners, the state […]

Despite hopes for an early resolution, state officials are still waiting to to see whether Congress will provide more than $360 million in extra stimulus aid – money already built into the new state budget. A major stimulus expansion bill advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday – but only after being stripped […]

Kevin Lembo has been labeled a nerd his whole life, and he’s OK with that. He’s even been campaigning to become the next chief fiscal watchdog on his nerd-like ways. “I take it as a compliment,” Lembo said, the endorsed Democrat candidate for state comptroller. “I enjoy being a nerd and diving into these policies […]

Kevin Lembo has been labeled a nerd his whole life, and he’s OK with that. He’s even been campaigning to become the next chief fiscal watchdog on his nerd-like ways. “I take it as a compliment,” Lembo said, the Democrat endorsed candidate for state comptroller. “I enjoy being a nerd and diving into these policies […]

They began with 42 photographs in 2007. No chiseled granite or cast bronze, just inexpensively framed photos of men and women on a gray wall in a concourse connecting the Legislative Office Building and State Capitol. Formal portraits of young Marines in dress blues. Snapshots of soldiers in desert fatigues, one grinning under a helmet […]

The state agency responsible for dispensing millions of dollars in public grants for candidates to finance their campaigns received a harsh audit last week. State Auditor Robert G. Jaekle said several findings in the 15-page audit of the State Elections Enforcement Commission are common, but three critiques stand out. Among other things, the auditors found […]

A new bill passed by the General Assembly and now before Gov. M. Jodi Rell for signature could offer fiscal relief as municipalities all over Connecticut stare down a current budget crisis that will become even more daunting in fiscal year 2011- 2012 and beyond. House Bill 5424 allows towns and boards of education a […]

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal marched softly Thursday toward Memorial Day, an awkward holiday for a politician struggling to live down a controversy over misrepresenting his Vietnam-era military record. He is skipping public observances over the weekend, a tacit admission that his presence could disrupt memorials and generate fresh headlines by drawing hecklers. But he is […]