After battling Gov. M. Jodi Rell over spending and taxes for most of last year, majority Democrats in the General Assembly are developing their own fiscal rift, a divide that could widen during the session’s final month. While House Democrats were finding common ground against deep spending cuts in a closed-door caucus, their Senate counterparts […]

The late George Carlin had his “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.” Then there are the “Words You Don’t Use If You’re A Democrat Who Hopes To Become Governor.” So the first televised debate between the six Democratic gubernatorial contenders, which aired live Friday on NBC Connecticut, didn’t include terms like “tax increases,” […]

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, who had been described in national press accounts as undecided, said today he will vote this weekend to pass health-care reform, a potentially pivotal issue in his re-election campaign. “The message from the people I represent is clear – health care costs and health insurance practices are out of […]

Picture the lightning round of “Jeopardy.” Substitute Gerry Brooks for Alex Trebek, invite eight contestants, and make sure every category and question involves Connecticut politics. That was the look and feel of a brisk, 60-minute debate between eight Republican candidates for governor Thursday night that focused on jobs, the economy and the state’s fiscal crisis. […]

Halfway into a 20-year program to increase the use of renewable energy in Connecticut, leaders of the legislature’s energy committee want to drastically alter the program’s goals, saying it is not promoting investment in the state. “The bottom line is, (renewable energy) projects aren’t being built,” said Rep. Vickie O. Nardello, D-Bethany, co-chairman of the […]

Nothing was going to spoil Linda McMahon’s good mood, not on the sunny day that transformed her from a political curiosity into the Republican frontrunner for U.S. Senate. Not unexpected questions from a reporter about gay rights, which produced a commitment to allow gays to openly serve in the military and an expression of her […]

After enrolling at Post University in Waterbury three years ago, Karina Heredia dropped out after her freshman year – a fate all too common among Hispanic students across the nation, says a study released Thursday. Barely half of the nation’s Hispanic college students complete bachelor’s degrees within six years, and the numbers are considerably worse […]

U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, said today that he has been assured by David Hess, the president of Pratt & Whitney, that the jet-engine manufacturer is staying in Connecticut, despite public complaints by its parent, United Technologies Corp., about the cost of doing business in the state. “I am pleased to hear Pratt […]

Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s proposal to raise money by broadening legalized gambling with electronic Keno games in bars, restaurants and convenience stores is overwhelmingly opposed in a new poll, 70 percent to 27 percent. A Quinnipiac University poll released today found opposition to Keno across all demographic groups, a finding likely to give legislators pause […]

Tom Foley, the only candidate airing television commercials, has opened a lead in the Republican race for governor, while Ned Lamont and Dannel P. Malloy top the Democratic field, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. But the two gubernatorial contests remain wide open, with 50 percent of Republican voters and 44 percent of […]

With time running short to develop a plan for closing $1.2 billion in deficits, the legislature’s budget-writing panels received little help Wednesday from majority Democrats in the House of Representatives. In a closed-door meeting, the 114-member caucus came down strongly against any deep cuts in spending, particularly those aimed at social services and health care, […]

Rep. Matthew J. Conway, Jr. is a confident lacrosse coach at Suffield High School. He is not as confident in his ability to diagnose a concussion. To play it safe, he benches players he suspects might have a concussion until a medical professional has cleared them and 24 hours has passed. “I have to tell […]

A legislative committee Wednesday approved bills that would salvage the state’s endangered public financing system for campaigns with new rules, smaller grants and a greater reliance on private dollars. If approved by the full legislature, the bills also would preserve a ban on contributions by lobbyists and state contractors. Without the legislation, a court ruling […]

Employers are increasingly misclassifying their employees as contractors to trim costs, so Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office said they want to substantially increase the fines. “This is cheating, plain and simple,” Blumenthal said about employers labeling full-time employees as independent contractors. “We will no longer tolerate misclassifications.” Blumenthal said the […]

Republican gubernatorial contender Michael Fedele pledged today that if elected, he would include no new taxes in the budget he would propose next February to close a nearly $4 billion hole in state finances in 2011-12. Fedele, the lieutenant governor, outlined a plan to shrink government spending that includes: imposing a four-year hiring freeze, capping future state […]