Connecticut Local Politics

Members of both parties are trying to address sky-high gas prices with a bill that would suspend filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to help out consumers. The measure passed the Senate 97-1 earlier today, and members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation support the idea. Here’s part of what Rep. Joe Courtney (D) […]

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Unlike Sean Sullivan, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Reps John Larson and Rosa DeLauro have resisted the temptation to pander to the electorate in the short term and are focusing on the long term energy policy. This from their press release on why they oppose the gas tax holiday:
“First, [it] will bankrupt the federal […]

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In my “other” life (the one that actually provides me with $ and, get this, FAN MAIL from time to time) I write books for young people. One of my author colleagues, Jordan Sonnenblick, is a successful author of books for teens, and, until recently, a middle school language arts teacher.
Given the recent hoo […]

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The Courant reports that Governor Rell is considering a full or partial veto of the criminal justice bill based by the General Assembly last week due to the cost.
The bill, passed in response to home invasions in Cheshire and New Britain, toughens the penalties for repeat violent offenders. But what’s cause concern for Jodi Rell […]

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Yesterday the the National Partnership for Women and Families, Working Families and ACORN released what they’re calling an in-depth economic analysis of the proposed paid sick days bill. Here’s what they found, according to a release:
“This bill turns out to be a benefits for employers, employees and the public health,” said Steffany Stern, policy Analyst […]

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Back when Rep. Chris Shay’s (CT-4) crush, Erik “Helluva Job!” Prince, the CEO of Blackwater USA testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he refused to answer Rep. Chris Murphy’s (CT-5) questions regarding how much profit Blackwater makes off of government contracts. Upon discovering that the government often has no idea how […]

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A couple of interesting tidbits on Friday’s speech by President Bush on Malaria and the Bush-Cappiello fundraiser:
CT News Junkie reports that the President’s speech in front of the Boys and Girls club will not be in front of any actual Boys and Girls, as the speech is in the morning and the club doesn’t […]

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…135-12. That’s more than 2/3, and if that margin holds up in the Senate it’ll be on the ballot this year.

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Here is today’s Election Issues Go List for the House (the session was scheduled to begin at 11:30):
House Bill No. 5662. AN ACT CONCERNING AN AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE. This bill, which passed GAE last session, but did not receive a vote […]

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Democratic leaders today announced a campaign for their universal 401(k) bill intended to help employees of small businesses afford to save for retirement. From a release:
SB 652, AN ACT CONCERNING SMALL BUSINESS RETIREMENT PLANS, which was first announced in February and currently awaits action by the Senate, calls for the state to serve as a […]

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A new poll commissioned by the Working Families Party and conducted by Bannon Research shows broad support for a measure currently in the Senate that would create a minimum number of paid sick days per year for all employees. 68.6% of total respondents strongly favored the idea, 18.6% mildly favored it, while only 8% opposed […]

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… when they turn 18 by the general election (this bill needs a catchier title).
This bill, HJ 21, went to the floor of the House on Wednesday (the bill, detailed here, passed the House last session, but didn’t garner the 3/4 support necessary to go to the voters in 2008. As a result, it […]

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Tom Condon has an article in today’s Courant about the success of a Hartford-based group in getting the DOT to study alternatives to simply fixing the Aetna Viaduct, the huge section of raised highway slicing through the western section of downtown. It’s a great story about how a citizen’s group can really make a difference […]

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One piece of senate business that has largely gone unremarked upon is a missed chance to repeal the business entity tax, which requires small companies to pay a yearly $250 “you exist, so we tax you” tax.
All thirteen Republican senators offered an amendment during the April 9th vote on this bill, which calls for […]

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The FBI has closed their investigation into Senator Lieberman’s primary day website crash:
A federal investigation has concluded that Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s 2006 re-election campaign was to blame for the crash of its Web site the day before Connecticut’s heated Aug. 8 Democratic primary.
The FBI office in New Haven found no evidence supporting the Lieberman campaign’s […]

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