Category: Connecticut

Connecticut Organizer of ‘Moms for Bob’ Stefanowski: ‘We’re Not Just Republicans, We’re a Whole Demographic Who Feel Completely Ignored’ by Democrats in Hartford

Susan Berry, PhD
Sarah Matthews

A Connecticut mom who has helped organize mothers who support Republican Bob Stefanowski for governor emphasized to The Connecticut Star her group is composed of moms of all political views who have felt ignored by the Democrats in Hartford ruling their state.

While Sarah Matthews is chairman of the Republican Town Committee in Fairfield, she said her informal organization of mothers supporting Stefanowski in his bid to block Democrat Governor Ned Lamont from another term is “not just Republicans.”

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Connecticut Public-Sector Unions to Get Costly Raises and Bonuses If Contracts Approved

Bradley Vasoli
Worker in restaurant kitchen

According to a brochure distributed by Connecticut’s public-sector-labor coalition, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and the state’s unionized employees have negotiated contracts that will cost taxpayers plenty if ratified. 

Wins for each unionized worker would include $3,500 in bonuses and and three yearly wage hikes of 2.5 percent, which would be made retroactive to summer of 2021. About two-thirds of union-affiliated employees would also get “step” raises; i.e., elevation to the next pay rate. These bonuses and salary gains would also factor into future pension payments.

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U.S. Senate Candidate Leora Levy Blasts Blumenthal over Stock Trading Controversy

Cooper Moran

U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy blasted Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) over a controversy that centers around an ethics complaint against the lawmaker.

“Richard Blumenthal parsing & denying that he owns individual stocks is the 2022 version of ‘It depends on what the meaning of is, is…’ Just another double-speaking career politician who has lost his perspective on truth,” the candidate tweeted.

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Dozens of State GOP Lawmakers Endorse Former Connecticut House Minority Leader Klarides for Senate

Bradley Vasoli
Themis Klarides

Former Connecticut House Republican Leader Themis Klarides received the endorsement of 47 current state lawmakers this week for her U.S. Senate bid.

This compounds an already strong showing of support Klarides has boasted among party leaders and committee members across the state. Should she secure her party’s nomination in the August 9 primary, she will face 10-year incumbent Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) in November. 

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Connecticut Files Motion to End Federal Oversight of Department of Children and Families

Cooper Moran

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong filed a joint motion to end federal oversight of the state’s Department of Children and Families (DCF).

In 1989, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of children that fell under the services of the state agency, arguing the children were subject to alleged abuse and neglect. Therefore, an order gave federal officials continued oversight of the group.

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Connecticut Social Worker Sues Massachusetts State University Over Request to Defend Her ‘White Privilege’ in Job Interview

Susan Berry, PhD

A Connecticut social worker seeking a job teaching sociology at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit against the school claiming she was asked during the interview to defend her “white privilege.”

Donna Johnston said she was stunned in June 2021 by the interviewer’s request that she think about her “white privilege,” reported the Boston Globe, and, then, by the follow-up statement, “Black students may not be able to relate to you because of your white privilege.”

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Connecticut’s Joint Judiciary Committee Weighs 12 Criminal Justice Bills

Peter D'Abrosca
Connecticut State Capitol

In a day-long session Monday, Connecticut’s Joint Judiciary Committee, comprised of members of the State House and State Senate, weighed 12 bills, mostly related to criminal justice reform. 

Last year, the state saw a drop in overall violent crime statistics but a massive increase in robberies, shootings, and carjackings, leading to the flurry of bills that are currently on the legislative docket.

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Lamont Proposes Connecticut Gas Tax Suspension; Republicans Press for Vote

Bradley Vasoli

Gov. Ned Lamont (D) this week proposed a holiday from the state’s 25-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax to last through the month of June.

He said he does not believe the gas-tax break can be extended beyond July 1 insofar as Connecticut’s acceptance of federal funds under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) restricts the state as to how much it can reduce taxes. The governor also voiced concern that a longer tax holiday would compromise the state’s ability to fund transportation. The gas tax’s suspension will cost the state over $90 million.

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Connecticut’s ‘Moms for Bob’ Seeks Win for Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Stefanowski

Susan Berry, PhD
Bob Stefanowski

Connecticut mothers disillusioned with Democrat rule in Connecticut are using their energy to block Democrat Gov. Ned Lamont from a second term and help boost Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski to victory in November.

The mothers, who have formed a group dubbed “Moms for Bob,” are hoping their efforts will do for Stefanowski what parents did for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

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Republicans Take Aim at New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District Seat

Aaron Gulbransen

Republicans are taking aim at New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District seat, which is currently occupied by Democrat U.S. Representative Chris Pappas.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that they are targeting Pappas for defeat and there are four candidates in the Republican primary that are listed on their website as participating in the Young Guns program.

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Connecticut Bill Would Have Employers Pay Unemployment to Strikers

Bradley Vasoli
Ned Lamont

If Connecticut’s Democrat-run General Assembly and Governor Ned Lamont (D) approve a bill now before the Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees, striking workers will gain the right to collect unemployment.

Current state law does not permit union strikers to collect jobless benefits, as eligibility requires having come into “unemployment through no fault of your own.” The legislation under consideration, sponsored by State Representatives Michael Winkler (D-Vernon), David Michel (D-Stamford) and Robyn Porter (D-Hamden) would, starting this October, allow strikers to get unemployment checks two weeks into a labor walkout.

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Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Attending House Democratic Retreat

Cooper Moran

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) on Saturday announced she tested positive for COVID-19, after attending a retreat in Philadelphia for Democrats in the House of Representatives. According to DeLauro, she contracted the virus despite being fully vaccinated and boosted and has only experienced mild symptoms. “While I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection that comes from being vaccinated & boosted. I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and get boosted,” she said in a tweet. While I was looking forward to marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade & had plans to celebrate our community projects & all that we accomplished in the federal spending package, I'll be isolating & working remotely from my home in New Haven. My office remains fully operational. — Rosa DeLauro (@rosadelauro) March 12, 2022 “While I was looking forward to marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade & had plans to celebrate our community projects & all that we accomplished in the federal spending package, I’ll be isolating & working remotely from my home in New Haven. My office remains fully operational.” Over the past…

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Programming at Hillsdale’s Blake Center for Faith and Freedom in Somers, Connecticut to Begin This Spring

Bradley Vasoli

Programming at Hillsdale College’s new Blake Center for Faith and Freedom in Somers, Connecticut is scheduled to start this spring. 

In 2019, the late Friendly’s Ice Cream co-founder S. Prestley “Pres” Blake and his wife Helen offered their property at 732 Hall Hill Rd., along with $25 million, to the Michigan-based Christian college to establish an educational center consistent with the values of the school. Their now-repurposed home is modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and sits on about 100 verdant acres.

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Lamont: Family First Prevention Plan Gains Federal Approval

The Center Square
Ned Lamont

A plan that provides greater access to mental health services and substance abuse treatment has received federal approval, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.

The governor announced the Family First Prevention Plan was approved by the U.S. Children’s Bureau. The plan is drawn from the Family First Prevention Services Act that was signed into law as part of the U.S. Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

“This prevention plan is designed to enhance the well-being of all of Connecticut’s children, youth, and families,” Lamont said in the release. “I am very proud of the collaborative and deliberate approach taken by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families to lead this effort. This is Connecticut’s plan and one that will lead to our children having a brighter future.”

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National Public Radio: Connecticut Moms Say Democrats’ Deceptive COVID Mandates Driving Them to Republican Party

Susan Berry, PhD

National Public Radio (NPR) reported Monday many suburban Connecticut parents say the Democrats’ deceptive COVID mandates that have only just recently been lifted amount to “too little, too late,” and have driven them to Republican candidates for public office.

While President Joe Biden attempted to tout his administration’s success during his State of the Union address last week, he left the window open for further mandates, noting, “because this virus mutates and spreads.”

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Connecticut Senate Republicans Bringing Up Anti-Crime Proposals

Bradley Vasoli

This week, Connecticut Senate Republicans are seeking consideration of proposals they made last autumn to mitigate the Constitution State’s crime problem.

On Wednesday, the CT General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee will convene virtually to consider GOP legislation to aid police recruitment, modernize law-enforcement data gathering and promote “explorer” programs to foster relationships between juveniles and law-enforcement officers.

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Connecticut School Superintendent on Leave After Allegations of Misconduct Suddenly Resigns Claiming Threats, Racism

Susan Berry, PhD

The superintendent of Middletown Public Schools in Connecticut, who has been on paid leave due to an investigation into allegations of misconduct by top district officials, has resigned suddenly, claiming he received threats and a racist letter.

Middletown Police are investigating the letter, that now former Superintendent Michael Conner has alleged was mailed to him and contains death threats and racist language.

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Connecticut AG Warns Against Price Gouging as Gas Prices Approach Record Highs

Peter D'Abrosca

As gas prices near record highs in Connecticut, the state’s Attorney General is warning gas distributors against price gouging. 

“Gas prices fluctuate constantly, and price changes and price increases are normal. But what we have seen this past week is not typical, and we can expect even more volatility due to the unprovoked and unconscionable Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Attorney General William Tong (D) said in a Monday statement. 

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Proposal Would Let Connecticut Agencies Sue Employers and Bestow Proceeds on Unions

Bradley Vasoli
Michael Winkler

A bill in the Connecticut House of Representatives would allow the state to effectively nullify worker-employer agreements designed to prevent lawsuits and let state officials bestow some monetary awards on unions.

The legislation, sponsored by State Representative Michael Winkler (D-Vernon), would evade what it refers to as “forced arbitration agreements” and “allow employees to sue employers on behalf of the state after having waived their personal rights to sue.” 

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Connecticut Attorney General William Tong Announces Historic Settlement with Purdue Pharma

Cooper Moran

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on Thursday announced an historic settlement that will force members of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma to pay out $6 billion for their role in the opioid epidemic.

The drug company, which distributed OxyContin, must be “dissolved or sold by 2024 and [ban] the Sacklers from the opioid business in the United States.”

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Connecticut Gas Crosses Four Dollars Per Gallon Threshold

Peter D'Abrosca

Gas prices in Connecticut have reached a decade-plus high after jumping 10 cents per gallon in a single day, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Friday, a gallon of gas in Connecticut averaged $4.07, a jump from $3.97 on Thursday. The last time gas prices reached four dollars per gallon was in August of 2008. The record high for gas prices in the state is $4.39 per gallon, just 32 cents higher than the current price. 

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Lead Poisoning Mitigation Legislation Proposed by Connecticut Governor

The Center Square

Getting the lead out is the focus of legislation proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday.

The governor announced the filing of a legislative proposal that would utilize $70 million for Home Remediation Projects throughout Connecticut, alleviating the lead poisoning risks in children and put the state in line with federal guidance. Dollars from the American Rescue Plant Act would be utilized to fund the program.

“For too long, Connecticut has failed to address the problem of lead poisoning in our children, a problem that impacts most deeply minority families and disadvantaged communities of our state,” Lamont said in the release.

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Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney Has Raised Less Than $500,000 for 2022 Election Cycle

Aaron Gulbransen

Connecticut U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) has taken in less than $500,000 for the 2022 election cycle.

As of the December 31, 2021 deadline, FEC records show that Courtney raised $482,821.54 and has $959,616.55 cash on hand in the bank. Another Democratic candidate for the Second District, U.S. Army Veteran Anthony DiLizia has raised less than $5,000 for the Democrat primary and currently has under $1,000 on hand.

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Connecticut Lawmakers Clash on Tax Policy at Hearing

Bradley Vasoli

At a Connecticut General Assembly hearing Thursday, state lawmakers clashed on visions of tax policy, with Republicans pressing for sales-tax reduction and Democrats advocating a mix of tax increases and targeted relief.

According to the nonprofit Tax Foundation, 12.8 percent of Connecticut residents’ income goes to government coffers, making the combined state and local tax take the second-highest in the U.S., just behind New York’s 14.1 percent overall burden.

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WarRoom: Pandemic’s Steve Bannon Talks to The Star News Network CEO and Editor in Chief Michael Patrick Leahy About Local Level News and Hyperlocal Effects

Julie Carr

Stephen K. Bannon welcomed The Star News Network’s CEO and Editor in Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Wednesday’s WarRoom: Pandemic to discuss the launch of The Connecticut Star to the family of online news outlets with The Star News Network and the appetite for hyperlocal media. Bannon: I want to make sure people can get access to what you guys are doing because I think it’s important. Every day you get a great snapshot of what’s happening around the country, particularly at the local level – in local state legislatures and little county supervisors, of what’s happening at the local level of these key states. In key areas where really the future direction of the country is being driven every day. So walk us through The Star News. It’s like an AP, Associated Press for more local news. And then what are the states you’ve got? Leahy: Yes, The Star News Network – and Steve, thank you for having me on – we’re now in 11 states around the country. We focus on state and local news that matters from a state and local perspective, not from a national perspective, but what’s going on in the state. And so we just…

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Connecticut Supreme Court Picked Redistricting Maps That Maintain Partisan Makeup Status Quo of 5th Congressional District

Aaron Gulbransen

The Connecticut Supreme Court picked redistricting maps that maintain the partisan status quo of the 5th Congressional District.

Prior to redistricting, CT-5 was given a partisan rating by Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight of D+3. The Connecticut Supreme Court approved the state’s new congressional maps on February 10, 2022 and the 5th district’s partisan rating remains the same. The court took control of the process after a bipartisan body of state legislators failed to come to an agreement on the lines.

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School Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation Systems Assistance in Connecticut Bill

The Center Square

Connecticut public schools would be able to pay for upgrades to heating, cooling, and ventilation systems in legislation proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The first-term Democrat announced the proposed legislation that would create and fund a grant program that would need $90 million to get the project off the ground to help schools make the upgrades in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Connecticut Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal’s Radical Abortion Bill Rejected by U.S. Senate

Susan Berry, PhD

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D) radical abortion legislation that would have overridden state pro-life laws was defeated in the U.S. Senate Monday evening.

The Senate voted, 46-48, to reject a bill Democrats called the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have embedded abortion on demand, at any time during pregnancy, into federal law, making invalid most individual state pro-life laws.

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Despite Connecticut Governor Lamont Ending Statewide School Masking, Hamden Keeps Mandate

Bradley Vasoli

Although Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) allowed the statewide school-mask mandate to end on Monday, the Hamden Board of Education (BOE) voted that evening to indefinitely extend its requirement.

The vote came down along party lines, with Republican BOE members Austin Cesare, Kevin Shea and Gary Walsh supporting the mandate’s cancellation; Board Chair Melissa A. Kaplan as well as fellow Democrats David Asbery, Siobhan Carter-David, Mariam Khan and Réuel Parks voted to keep it.

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Gov. Lamont Visits Connecticut High School to Check In After First ‘Mask Optional’ Day

Peter D'Abrosca
Ned Lamont shaking hands with students during school visit

Connecticut’s Democrat governor Monday made an awkward visit to meet and greet high school students after they finished their first day of classes wherein COVID-19 masks were optional. 

“I’m doing good, I wanted to see what this first day was like,” Governor Ned Lamont (D) told one Glastonbury High School student as they shook hands. 

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Connecticut Gov. Lamont: Economic Summit with Israel Strengthens Business Ties

The Center Square
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont

Six Israeli countries pitched business ideas business leaders from Connecticut in a recent economic mission trip, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

The governor, having returned from the four-day economic summit to the nation situated along the Mediterranean Sea, said discussions focused on building and strengthening relationships with members of the country’s innovative business sector.

Meetings were held with venture capitalists, incubators, accelerators, and thought leaders during the four-day trip, Lamont said.

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Connecticut Dems Move Forward on Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee Abortions

Peter D'Abrosca
Mae Flexer

Connecticut’s elected Democrats are pushing to amend the state’s constitution to include access to abortions, in case abortion becomes illegal at the federal level.

“A legislative committee on Friday endorsed a proposal to enshrine the right to abortion in the Connecticut Constitution,” The Hartford Courant said. “The concept is in its earliest stages — the language of the proposed constitutional amendment has yet to be drafted — but it has already drawn support from Democrats and criticism from Republicans.”

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Crime Task Forces, Bus System Among Issues Discussed at Connecticut Budget Appropriations Meeting

The Center Square

The efficacy of crime task forces, status of CTtransit bus lines and issuance of non-driver IDs were among the wide ranging issues Connecticut lawmakers dug into with state officials at a recent hearing looking into the back half of Gov. Ned Lamont’s biennium budget.

Members in both chambers of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee held a hearing Feb. 18 with state officials serving on transportation, regulation and protection agencies.

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Commitment to Behavioral Health in Connecticut Governor’s Spending Plan

The Center Square
Ned Lamont

A number of programs within Connecticut’s health-related agencies could be the benefactors of added cash infusions in the second year of Gov. Ned Lamont’s 2022-23 biennium budget.

Members of the Connecticut General Assembly sitting on the Joint Appropriations Committee discussed with agency heads a range of issues — from sports gambling to staffing shortages to lead abatement programs — at a Feb. 24 meeting.

Lamont, a 68-year-old Democrat, earlier this year announced a proposed amendment to the second half of the biennium budget. He wants to add 2.4% into the spending plan for fiscal year 2023, which would bring its total to $24.2 million.

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Crime Task Forces, Bus System Among Issues Discussed at Connecticut Budget Appropriations Meeting

The Center Square

The efficacy of crime task forces, status of CTtransit bus lines and issuance of non-driver IDs were among the wide ranging issues Connecticut lawmakers dug into with state officials at a recent hearing looking into the back half of Gov. Ned Lamont’s biennium budget.

Members in both chambers of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee held a hearing Feb. 18 with state officials serving on transportation, regulation and protection agencies.

James Rovella, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, addressed how Lamont’s fiscal year 2023 budget will assist with a number of initiatives, including several targeted task forces aimed at such issues as violent crimes and stolen vehicles.

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Connecticut Supreme Court Orders Congressional Maps Drawn by Special Master Be Adopted

The Center Square
Connecticut Supreme Court Building

The state’s highest court ruled that new Congressional maps drawn by a court-appointed special master be adopted.

The Connecticut Supreme Court handed down the decision Thursday after members of the Reapportionment Committee failed to reach an agreement on new maps in December 2021. The maps were re-drawn using information from the 2020 Census.

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Connecticut Parents Enraged by Eighth-Grade Assignment Using Pizza Toppings as Metaphor for Sexual Likes and Dislikes

Susan Berry, PhD

A health class assignment to eighth-grade students in Enfield, Connecticut asked them to list their sexual likes and dislikes, using pizza toppings as a metaphor.

Parents of eighth grade students in a sex ed class at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in the Enfield Public Schools (EPS) district reported their children received an assignment that asked them to list their sexual likes and dislikes – and likened that to ordering toppings on a pizza.

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Connecticut Governor’s Lifting of School Mask Mandate Depends on Legislature Voting to Extend His Emergency Powers

Susan Berry, PhD

Connecticut children cannot be certain they can finally be free of wearing masks in school since, although Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said he would end the state school mask mandate by February 28, that plan may depend on the legislature voting to extend his pandemic emergency powers, and then on individual school districts.

In his State of the State address Wednesday, Lamont told residents he will roll back some coronavirus restrictions, including the school mask mandate, adding, “You have earned this freedom.”

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