Politics
CT Faces Tiny $6M Budget Deficit, Comptroller Projects
Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon projects a $6 million budget deficit, the state's first under Gov. Ned Lamont, though reserves dwarf the shortfall.
Articles by Elizabeth Hartley
36 Articles 
Politics
CT Legislature Passes $29B Budget Plan, Heads to Lamont
Connecticut's Appropriations Committee approved a $29B state budget, boosting spending 6.2% and setting up negotiations with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Politics
CT Building Code Loophole Puts Homes at Carbon Monoxide Risk
A single word in Connecticut's building code lets installers use unsafe PVC pipe for furnace venting, creating a deadly carbon monoxide risk in homes.
Politics
Will Higher Gas Prices Actually Boost Mass Transit?
Connecticut transit advocates hope rising gas prices will shift commuters to trains and buses, but the economic reality is far more complicated.
Politics
CT Governor Opposes SAVE America Act Voting Rules
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas slam the SAVE America Act, saying it would suppress voting for thousands of residents.
Politics
Connecticut Sets New Rules for School Crisis Drills
Connecticut's Senate Bill 298 establishes statewide standards for school crisis drills, requiring trauma-informed practices and parent notification.
Politics
Sister Fights for Brother's Rights at Osborn Prison
Lisa Velasquez-Torres speaks out about dire conditions at Osborn Correctional Institution, where her brother Luis faces neglect and medical failures.
Politics
CT Senate Approves State Employee Raises 30-2
The Connecticut Senate voted 30-2 to approve raises for 3,661 unionized state workers, a sharp contrast to the heated House debate a day earlier.
Politics
Ritter Eyes Compromise on CT Tax Rebates and School Aid
House Speaker Matt Ritter says Connecticut lawmakers are nearing a deal balancing Governor Lamont's tax rebate plan with increased funding for local schools.
Politics
No-Fault Evictions Threaten CT Communities and Democracy
Connecticut's Senate Bill 257 aims to expand just cause eviction protections, shielding tenants from no-fault removals that devastate neighborhoods and democracy.
Environment
Connecticut Launches First Tire Stewardship Program
Connecticut launches the nation's first manufacturer-led tire stewardship program, allowing free tire drop-offs at four town transfer stations.
Politics
CT Lawmakers Consider Legalizing Plug-In Solar Panels
Connecticut's House Bill 5340 could allow residents to use plug-in solar panels without utility approval, easing some of the nation's highest electric bills.
Politics
CT Bills Seek ICE Accountability Backed by Tong & Blumenthal
Connecticut's Judiciary Committee advanced bills to let the state sue ICE agents for civil rights violations and restrict immigration enforcement locations.
Politics
Lamont Pushes Connecticut Ban on Machine Gun-Convertible Handguns
Gov. Ned Lamont proposes making Connecticut the second state to ban handguns easily converted to machine guns using illegal after-market switches.
Politics
Strong CT Schools Need Community Partnerships
Bridgeport students and educators braved winter storms to advocate for stronger school-community partnerships at the Connecticut State Capitol.
Politics
CT Leads Multistate Suit Over EPA Endangerment Finding Repeal
Connecticut AG William Tong is leading a multistate legal challenge against the EPA's decision to rescind its greenhouse gas endangerment finding.
Politics
Connecticut Bill Would Fund UConn UFO Study
Connecticut lawmakers introduced H.B. 5422, directing UConn to study UFOs and evaluate a permanent state center, raising taxpayer spending concerns.
Politics
CT Politics: Eviction Reform, Aquarion & Towing Laws
Connecticut politics this week covers DHS funding fights, eviction reform, water utility oversight, towing laws, and school grant updates.
Politics
CT Lawmakers Propose $40M Plan to Offset Federal SNAP Cuts
Connecticut Democrats push a $40M bridge food assistance program to help 36,000 residents losing SNAP benefits under new federal work requirements.
Politics
CT Home Care Advocates Fear Cuts to Community First Choice
Connecticut families protest Gov. Lamont's plan to eliminate Community First Choice, warning thousands could lose home-based care or face long waitlists.
Environment
Alternative Burials Rising in Connecticut Funeral Homes
Over 67% of Connecticut deaths now result in cremation, as funeral homes embrace water cremation, human composting, and other alternatives.
Politics
CT Lawmakers Consider Prison Health Care Reform Bill
Connecticut's House Bill 5567 aims to fix a crisis in inmate medical care, addressing poor nutrition, staffing shortages, and delayed treatment in state prisons.
Politics
CT House Dems Plan to Redirect Tax Rebates to Schools
Connecticut House Democrats propose diverting $100-150M from Gov. Lamont's tax rebate program to aid struggling school districts facing a fiscal crisis.
Politics
CT Municipal Utility Rates vs Eversource & UI Costs
Connecticut's 7 municipal electric utilities charge 23–64% less than Eversource and United Illuminating. Here's what customers in those towns pay.
Politics
CT Paid Leave Law: Progress for Moms, But Gaps Remain
Connecticut's paid leave law helps new mothers, but partial wage replacement and separate applications leave many families struggling to fully benefit.
Politics
Iran War Raises Economic Uncertainty in Connecticut 2026
Gov. Ned Lamont warns the Iran conflict is driving up energy prices in Connecticut, with gas hitting $3.45/gallon and a possible tax holiday under consideration.
Politics
CT Homeschooling Bill HB 5468: What It Means for Families
Connecticut's Education Committee examines HB 5468, a bill reshaping homeschooling oversight and expanding access to public school resources.
Politics
Connecticut Considers Styrofoam Ban and Single-Use Plastic Limits
Connecticut's House Bill 5524 proposes banning polystyrene containers by 2028 and restricting single-use plastics like straws and utensils in restaurants.
Politics
CT Legislature 2026: Guns in Schools, Rent Caps & ICE Bills
Connecticut lawmakers advance bills on off-duty officers in schools, a 5% rent increase cap, ICE detention facilities, and hospital taxes in the 2026 session.
Politics
CT Lawmakers Question DCF Nominee Susan Hamilton
Connecticut lawmakers grilled DCF interim commissioner Susan Hamilton at her confirmation hearing, raising concerns about child safety, caseworker turnover, and agency oversight.
Politics
Lamont Reaches Deals With 10 Unions, But Raises Still Delayed
Governor Lamont reached tentative contracts with 10 state unions covering 20,000 workers, but over half of bargaining units still await raises eight months overdue.
Politics
CT Survivors Push to Ban Female Genital Mutilation
Connecticut remains one of nine states without an FGM ban. Survivors are urging lawmakers to pass legislation criminalizing the practice as a class D felony.
Politics
Lamont Nominates 14 Lawyers to Connecticut Superior Court
Gov. Ned Lamont nominated 14 lawyers to fill 20 vacancies on Connecticut's Superior Court, including his former budget director and a ex-Republican lawmaker.
Politics
Connecticut SB 101: Opposition to Statewide Property Tax
The Yankee Institute opposes Connecticut SB 101, which would impose a graduated statewide property tax on homes assessed above $3 million.
Local & news
Aquarion Water Company Triggers First Drought Warning for Eastern Fairfield County
Aquarion Water Company announced Monday that Eastern Fairfield County has reached its first drought trigger of the year, prompting the utility to ask customers across 13 towns to voluntarily conserve water.
Technology
Identity Verification Has a Data Problem. New Tech May Fix It.
Financial institutions have collected identity verification data for decades. A wave of breaches is forcing the industry to ask whether centralized storage was ever a good idea.