Connecticut lawmakers are considering legislation to address the issue of school lunch debt. The General Assembly’s Committee on Children will hold a public hearing on Tuesday on a bill that would prohibit disciplinary action against public school children who have unpaid school lunch bills. The proposal would also allow any public or private entities to pay off such debt....

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont will lead a nonpartisan association of northeastern states including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Democrat has been elected unanimously to serve as chairman of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, Lamont’s office announced Friday. The group works with governors, their staff and policy advisers on current and emerging issues...

Americans have legally wagered more than $10 billion on sports since the Supreme Court repealed a federal ban in 2018. It’s legal in neighboring states.  On Tuesday, state legislators will discuss a new bill to legalize sports betting in Connecticut. There is an information hearing scheduled at the Capitol about the bill that would “authorize the Mashantucket Pequot tribe and…

Governor Ned Lamont delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday. The address will kick off a busy legislative session. Tolls have been a very polarizing issue here in our state. Democrats are pushing for tolls on trucks saying it could bring in $170 million over the first year. They are planning to vote next week. “I think this…

Connecticut state legislators could soon move to regulate toxic compounds found in drinking water. High levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called PFAS, have been found in drinking water systems in Greenwich, Willimantic and Enfield, the Hartford Courant reported on Sunday. There were also multiple spills of thousands of gallons of PFAS firefighting foam that entered the Farmington River last...

An ambitious to-do list awaits Connecticut lawmakers when they return Wednesday to the state Capitol for a roughly three-month election-year legislative session. While changes to the second year of the two-year budget approved last year tops the list, lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont have already indicated a range of other issues they hope to tackle, ranging from legalized, recreational…

A legislative working group has released a new quality control plan for quarries in light of the crumbling foundations problem afflicting many eastern Connecticut homeowners. The General Assembly’s Quarries Working Group, which has been meeting since September, also studied the workforce currently available to help homeowners repair their foundations. The concrete has been deteriorating because of the presence of...

Connecticut lawmakers plan to resurrect a bipartisan proposal that attempts to help older workers who often face age discrimination when seeking employment. The bill would prohibit employers from requiring a job applicant to list their date of birth and school graduation years, information that reveals a worker’s age even though prospective employers are not allowed to ask about age...

Connecticut’s largest association of cities and towns plans to lobby for a new ombudsman for drug abuse and control policy when state lawmakers return to the Capitol next month for the 2020 regular legislative session. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities said a designated ombudsman would be able to coordinate funding for substance abuse prevention, education and recovery efforts. It’s...

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont was greeted by a mostly pro-tolls crowd Sunday during a forum about transportation, which comes as lawmakers inch closer to a possible vote on a plan that includes tolls on big trucks. The Democrat told reporters Friday that he believed a tentative deal on a transportation funding bill could be reached soon, possibly over the weekend,…

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy is without a Connecticut residence after selling his home in Cheshire.

A U.S. Senator is without a home. At least for now, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy does not have property in our state that he can call his own. Yet he still represents Connecticut and does not expect that to change anytime soon. This is not without precedent. It has happened before but does not happen often.  Senator Murphy explained this...

Governor Ned Lamont and the Senate and House Democrats have announced a plan for a special session next month. The special legislative session is expected to address a bonding bill and a long-term plan for the state’s transportation infrastructure, according to a statement from Lamont. “We are committed to investing in transportation without recklessly raiding the rainy day fund,...

Emergency medical workers say they want a greater voice at the state Capitol after being left out of a key benefits bill.

State Comptroller Kevin Lembo says Connecticut is on pace to end the last fiscal year with a $700.9 million surplus.

Connecticut retailers are preparing to impose the state’s new 10-cent tax on single-use plastic bags.

A new state budget, a higher fee for ride-hailing services and permission for young students to self-apply sunscreen while at school are among the new laws set to take effect in Connecticut.

Connecticut’s legislative session may be over, but legislators still have more work to do in 2019.

Connecticut lawmakers are sending a bill to the governor that will allow children to self-apply sunscreen in school before they participate in recess and other outdoor activities.