Face the Facts

It could pump hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy when it’s a full scale operation, but recreational marijuana is months, if not years, away from actually reaching that level. Keeping an eye on who is investing in cannabis is part of the reason why state regulators want a slow, methodical rollout. This week, we learned a Connecticut...

It’s been dubbed the “Silver Tsunami,” the tidal wave of state employees eligible to retire in the next few years, and it could cripple state services if all of them decided it was the right time to call it quits. After years of negotiations, 35 state employee bargaining unions came to an agreement with the Lamont administration on wages and…

Improving access to quality child care is front and center in the state legislature. There are currently three bills in the state Senate, another in the House, all trying to address it. But it seems there could be somewhat of a catch to delay when it comes to that legislation. NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Commissioner of Early...

This week, Connecticut lawmakers voted to get rid of the 25 cent excise gas tax.

Connecticut is about to go over a metaphorical cliff when it comes to evictions. March could end with the most evictions in one month since 2017. The state could exceed 2,400 evictions. So how did we get here and what’s being done to help both families and landlords? NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Erin Kemple and John Souza about…

As Connecticut gets ready to roll out recreational marijuana sales, lawmakers are looking to rein in certain ways it’s already being sold. It’s called gifting and it’s happening in some places like Washington D.C. and in some cases, here in Connecticut. NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with State Rep. Mike D’Agostino (D-Hamden) who chairs the General Law Committee. Mike...

Youth crime is a very complex problem in the state. NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, about the issue. They discuss initiatives in the Republican-sponsored public safety package that would change how the state handles cases of repeat youth offenders. Mike Hydeck: “I know you were talking hypotheticals recently...

This week marks two years since Gov. Ned Lamont ordered schools to close and then a few days later, he did the same for all non-essential businesses. The state slowly started reopening in May of 2020, but we know there have been setbacks along the way with the Omicron and Delta variants. Now, we seem to be headed in the…

We’ve seen protests for both higher wages and better benefits throughout the state and this week, the governor had a breakthrough with some of the unions for state employees. So where are they now? NBC Connecticut’s American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Ed Hawthorne talks about the deal that’s on the table and another...

Several school systems in Connecticut were told they had to use certain contractors or they could possibly lose millions of dollars in state reimbursements. It’s part of an FBI probe of Connecticut’s bidding process when it comes to school construction. State officials are looking into it, as well. NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Michelle Gilman, acting commissioner of...