Coalition of Health Insurers Questions Viability of Connecticut Partnership Plan
Members of Connecticut’s Health Care Future, a coalition of health insurers, hospitals, and businesses, are questioning whether Connecticut lawmakers have done enough this year to protect teachers and municipal employees from increases in health insurance premiums. “Despite repeated bailouts from taxpayers, the Connecticut Partnership Plan continues to be a fiscal Titanic that demonstrates why government-controlled health…
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Connecticut Officials Tackle Baby Formula Shortage
Parents of infants are struggling to find ways to feed their children in the wake of a national baby formula shortage, prompting some to make hard decisions including potentially feeding their babies formula that may be contaminated, according to comments during a press availability this morning with U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
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AG’s Tackle Mental Health Parity
Attorneys General in Connecticut and Rhode Island threw their support Monday behind a coalition of mental health advocacy groups asking a federal appeals court to revisit a recent ruling giving insurance companies more flexibility to deny mental health claims.
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Hartford Land Bank Completes First Renovation
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Land Bank on Friday unveiled its first revitalized property, the beginning of a project that organization representatives say will help transform neighborhoods and boost housing opportunities for city residents. During a press conference attended by Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin as well as local developers and staff from the Hartford Land…
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Stamford Residents Speak up for Reproductive Rights
STAMFORD, CT – Legislators and activists held a rally outside the Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District Courthouse on Sunday to protest against changes to the right to abortion care for women.
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CT’s Congressional Races Take Shape
With the state political conventions in the rearview mirror, insiders in Connecticut’s Democratic and Republican parties have settled on the likely candidates to face off in November for the state’s five congressional seats. During conventions last weekend, state Democrats, who have held all five congressional seats since 2008, nominated five incumbent representatives to seek re-election.…
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Cannabis Industry Representatives See Opportunity – Police Remain Skeptical
With Connecticut now accepting applications for adult-use cannabis licenses, some within the industry say that the start of marijuana sales for recreational use could lead to tens of thousands of jobs, as well as potential for major increases in tax revenue. However, members of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association said not much has been done…
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Criminal Justice Commission Appoints Next Top Prosecutor
The state Criminal Justice Commission appointed New Haven State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin to serve as Connecticut’s next top prosecutor Thursday. Griffin will take the helm of a division shaken by scandal and understaffing. The commission’s decision came after interviewing both Griffin and Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott during a lengthy hearing at the Legislative Office…
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Students Not In Compliance With Childhood Vaccine Requirements Grew Last Year
The percentage of Connecticut kindergarten students who were not in compliance with state vaccination requirements grew by almost 1% during the 2020 – 2021 school year, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Public Health Department. The number of kindergarteners who were not adhering to measles, mumps and rubella vaccine rules rose from 1.3% in…
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Officials Highlight Effort To Boost Mental Health Services For Kids
At a Hartford-based community provider Wednesday, Gov. Ned Lamont and a handful of his agency commissioners highlighted the expected impact of more than $100 million in recently passed funding aimed at increasing behavioral health services for Connecticut children. The governor appeared at The Village for Families and Children, a recipient of new state funding included…
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Lamont Signs Bill Limiting Solitary Confinement
A bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Ned Lamont will limit the use of solitary confinement in Connecticut prisons, codifying some of the reforms sought for years by Stop Solitary CT advocates. The bill, passed by both chambers of the legislature in late April, caps the number of days a person can spend in solitary confinement…
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Connecticut Marks Its Position on Reproductive Rights
Connecticut took steps to preserve access to legal abortion services Tuesday as Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law a bill shielding patients as well as doctors providing the procedure from legal action by states where abortion may soon be illegal. Lamont signed the bill flanked by legislators and reproductive rights advocates during a ceremonial event…
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Former Public Health Commissioner Alleges Discrimination in Federal Lawsuit
Fired by Gov. Ned Lamont at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, former Public Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell filed a federal discrimination lawsuit this week claiming the administration didn’t want a black woman leading the fight against the virus.
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Connecticut Gas Prices Jump 19 Cents In One Week
By the end of the day Monday, the average price of gasoline per gallon in Connecticut had reached $4.32, up 2 cents since Sunday and 19 cents over the past week, according to AAA.
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OP-ED | Ignoring COVID-19 Isn’t a Solution
Susan Bigelow says it’s strange. On the one hand, things are getting bad enough that some schools have had to close due to staff shortages. But on the other hand, when was the last time you saw a politician taking basic precautions like wearing a mask?
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Party Chair Confronts Un-Conventional Era
Inside the convention hall, candidates jostled for last-minute support to win the party’s endorsement. Democratic Town Committee Chair Vincent Mauro Jr. had his two candidates picked. If this were his uncle’s day in charge, or…
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Connecticut To Get FEMA Funds for COVID Testing Sites
Connecticut will receive more than $2 million in federal emergency funding to pay for the operation of COVID-19 testing sites during a six-month period last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday. The roughly…
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OP-ED | Politics and the Power of Words (Part 2)
Barth Keck highlights how Justice Samuel Alito used specific language to frame his argument in the leaked opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, in an effort to rhetorically change how we think about the issue.
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PODCAST | How Medical Aid In Dying May Change The Way We Live
Medical aid in dying offers what some may call “a good death.” But how will the increased use of it change our relationship with dying? That’s the topic of the latest episode of Audacious with…
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COVID Transmission Increases in CT
As of Friday afternoon, Connecticut’s test positivity rate was 13.71% and there were 323 residents hospitalized with the virus. On Thursday, the Department of Public Health reported that 158 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities qualified for…
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Grocery Items With The Greatest Price Increase In April
Inflation rose 0.3% in April and 8.3% year-over-year, according to April Consumer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday, May 11. The most recent numbers represent a modest reprieve from March’s…
Continue readingJob: Program Manager-Training and Outreach
Under the supervision of the Director of Training and Outreach, this individual will have responsibility for coordinating the general programming and training efforts of HES and The HES Advantage. The successful candidate will have a…
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Budget Green Lights Psychedelic Therapies
Buried in the budget Gov. Ned Lamont signed this week is a provision that would create a pilot program to allow Connecticut to be the first-in-the-nation to study the impact of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin…
Continue readingJob: Policy & Advocacy Manager
Under the supervision of the Director of Policy, this individual will be responsible for policy analysis, engaging in policy research, writing reports, and ensuring timely and accurate communication with HES’ advocacy networks. This will include…
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Governor Signs 23 Bills Into Law Tuesday
Gov. Ned Lamont signed 23 bills into law on Tuesday in Connecticut.
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OP-ED | Despite the Partisan Outcry Over Roe v. Wade, Abortion Policy Is Not A Binary Argument
Jonathan L. Wharton says Americans are oversimplifying abortion through a partisan lens when polling data tells us it’s a non-binary issue that’s about more than party politics.
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Lamont Permits Student-Athletes To Use School Logos In Endorsement Deals
Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law a bill that permits student-athletes in Connecticut to use their school’s names, logos, trademarks, mascots, unique colors, copyrights, and other defining insignia in endorsement contracts. The law updates one…
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OP-ED | Connecticut Democrats go all in on Roe
Susan Bigelow says the two major parties held their state conventions this weekend, endorsing candidates, setting up a few primaries for August, and establishing their themes for the fall, and one party looks a lot…
Continue readingJob: Fund Development Director
Health Equity Solutions is seeking a Director who will be essential in planning and coordinating all aspects of fund development, as well as a strategic leader on all fundraising initiatives, including but not limited to…
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OP-ED | Apropos of Nothing: 2022 Session Ends; Lawmaker Raise Their Pay; and Reax To SCOTUS Leak
The recently completed short legislative session reminds us of the important work done by the General Assembly. It can be ugly but it’s where deals are cut, the sausage is made and legislation is sent…
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Rapini Wins Endorsement for Secretary of the State
MASHANTUCKET, CT — Republicans were torn over who they wanted to oversee Connecticut’s elections, Rep. Terrie Wood of Darien, Brock Weber of Wolcott, and Dominic Rapini of Hamden, battled to be Connecticut’s chief election official. …
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New Haven Delegation Eyes Statewide Ballot
An exciting time. And a tough spot. New Haven Democrats wrestled with those two feelings on the first day of a state party convention where they’ll have a chance to pick between three fellow New Haveners running in…
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Blumenthal Focuses On Roe In Nomination Speech
HARTFORD, CT – At the state Democratic Party nominating convention at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Richard Blumenthal won a unanimous voice-vote of support for a third term in the U.S. Senate. The focus of…
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