CTNJ 262: your Friday Night Fix! State Sells Investments To Pay Retirees

State Sells
Investments
To Pay Retirees

Republican House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero is sounding the alarm bells over State Treasurer Denise Nappier’s planned sale of $427.8 million in pension investments to meet this year’s obligations to retired state employees and teachers. In a statement Friday, Nappier countered that the sale of these pension assets to pay benefits is not news. Read more

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Charter School Advocates
Rally Against Cuts

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined charter school advocates Thursday at the state Capitol to rally against $47.1 million in cuts proposed by the Democrat-controlled Appropriations Committee earlier this month. Read more

Malloy: ‘In retrospect, ya know…
probably shouldn’t have done it.’

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has spent the past 48 hours trying to put to bed the controversy over his decision to let People magazine pay for his trip to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It’s an awkward position for the Democrat, who would rather be talking about public policy than a glitzy D.C. event. Read more about the saga here and here

Renewable Energy
Bill Moves Forward
The Senate passed the controversial renewable energy bill on Wednesday, but it faces some hurdles in the House. Lawmakers siding with environmentalists are lining up to offer an amendment that would force the Senate to debate the bill again. It’s still unclear if that’s the path lawmakers in the House will take. Read more about the Senate debate here.

ICYMI: Mayors, Immigrants
Rally For Driver’s Licenses

Jose Sanchez and other undocumented immigrants visited the state Capitol on Monday to pose a late-session question for legislators: While the state awaits federal action on immigration reform, what should be done now about immigrants who are driving without licenses? Read more from the New Haven Independent.

For Our Nonprofit Partners:
CTReleases & CTPhotojunkie

dot-org-logo In an effort to provide more support for Connecticut’s struggling nonprofit organizations, the Independent Media Network has launched a new website called CTReleases.com, and CTNewsJunkie is opening up CTPhotoJunkie to nonprofits as well so that they can showcase their events. Read more

SHOUT OUT

Congratulations to Megan Merrigan for completing her CTNJ internship with high marks!

Also congratulations to Diane Smith of CT-N who will be on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday to talk about “Obsessed” – the book she co-authored with Mika Brzezinski. Check back Monday for our interview with Diane about the book.

OP-ED

CT’s Power Couple:
The Commissioner
And The Congresswoman

Two for the price of one” was the mantra of candidate Bill Clinton on the presidential campaign trail some 20 years ago. But as Clinton later discovered, the partnership with his brainy lawyer wife Hillary turned into a liability when the Whitewater scandal threatened to drag down his presidency. Thankfully, Connecticut’s own premier power couple, Daniel and Elizabeth Esty, aren’t the target of a criminal investigation, but the ubiquitous pair has always made some observers uncomfortable. Read more from contributing columnist Terry Cowgill

No More Excuses for Sexual Assault

The stories keep getting worse out of Torrington. A 2011 incident surfaced in Litchfield Superior Court this week in which three boys – two of whom were affiliated football team at the time – are charged with the gang-rape of an intoxicated 13-year-old girl. Read more from contributing columnist Susan Bigelow

Contributing columnist Sarah Darer Littman

A Woman Without A Party

At 18, I was a registered Republican. At 36, I became a Democrat. And now, as a woman of a certain age, Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy, state Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, Attorney General George Jepsen, and their BFF Arne Duncan, have persuaded me to join the fastest growing voter group in both Connecticut and the country – the Unaffiliated. Read more from contributing columnist Sarah Darer Littman

PODCASTS & BROADCASTS

Where We Live | Diplomacy in Syria

Ryan Crocker is a former U.S. Ambassador in the Middle East and is currently a Senior Fellow at Yale. Speaking on WNPR’s “Where We Live,” he described the conflict as “the problem from hell.” Crocker added that “whatever we do has to make the situation better, not worse.” Listen here. Where We Live airs daily on WNPR at 9 a.m. and is rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Face the State With Dennis House

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes discusses sequester, immigration, and Linda McMahon. In another segment, Quinnipiac University Law Professor William Dunlap and Sen. Joseph Markley debate the legality of the new gun control laws. This week’s flashback goes back to 1998 when a raise for the governor was being discussed and Dennis House was interviewing Oprah Winfrey. Read more on House’s blog here but be sure to watch the show on WFSB-3. Face the State is taped on Thursdays and airs Sundays at 11 a.m.

The Colin McEnroe Show: Psychology of Beards

Confusing news for bearded men: A new study from the journal Evolution of Human Behavior says that men are their most attractive with a 10-day stubble rather than being clean-shaven or fully bearded. Beards are confusing. You have to have one to be a wizard in Middle Earth. You can’t have one and be president in 2013. Listen here. The Colin McEnroe Show airs daily on WNPR at 1 p.m.

The Real Story With Laurie Perez & Al Terzi

Republican Catherine Marx and Democrat Matt Hennessy offer their take on the controversy over Gov. Malloy’s trip (paid for by “People” magazine) to Washington last weekend for the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. In another segment, Monte Frank, from the Newtown Action Alliance, talks about the backlash being felt by Senators who voted against expanded background checks and other gun control measures last month. He says he’s very optimistic that a similar bill, now moving through the House, will pass. Also Nathan Grube, tournament director for the Travelers Championship, discusses golf’s estimated $1B impact on the state’s economy.. Watch the show here. The Real Story is taped Thursdays and airs Sunday at 10 a.m. followed by CTCapitolReport at 10:30 a.m.

STORY OF THE WEEK: WHAT YOU READ THE MOST

McKinney: Malloy’s DC Trip Violated Ethics

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney said Wednesday that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s trip to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, paid for by People Magazine, violated the state’s ethics laws. Malloy has since paid for the trip with a personal check in an attempt to end what he described as a “distraction.” Read more

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WEEK IN REVIEW

Malloy: ‘In Retrospect, Ya Know . . .
Probably Shouldn’t Have Done It’

Did Sunday Sales Boost Revenues?

Malloy Writes Personal Check For White House Dinner

Standard Wage Bill Quietly Dies In Finance

Budget Numbers Offer Mixed Bag

Senate Passes Renewable Energy Bill

McKinney: Malloy’s DC Trip Violates Ethics

Laborers’ Protest Lack of Local Construction Jobs

Budget Analysts Predict $488M Drop In Revenue

Spending Cap Revisions Could Come Down To One Vote

Jackson Lab Launches ‘Cancer Avatar’ Project

Seventh Person Pleads Guilty In Campaign Conspiracy

Esty Returns NU Donations

Mayors, Immigrants Rally For Driver’s Licenses

Modernizing Traffic Accident Reporting

Malloy Defends Esty, Canadian Hydro

Malloy Rubs Elbows With Poehler, Paré

Kennedy Offers Parity Pitch As Constituents Share Stories of Repeated Coverage Denials

What’s Next For Gun Control?

Malloy Administration Advocates Fiscal Constraint

Malloy, Sharkey Actively Pursue Minimum Wage Hike

Malloy Backs Minimum Wage Hike

OP-ED | Without Better Public Transit, Gas Tax is Simply Punitive

OP-ED | Interested In The Truth? Listen To Carstensen and Lembo

NEXT WEEK IN POLITICS

Saturday, May 4

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

9 a.m. CT Federation of Democratic Women: Biennial Convention, CAP, Old Judiciary Room

Sunday, May 5

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

Monday, May 6

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

9 a.m. Greater New Haven OIC: Annual OIC Day at the Capitol, CAP, Old Judiciary Room

10 a.m. Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission Re: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, LOB, Concourse

12 p.m. Planning & Development Committee Meeting, LOB, Room 2B

1 p.m. Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee Meeting, LOB, Room 2E

Tuesday, May 7

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

8:30 a.m. Office of the Lt. Governor: Health Care Cabinet Meeting, CAP, Room 310

10 a.m. CT Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Section: 2013 National Drinking Water Week, LOB, Concourse

10 a.m. APP, Commerce, Housing & Public Health Public Hearing re CDBG-DR, Followed by Committee Meetings, LOB, Room 2E

10 a.m. Speaker Sharkey: M.O.R.E. Mandates Sub-committee Meeting, LOB, Room 1C

10 a.m. Executive and Legislative Nominations: Public Hearing Followed by Committee Meeting, LOB, Room 1A

10 a.m. Central CT Health District, Region II Asthma Coalition & CT Asthma Advisory Board: World Asthma Day, LOB, Concourse

4:30 p.m. CT Water Works Association: Celebrate “Drinking Water Week”, LOB, First Floor Atrium

Wednesday, May 8

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

8:30 a.m. CT Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, Inc.: Measured Outcomes, CAP, Room 310

9 a.m. ConnectiCOSH Informational Display Re: History of CT’s Workers’ Compensation System, LOB, Concourse

9 a.m. Council 4 AFSCME: Legislative Day, CAP, Old Judiciary Room

10 a.m. CT Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Section: 2013 National Drinking Water Week, LOB, Concourse

11:30 a.m. Turkish Cultural Center of CT: Turkish Cultural Day Celebration, CAP, Lobby-North

12:30 p.m. Sen. Ayala: AIDS Awareness Event, LOB, Room 1D

2 p.m. Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council Meeting, LOB, Room 1E

2 p.m. Rep. Hewett: CHRO Monthly Commission Meeting, LOB, Room 1A

3 p.m. Rep. Becker & the Jewish Community Relations Council: Legislative Reception, CAP, Old Judiciary Room

3 p.m. Sen. Bye: Municipal Clerks Week, LOB, Room 1C

5:30 p.m. Latino & Puerto Rican Affairs Commission: Special Projects Committee Meeting, LOB, Room 2600

6 p.m. CT Town Clerks Association: Legislative Reception, CAP, Room 310

6:30 p.m. CT Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs: State Youth of the Year Awards Dinner, CAP, Hall of Flags

6:30 p.m. CT Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs: State Youth of the Year Awards Dinner, CAP, Lobby-North

Thursday, May 9

7:30 a.m. House of Good Hope: Hartford House of Prayer Bible Reading Marathon, CAP, Grounds East

9 a.m. Rep. Tercyak: Polish Day at the Capitol, CAP, Hall of Flags

9 a.m. Rep. Tercyak: Polish Day at the Capitol, CAP, Lobby-North

9 a.m. ConnectiCOSH Informational Display Re: History of CT’s Workers’ Compensation System, LOB, Concourse

12 p.m. Sen, Crisco, Rep. Morin, Rep. Hwang: Be the Match Donor Registry Bone Marrow Drive, CAP, Old Judiciary Room

12 p.m. The Mohegan Tribe: Legislative Luncheon, CAP, Room 310

Friday, May 10

9 a.m. ConnectiCOSH Informational Display Re: History of CT’s Workers’ Compensation System, LOB, Concourse

Do you have something to add to the discussion on a particular bill? Here’s a Guide to Reaching State Legislators and Testifying at Hearings.

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