Today’s MC&P was served up by Christine Stuart 

WHAT TO WATCH  

Constitutional Concerns
Raised Over Early
Voting Pilot Program

Despite constitutional concerns, lawmakers advanced a bill Monday that establishes a pilot program for municipalities to test early voting in this year’s municipal elections. New Haven wants to pilot the option in November. Read more

* * * SPONSORED MESSAGE * * *
All the News That’s Fit to Click.
Get the latest news from CEA. Critical state and national education issues. Pressing stories that affect students, public education, and the teaching profession.

* * *

Insurance Regulators
Still Waiting On Rates

Connecticut insurance regulators are still waiting – one week after a suggested deadline – for insurers to file proposed rates on health plans they intend to sell on the state’s public exchange later this year. Read more

911 Is No Joke

That’s what Americans for Prosperity want you to think. The group teamed up with Tim Stewart, the former Republican Mayor of New Britain, to beat back a proposal pitched by Democratic Mayor Tim O’Brien back in 2012. AFP, an organization founded by the Koch Brothers, bought time with local Comcast subscribers to air the ad. There’s legislation pending that would make it against the law to charge anyone a user fee or service charge for making, in good faith, any 9-1-1 calls for emergency services. The proposal doesn’t prohibit assessing anyone for costs they incur in providing such services. View the ad here

Senate OKs
Online Sales
Tax Legislation

The Senate has passed a bill that could end tax-free shopping on the Internet for many shoppers. The Senate voted 69 to 27 Monday to pass the bill, sending it to the House where it faces opposition from some lawmakers who regard it as a tax increase. Read more

TODAY

LOB Activities, Meetings & Events
Committee Meetings

APPROPS, COMMERCE, HOUSING & PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEES will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 2E.  View the agenda here

EXE. & LEGISLATIVE NOMS COMMITTEE will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 1A. View the agenda here 

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 2C. View agenda here

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE will meet at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2D. View agenda here

LABOR COMMITTEE will meet at 11 a.m. in Room 2B. View agenda here

HOUSE will gavel in at noon.

 

Other Events & Meetings
LT. GOV: HEALTH CABINET meets at 8:30 a.m. in Capitol Room 310

SAVE OUR SERVICES PANEL participants will gather at 11 a.m. in the Old Judiciary Room to discuss the proposed state budget cuts and the impact they will have on residents living with developmental disabilities.

NATIONAL DRINKING WATER WEEK will meet at 10 a.m. in the LOB Concourse.

ASTHMA COALITION will have an informational display in the LOB Concourse in honor of Asthma Day 2013.

CREAM & SUGAR

Hartford Mayor Digs Caviar

An audit of the City of Hartford’s credit cards found that Mayor Pedro Segarra, his Chief of Staff Jared Kupiec, and several guests dined at Max Downtown’s on New Year’s Eve. The tab, which went on Kupiec’s city credit card, included a spoonful of caviar. Read more from the Courant and check out the itemized tab that WFSB’s Len Besthoff uploaded here

Finch & State
Duke It Out
Over $3.3M

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch’s administration is negotiating feverishly in Hartford to shrink a state-mandated $3.3 million spike in education spending that the mayor inexplicably left out of his proposed budget. Oops. Read more

Mayors Against Gun Violence Keep Pressure On

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte with some new ads. Watch them here

* * * SPONSORED MESSAGE * * *
All the News That’s Fit to Click.
Get the latest news from CEA. Critical state and national education issues. Pressing stories that affect students, public education, and the teaching profession.

* * *

GOVERNOR’S DAY

At 10 a.m., Gov. Malloy will participate in the New Haven Police Department’s regularly scheduled CompStat meeting at the New Haven Police Station, 1 Union Ave., New Haven.

At 7 p.m., Gov. Malloy will give remarks at the 68th annual Stamford Citizen of the Year dinner, where Jami Sherwood will be inducted as this year’s recipient. The event is held at the Italian Center of Stamford; 1620 Newfield Avenue, Stamford.

CONGRESSIONAL BUZZ

Murphy Offers Internet Hope

The U.S. Senator who doesn’t have to run again for five years believes the Internet may help level the fundraising playfield. Paul Bass of the New Haven Independent caught up with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy in New Haven on Monday where he talked about overcoming Linda McMahon’s millions. Read more

YESTERDAY

CT Lags In Kids’
Mental Health
Screenings

Selenia Velez remembers the near-daily phone calls from the pre-school, alerting her that her 2-year-old son had acted out aggressively and needed to be picked up immediately. Read more

Finance Passes
On Tax Credit

The Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee killed a bill Monday that would have created a new personal income tax credit for premiums paid on long-term care insurance policies. Read more

Do You Love CTNewsJunkie? 

You’ve thought about it, but you haven’t acted. Now is the time. CTNewsJunkie needs your help to continue bringing you the political and public policy news you need on a daily basis. Be the envy of your office!

We’re well on our way to reaching our fundraising goals, but we’re still short for 2013. For $60 a year – only $5 a month – you get top-notch reporting when you need it. Of course, we would love it if you could donate more. For a $120 donation, you will receive two CTNewsJunkie coffee mugs that go great with the Morning Coffee & Politics email compiled by the incomparable Melissa Ozols. If you’d like to snail mail a check,

drop us a line for the address!

Business Manager Doug Hardy also is available to talk about our recently revamped advertising options (and what an amazing audience we’ve built over the past six years) to see if it’s something that may fit your advertising needs. We also have other unique partnership opportunities through the nonprofit Online Journalism Project, for which we have been serving as a capitol news bureau since we launched in 2005. If you would like to support excellent journalism, drop us a line or give us a call at 860-543-9453.

 

SHOUT OUT

A “shout out” to Shannon Magnaldi of Fairfield who won first place in U.S. Rep. Jim Himes’ 4th District Art Competition. Her piece is in the upper left corner of the photo

Also a “shout out” to Bethel High senior Tori Bonagura, who received first place in U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty’s 5th District Art Competition for her entry, “Twiggy.” Photo here

Also, birthday wishes go out to Peggy Buchanan of the AFL-CIO and Sarah Aziz of North Haven.

And Congrats to Roy Occhiogrosso and Meagan Cowell on their engagement!

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

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

10 a.m. Sen. Gerratana: Save Our Services Forum CAP Old Judiciary Room

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 2013 LOB Concourse

10 a.m. Judiciary Committee Meeting LOB Room 2C

10:30 a.m. Public Safety & Security Committee Meeting LOB Room 2D

11 a.m. Labor and Public Employees Committee Meeting LOB Room 2B

12 P.M. HOUSE SESSION CAP House Chambers

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

* * * SPONSORED MESSAGE * * *
All the News That’s Fit to Click.
Get the latest news from CEA. Critical state and national education issues. Pressing stories that affect students, public education, and the teaching profession.

* * *