Tag Archives: Connecticut

The Hartford Courant reports: Following more than seven hours of debate, the Connecticut House of Representatives avoided a threatened gubernatorial veto and approved a revised bill that would legalize marijuana in the state. The measure cleared the House by a largely party-line vote of 76 to 62. Twelve Democrats joined all but one Republican–Rep. Rick Hayes of Putnam–in voting no. …

The New York Times reports: New York and its neighbors, New Jersey and Connecticut, will welcome back crowds on May 19, state officials said Monday, a major step for a region that was once a center of the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants, offices, retail stores, theaters, museums, barber shops, amusement parks and gyms and fitness centers will all be allowed to …

The Hartford Courant reports: Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday signed legislation that would end Connecticut’s religious exemption for mandatory school vaccinations beginning in the 2022 school year. “When it comes to the safety of our children, we need to take an abundance of caution,” Lamont said, in a written statement. “This legislation is needed to protect our kids against serious illnesses …

The Associated Press reports: A contentious bill that would end Connecticut’s long-standing religious exemption from immunization requirements for schools, beginning with the 2022-23 school year, now awaits action in the state Senate. The legislation passed on a 90-53 vote in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, following more than 16 hours of sometimes combative debate. …

The Hartford Courant reports: Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday announced that he will roll back pandemic-related restrictions in Connecticut starting March 19, including allowing restaurants to operate at full capacity, loosening rules on sports and entertainment venues and lifting the state’s travel ban. The state will maintain some key measures, including a mask mandate, social distancing rules, a curfew for …

Hartford’s NBC News affiliate reports: Fines will now be implemented for those who are not following Connecticut’s mask orders and event size limits, according to Governor Ned Lamont. The governor said a $100 fine will be implemented for individuals who do not follow the state’s mask order. Also, people will now have to pay a $500 fine for organizing an …

The Hartford Courant reports: A Republican running for Congress in Connecticut’s 2nd District abruptly dropped his bid on the day of the primary following his arrest. Thomas Gilmer of Madison was arrested by Wethersfield police late Monday, a department official confirmed. He was charged on a warrant with first-degree unlawful restraint and second-degree strangulation and posted a $5,000 bond. Sources …

The Washington Post reports: Connecticut on Thursday became the sixth state to push back its presidential primary because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ned Lamont announced the move on Twitter, saying he would work with his secretary of state to reschedule the contest, originally scheduled for April 28, to June 2. The Democratic governor said the decision was part of …

Hartford’s NBC News affiliate reports: The woman accused of starting the fatal fire that ripped through a Hartford apartment building early Sunday morning lit a bottle of hand sanitizer on fire and threw it at her girlfriend during a domestic altercation, according to Hartford police. The fire spread from there throughout the upper floors of the building. Police arrested Destiny …

The Hartford Courant reports: Few people work harder than Donald Trump when it comes to self promotion, but now Connecticut radio station WDRC is doing it for him, rebranding itself as “Trump Radio.” The station’s brass is touting the new “ultra conservative talk” format — which is expected to be temporary — as the “brave new voice of freedom.” The …

The New York Times reports: The Connecticut Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the firearms industry on Thursday, clearing the way for a lawsuit to move forward against the companies that manufactured and sold the semiautomatic rifle used by the gunman in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The ruling allows the lawsuit brought by victims’ relatives to …

The Hartford Courant reports: Ned Lamont will be the next governor of Connecticut. Republican Bob Stefanowski conceded the race for governor Wednesday morning after late returns from the state’s cities pushed Lamont to victory. In conceding, Stefanowski said “the margin was big enough” to hand victory to Lamont. Problems with same-day voter registration are not significant enough to change the …

NBC Connecticut reports: It appears a local McDonald’s has thrown down the gauntlet to its new fast-food neighbor. A Chick-fil-A is moving in next to the Glastonbury McDonald’s. While the chicken chain does not open until July 26, to the casual observer it appears McDonald’s may already be taking a dig at their values. The sign under the golden arches …

CNN reports: In the immediate aftermath of revelations that Rep. Elizabeth Esty kept her chief of staff on the payroll for three months after another former aide made allegations of harassment against him, the Connecticut Democrat insisted she would not resign. “For those who have asked, I want to be clear that I am not resigning,” Esty said in the …

The Connecticut Mirror reports: Senate Republicans voted as a bloc Tuesday to deny Andrew J. McDonald confirmation as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, stopping the ascent of a political and legal trailblazer for the gay community, a factor that opponents insisted was irrelevant and supporters said could not be ignored. Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, the only openly …

Via press release from Gov. Dan Malloy: “The modern-day Republican party seems to have taken a page out of the 20th century fascist regime propaganda playbook. The primary purpose of today’s theater regarding ‘fake news’ awards is to bully and intimidate members of an independent press who seek to report the facts. “Democracy does not exist without a free and …

Via press release from Connecticut Equality: The Connecticut Senate voted unanimously today to pass HB 6695, AAC The Protection of Youth from Conversion Therapy 36-0, with bipartisan support. Sponsored by Senator Beth Bye and Representative Jeff Currey, the bill has 100 co-sponsors and was approved in the House by an overwhelming margin last week. “We are delighted with today’s vote, and grateful …

The Associated Press reports: Connecticut lawmakers are considering whether the state should become the first in the country to allow police to use drones outfitted with deadly weapons. The proposal was immediately met with concern by civil rights and liberties advocates. The state legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved the bill Wednesday and sent it to the House of Representatives. It would …

From the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow site: State employees in Connecticut could be denied the opportunity to contribute to a qualified charity after the state comptroller became personally offended by the group’s biblical stance on marriage. In a November 30 letter to American Family Association president Tim Wildmon, comptroller Kevin Lembo notes what he calls AFA’s “so-called attempts to protect …

Homocon candidates Clay Cope and Sheriff Paul Babeu both lost their bids for the US House yesterday. From the Hartford Courant: After nearly three hours of startlingly close results, Republican Clay Cope late Tuesday night conceded the 5th Congressional District race to Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Esty. The 5th District was by far the tightest Congressional race in the state, with …