Connecticut: You’re Paying More for Gas Than Anyone in the Nation

The Journal Inquirer has an excellent editorial today which highlights the role government and taxation is playing in the high prices we are all paying at the pumps. They say:
Back in Connecticut, Governor Rell and the General Assembly are about to preside over another increase in gasoline taxes as the state’s wholesale tax on oil [...]

Big City Mayors Side With Republicans

 
House and Senate Republicans got some unusual support for their pleas to make changes to the current state budget today: Big city mayors pushed the Democratic majority to restore early reading program cuts and realtors said the GOP plan to cut real estate taxes should be considered.
A day after the Republicans [...]

House and Senate GOP Call for Budget Action During Special Session

Republican budget proposal will protect municipal state aid, fund Early Reading Success, encourage small business growth and reduce state gas taxes
Amid skyrocketing gasoline prices, worsening economic indicators and pleas for help from taxpayers, educators, nursing homes, private providers, public housing authorities, Mayors and First Selectmen; Legislative Republicans today reintroduced their alternative [...]

The Coming Special Session…

Didn’t we just do this?
Senate and House Democrats are preparing to call a special session of the General Assembly to finish “business” that they somehow were unable to conclude during the regular session that just ended a week ago.
Seems a little late after “Doing Nothing” to decide you want to “Do Something.”
With Connecticut now facing a [...]

The Failure of Ethics Reform, 2008

In the post-session wrap-up press conference House Republican Leader Larry Cafero (R-Norwalk) talked about why the legislature failed to pass ethics reform in the 2008 session.

GOP’s “Support Our Troops” Plate Passes

Republicans today pushed through a “Support our Troops!” license plate that will generate much needed funds for veterans’ programs when the House of Representatives unanimously adopted the measure on the final day of the legislative session.
A portion of the $60 fee for the special plate will be deposited into a dedicated account within the state [...]

“Only in the General Assembly”

Today is the final day of the 2008 Session of the Connecticut General Assembly, which adjourns at midnight tonight.
Aboove, House GOP Leader Larry Cafero points out something about the way bills get done here.
It’s also interesting that we can have a bill that has nothing do with its intial subject anymore, [...]

Democrats Refuse to Discuss GOP Budget Alternative Once Again

Tonight House Republicans once again offered their alternative “Do Something” budget, this time as an amendment to SB 51, An Act Concerning Legislative Recommendations Concerning the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Once Representative Kevin DelGobbo (R-Naugatuck), Ranking Member of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee presented the amendment, Majority Leader Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden) made [...]

Tick Tock

With roughly 32 hours left before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Constitutionally mandated adjournment of midnight, May 7th, what’s happening?
Not much.
Democrats in the House and Senate have settled on their “do nothing” approach to the budget despite a growing defict, and are apparently determined to make sure that the GOP will be unable to call their [...]

House Republicans Offer GOP Budget on House Floor

This evening House Republicans offered the GOP alternative budget on the floor of the House as an amendment to HB 5617, An Act Making Revisions to the Charter Oak Health Plan.
Majority Leader Chris Donovan suggested that the amendment was not germane to the bill, to which Deputy Speaker Robert Godfrey, currently in [...]