Fair 45°
Politics
Handler Will Be Right At Home In New Canaan GOP Gubernatorial Debate Handler Will Be Right At Home In New Canaan GOP Gubernatorial Debate
Handler Will Be Right At Home In New Canaan GOP Gubernatorial Debate New Canaan will be hosting the Connecticut Republican Party’s fourth and final gubernatorial debate on Wednesday, April 18 on the home turf of one of the more than a dozen GOP challengers. New Canaan resident Michael Handler is poised to take another major step forward in his bid for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s seat, as his campaign announced last month that it surpassed a key fundraising threshold. Handler is Stamford’s chief financial officer, a post he has held since 2012, serving under a Republican and now a Democratic mayor. Handler has been aggressive in "shining a spotlight on the …

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by Jon Craig
Schools
All-Time High: State Graduation Rate Increases Again All-Time High: State Graduation Rate Increases Again
All-Time High: State Graduation Rate Increases Again The statewide high school graduation rate has broken another record, increasing for a seventh straight year to 87.9 percent for the Class of 2017.  The positive news was announced at a Monday news conference by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell at Wilbur Cross High School in Bridgeport. Wilbur Cross enjoyed the third largest increase in its public school graduation rate over the past five years of any Connecticut high school, reaching 81.3 percent last spring, up from 64.3 percent in 2013, officials said.  Graduation rates for black and Latino students …

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by Jon Craig
Lifestyle
Women From Stamford, Weston Nominated As Superior Court Judges Women From Stamford, Weston Nominated As Superior Court Judges
Women From Stamford, Weston Nominated As Superior Court Judges Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday, April 3 nominated the director of the Stamford Hospital Foundation to serve as a Superior Court judge.  Stephanie A. McLaughlin of Stamford, executive director of the Stamford Hospital Foundation, was among 11 judges nominated by Malloy.  Tracy Lee Dayton of Weston, a partner with Levine Lee law firm, also was nominated by Malloy to become a Superior Court judge.  "Selecting nominees to fill vacancies in our court system is one of the most important duties that a governor performs — they must possess the qualities that build a stronger, fairer Connect…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Tristate Governors Join Multi-State Gun Safety Coalition Tristate Governors Join Multi-State Gun Safety Coalition
Tristate Governors Join Multi-State Gun Safety Coalition Tri-State governors joined Rhode Island's governor to announce a Gun Safety’ Coalition to combat the gun violence epidemic. The Multi-State Coalition will trace and intercept firearms to stop the flow of out-of-state weapons. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, and Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island announced the formation of the new “States for Gun Safety” coalition to combat gun violence. In the face of repeated federal inaction, the multi-state coalition will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to better share info…

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by Jon Craig
News
New I-95 Widening Plan Introduced New I-95 Widening Plan Introduced
New I-95 Widening Plan Introduced Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Thursday released another plan to widen I-95 to relieve Fairfield County congestion and issued a plea to lawmakers to adopt new funding sources to pay for it. Malloy joined Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker in releasing a study on the impact of widening and improving both the western and eastern portions of Interstate 95 in Connecticut, and outlined the consequences of failing to act. Currently, peak morning and evening congestion on the highway accounts for 54 million hours of delay and costs $1.2 billion in lost time annually. …

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Revised Connecticut Budget Cuts Metro-North Fare Hikes, Saves Highway Tolls Revised Connecticut Budget Cuts Metro-North Fare Hikes, Saves Highway Tolls
Revised Connecticut Budget Cuts Metro-North Fare Hikes, Saves Highway Tolls Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday, Feb. 5 proposed these adjustments to the state budget that restore $4.3 billion in planned transportation projects, cancel proposed Metro-North fare hikes and add electronic tolls on state highways.  Malloy's proposed changes to the two-year state budget also eliminates the $200 personal property tax exemption, creates a new 25-cent deposit on wine and spirit bottles and eliminates education cost sharing for the 33 wealthiest communities, as reported here by the Greenwich Times.  Malloy released his Fiscal Year 2019 budget adjustments, building on the framew…

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by Jon Craig
News
Malloy Announces Support For Gas Tax Hike, Highway Tolls Malloy Announces Support For Gas Tax Hike, Highway Tolls
Malloy Announces Support For Gas Tax Hike, Highway Tolls Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced his support Wednesday for highway tolls and a gradual increase in the gasoline tax to pay for road projects, according to multiple reports. Malloy says Connecticut's crumbling and overcrowded roads are costing the state jobs, and he says it's time to bring tolls back after three decades. The governor’s plan would bring tolls back by the year 2022. In the meantime, gas taxes would go up 7 cents per gallon over the next four years. "Our biggest impediment to an even more vibrant economy is our decade’s long refusal to invest in transportation,” Malloy sa…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Malloy: Trump Admin Should Exempt Connecticut From Offshore Drilling Malloy: Trump Admin Should Exempt Connecticut From Offshore Drilling
Malloy: Trump Admin Should Exempt Connecticut From Offshore Drilling FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined a group of other governors on the east coast this week in opposing the expansion of offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean proposed by the Trump administration. Trump administration officials announced earlier in January that it would open up offshore drilling for all United States coastal waters. Malloy, along with the governors of Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia, wrote a letter to Secretary Ryan Zinke of the U.S. Department of the Interior, expressing their joint opposition to o…

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by Casey Donahue
News
State Postpones $4.3B In Transportation Projects, Proposes Rail Fare Hike State Postpones $4.3B In Transportation Projects, Proposes Rail Fare Hike
State Postpones $4.3B In Transportation Projects, Proposes Rail Fare Hike FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – The state Department of Transportation is indefinitely postponing hundreds of transportation projects totaling $4.3 billion until more revenue can be secured for the state's Special Transportation Fund, which is used to pay for repair projects and the operation of the DOT, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday. The postponement of the projects is on top of a proposal to increase fares on train and bus services in the state. The DOT has proposed an increase of 10 percent on rail fares, and a 25 cent increase in bus fares this year, followed by 5 percent increases…

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by Casey Donahue
Politics
Rep: Herbst Made Bigoted Attack On Gay Chief Justice Nominee From Stamford Rep: Herbst Made Bigoted Attack On Gay Chief Justice Nominee From Stamford
Rep: Herbst Made Bigoted Attack On Gay Chief Justice Nominee From Stamford STAMFORD, Conn. — State Rep. William Tong of Stamford called out Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Herbst of Trumbull for criticizing the governor's choice of a new State Supreme Court chief justice.  Tong, a Democrat, called Herbst’s criticism "bigoted." Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald of Stamford, whom Gov. Dannel P. Malloy plans to nominate for chief justice, is openly gay. “I am disgusted by Tim Herbst's bigoted attack on Justice Andrew McDonald. I know that Herbst is trying to ride a wave of hate and division to the governor’s mansion he so covets," Tong said.…

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by Daily Voice
News
Malloy Encourages Drivers To Stay Off Roads And Stay Safe In Snowstorm Malloy Encourages Drivers To Stay Off Roads And Stay Safe In Snowstorm
Malloy Encourages Drivers To Stay Off Roads And Stay Safe In Snowstorm FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is advising residents to stay off the roads and to be cautious, as parts of the state have been placed under a Blizzard Warning. A Blizzard Warning has been issued for New Haven, New London and Middlesex Counties until 1 a.m. Friday. Malloy activated the state's Emergency Operations Center Thursday morning. The state Department of Transportation has 634 state plow trucks and over 250 private contractor plow trucks ready to clear roads. The Connecticut State Police has extra units on the roads, and the state National Guard has more than 1,500 …

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by Casey Donahue
Politics
Stratford's Hoydick Steps Down As State Rep To Focus On Mayor's Duties Stratford's Hoydick Steps Down As State Rep To Focus On Mayor's Duties
Stratford's Hoydick Steps Down As State Rep To Focus On Mayor's Duties STRATFORD, Conn. — Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick has made good on a promise to resign her state representative post if she were elected to the town’s top spot. On Dec. 29, Hoydick, who represents the 120th House District, officially submitted her letter of resignation in person at the office of Secretary of State Denise Merrill. The resignation was effective Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 10 a.m. She has held the spot since a special election in March 2010. “It has been a great honor and pleasure to serve the people of the 120th District for the past seven years,” Hoydick said. “As I have pledged, I …

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by Meredith Guinness