State Funding

Connecticut community leaders want the state legislature to increase support for youth and summer employment programs.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and key legislative leaders have reached a deal to allocate millions of dollars in emergency funding for special education and nonprofits. The House and Senate are expected to vote on it on Wednesday.

The Connecticut Education Association was one of several teachers’ unions—along with the American Federation of Teachers—pushing back against expectations that the Trump administration would downsize or dismantle the Department of Education, which supports state educational funding.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed on Monday afternoon that he planned to line-item veto two pieces of legislation that the General Assembly passed in his absence.

The Connecticut Port Authority violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act when it withheld records from a WSHU reporter about the final cost of its State Pier project in New London.

Gov. Ned Lamont keynoted a legislative lunch hosted by the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. It was part of his statewide tour to update local municipal and business leaders on what his administration is up to.

Gov. Kathy Hochul launched on Tuesday an expansion of school-based mental health programs in New York. This is part of a commitment Hochul made during her State of the State address to improve youth mental health services provided.

The University of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system were represented Tuesday evening at a public hearing for the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, pushing for more funding for higher education.

A public hearing next week is expected to include pleas from CSCU students and faculty for more state funding. But top budget officials are holding strong on claims that the state has already done its part.

Some 700 arts and culture organizations in Connecticut are starting the new year without a $10.7 million pot of grant funding they used to have access to for operating costs. Yet, a recent report shows a key impact on communities of color and its contribution to the state’s economy.