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A new report found Connecticut still has massive gender, racial and ethnic wage gaps, both for low-wage and middle-wage workers. The issue is especially prominent in public-sector jobs, which also suffer from a lack of diversity. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Report: CT post-pandemic job growth still lags

A new report showed Connecticut's post-pandemic job growth lags behind the rest of the nation. The State of Working Connecticut report found …

By 2029, Connecticut's estimated share of enrollees benefiting from Medicare's out-of-pocket cap will be higher than 30 states and the District of Columbia. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Medicare cap helps reduce CT prescription drug costs

A new report found Connecticut residents will benefit from Medicare's new out-of-pocket cap. An estimated 49,000 people in the state would see …

Para 2029, la proporci�n estimada de afiliados de Connecticut que se beneficiar�n del l�mite de gastos de bolsillo de Medicare ser� superior a la de 30 estados y el Distrito de Columbia. (Adobe Stock)

Límite de Medicare ayuda a reducir costos de medicamentos en CT

Un nuevo informe encuentra que los residentes de Connecticut se beneficiarán del nuevo límite de gastos de bolsillo de Medicare. Se estima …

Connecticut voters don't want to repeal all the state's budget controls, but 46% of likely voters want to see

CT budget reserve could bolster much-needed social programs

Connecticut groups want Gov. Ned Lamont to use some of the state's budget reserve to fund social programs. The state has amassed a more than $4 …

A Pew Research poll showed more than half of U.S. adults think the country's K-12 public education system is headed in the wrong direction. Voters across party lines aren't certain education isn't doing right by kids. (Adobe Stock)

Education remains strong CT voter priority in 2024 elections

Connecticut groups said education is a top priority in the 2024 election. Vice President Kamala Harris is vowing to continue and expand on Biden …

Connecticut's Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care estimated the state loses around $1.5 billion yearly due to a lack of infant and toddler care. (Adobe Stock)

CT legislation helps reduce child care provider shortage

Legislation in Connecticut could help reduce the ongoing child care workforce shortage Reports show some 40,000 child care positions unfilled…

House Bill 5004 would have updated Connecticut's 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, establishing the state's climate goals. It also would have aligned gas-system planning with greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Failure of CT climate change legislation stagnates state progress

Bills addressing climate change are some of the biggest casualties of Connecticut's legislative session. One in particular is House Bill 5004…

Connecticut's 2011 paid sick leave law was the first in the nation to require private-sector employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave. (Adobe Stock)

CT paid sick days bill passes House, heads to Senate

A Connecticut bill would expand the state's paid sick leave law. The initial 2011 law requires 40 hours of paid sick leave for workers at employers …

Some places with camping bans preventing people from sleeping in public areas include Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and the cities of San Diego, Calif., and Portland, Oregon. (Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS homelessness case can have ripple effects in CT

The Supreme Court case Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson could upend homeless populations in Connecticut and nationwide. The case centers around whether …

Though Connecticut's benefits cliff persists, there are other programs helping people maintain benefits of some kind when their income pushes them over the limit. (Adobe Stock)

CT Day of Action raises awareness on 'benefits cliff'

Today, groups working with lower-income families in Connecticut are raising awareness about the state's "benefits cliff" with a day of action…

Shore Line East train service in December 2023 was 50.5% of what it was in 2019. (Adobe Stock)

CT lawmakers consider bills to boost public transit

Two pieces of legislation in Connecticut could bolster public transportation if they make it through the General Assembly. Senate Bill 277 would …

Nearly 60% of Connecticut's almost 113,000 undocumented immigrants do not have access to any form of health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Day of action focuses on CT undocumented residents' health care needs

Today, Connecticut health care advocates are holding a student day of action. They will speak to state lawmakers about raising the age limit for …

A new report from Connecticut Voices for Children found Connecticut's film industry tax credit mostly benefits the state's high-income and wealthy households and households outside of Connecticut. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT should consider eliminating costly film tax credit

A new report found Connecticut might be better off without its film industry tax credit. The Connecticut Voices for Children report showed the film …

Insurance rates on plans offered in the Connecticut Affordable Care Act Exchange rose on average around 9.4%, reduced from the requested 12.4%. Small-group plan rates increased on average 7.4%, reduced from a requested increase of 14.8%. (Adobe Stock)

CT insurance committee fails to advance legislation

Connecticut's Insurance and Real Estate Committee failed to advance any bills by its legislative deadline. Almost 40 bills were brought before the …

Should Connecticut's Child Tax Credit be enacted, 550,000 children, or 74% of children would be eligible. (Adobe Stock)

New maps show CT child tax credit’s statewide impacts

New data show the impacts of Connecticut's proposed child tax credit. Broken down by town, and state House and Senate districts, 268,000 eligible …

In Connecticut, Alzheimer's caregivers provide 201 million hours of unpaid care, which is valued at $4.2 billion. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates for Alzheimer's patients seek more help from CT lawmakers

People who support those with Alzheimer's disease are in Hartford today, asking Connecticut lawmakers to do more for families facing the brain …

A new report from Connecticut Voices for Children suggested one of the best ways to improve Connecticut's tax system would be by providing increased tax transparency for residents. (Adobe Stock)

Report: State tax system leaves CT residents struggling

A new report brands Connecticut's tax system as "regressive" for low- to middle-income residents and uses a report from the state to make its point…

The Annie E. Casey Foundation finds Connecticut's 13% child poverty rate in 2021 was 4% lower than the national average. (Adobe Stock)

CT lawmakers considering state child tax credit bill

Child tax credit legislation is being considered in Connecticut. The state is one of several without such a credit, though a child tax rebate was …

More than 700,000 people in Connecticut receive Social Security benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers rally for Social Security, federal budget

Lawmakers and union leaders are calling on Congress for fiscal changes during the year. Along with conversations about the budget and fair pay…

A 2021 Yale School of Public Health report found energy security is a top priority for low-income communities facing climate change effects, which also affects such other priority areas as food security and health. (Helen Humphreys/CCAG)

Advocates want CT General Assembly to maintain climate goals

As Connecticut's legislative session begins, advocates want the General Assembly to tackle climate action. The state established climate goals in 200…

The United Way of Connecticut's latest ALICE report showed almost 40% of families in the state struggle to make ends meet, due to high rents and low wages. (Adobe Stock)

Expanded Child Tax Credit to pull more CT families out of poverty

In Congress, the second expansion of the Child Tax Credit is expected to provide some Connecticut families with much-needed help and one local …

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness finds, as of Jan. 15, 801 people are outside, unsheltered in cold temperatures, despite Connecticut recently implementing the Severe Cold Weather Protocol due to extremely low temperatures. (Adobe Stock)

CT takes action to keep homeless people safe in winter

Connecticut organizations are working to protect homeless people from winter's biting chill. This time of year poses severe health challenges for …

A report by DataHaven showed health inequities have led to around 14,000 deaths in Connecticut, predominantly among the state's Black population. (Adobe Stock)

Survey: Discrimination rampant in CT, US health care

Despite efforts to the contrary, people across Connecticut and the U.S. experienced discrimination in health care. A DataHaven report found between 1…

About 60% of adults with medical debt said they have cut back on necessities such as food or clothing, while more than half of adults from households with incomes below $40,000 reported they have used up their savings to pay for their medical debt. (Adobe Stock)

CT residents struggle with medical debt despite available financial aid

Health care advocates said too often medical patients in Connecticut who are eligible for financial aid to help cover the cost of their care are not i…

Connecticut is putting $1 million toward funding migrant services for 2024 and 2025. The American Rescue Plan provides $3.25 million for the same purpose. (Adobe Stock)

CT immigrant advocates send letter opposing House border bill

More than 60 Connecticut immigrant advocate groups sent a letter to Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to safeguard asylum rights. Murphy is the lead …

The Economic Policy Institute found the number of child labor law violations increased from 1,012 in 2015 to 3,876 in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Bill in Congress poses stronger penalties for child labor violations

A bill in Congress with a Connecticut House sponsor aims to reduce child labor in the United States. Called the "Children Harmed in Life-Threatening …

A 2023 point-in-time census found the number of chronically homeless people in Connecticut remained at 117 between 2022 and 2023 but youth homelessness increased by 7.06%. (Adobe Stock)

CT group seeks solutions to homelessness

A Connecticut group is holding several roundtable discussions about ways to end homelessness. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is …

The latest Crime in Connecticut report showed investments for prevention and services for system-involved youth helped bring the crime rate down in 2022. More than $37 million went to prevention and intervention programs along with juvenile review boards. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Crime drops in Connecticut; more work needed

Good news for Connecticut residents: The state saw a 4% overall decrease in crime in 2022. The latest "Crime in Connecticut" annual report shows a 13…

As part of a new strategic plan, the Connecticut Health Foundation is looking to address maternal health equity for women of color. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report points to maternal health disparities for women of color across the United States. (Adobe Stock)

A new plan for advancing health equity in Connecticut

A Connecticut group has developed a new plan to bolster health equity in the state. The Connecticut Health Foundation's strategic plan tackles …

The Gun Violence Archive reports there have been 520 mass shootings to this point in 2023, 125 fewer than the total number of mass shootings in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

CT advocates celebrate White House gun violence prevention office

Connecticut advocates are keen to see what will come from the recently established White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The new office …

At least six states and dozens of local jurisdictions have introduced legislation to ban the use of ballot tabulators, relying instead on hand counts to determine election results despite tabulators having a higher accuracy rate. (Adobe Stock)

Pressure mounts on CT governor to upgrade election infrastructure

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the name 'Erlinghauser' as two words instead of one. (11:24 a.m. MDT, Sept. 20…

According to a new report, pay differences based on workers' gender, race and ethnicity all contribute to persistent wage inequality in the state. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Economic, Job Growth Lags Behind U.S.

A new report found Connecticut's economic growth is lagging, post-pandemic. The data showed, using the pandemic-induced recession as a baseline…

A Connecticut Voices for Children report found 39% of renters in the state who were not current on rent payments felt they would be evicted in the next two months. The rate was higher for Black and Latino renters, at 54% and 56% respectively. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Needs Long-Term Solutions to Eviction Crisis

A new report outlines long-term solutions for what it calls Connecticut's eviction crisis. The Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition found there were 21…

Although Connecticut's rankings in most health-related areas declined in the latest Kids Count Data Book, the state saw minor improvement in the number of children with health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Children Need Health, Education Investments

Investments in education and health are needed to bolster Connecticut's children, a new annual report found. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids …

As part of Connecticut's Plan on Aging, more funding has been allocated to bolster senior center programs. This is to help provide services for the state's growing older population, which is set to increase by 57% by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

'We Welcome Everyone': CT Senior Centers Rebound Post-Pandemic

As Connecticut and the rest of the U.S. leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind, senior centers are welcoming back participants they have not seen in a …

Almost all departments in Connecticut schools saw shortages in 2022, following a long-standing national trend. A 2022 American Federation of Teachers report found before the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 300,000 teachers were leaving the profession each year. (Adobe Stock)

CT Teacher Shortage Worsens As School Year Ends

As the school year ends, Connecticut's teacher shortage seems to have only worsened. In March, school districts across the state reported having 2,60…

Connecticut voters will be asked to add an amendment about no-excuse absentee voting in November 2024. This is when any voter can request a mail-in ballot, rather than have to submit an application to receive a ballot. (Adobe Stock)

CT House Passes Early Voting Plan, Senate Takes Up Bill

Connecticut's House of Representatives has passed a bill implementing an early-voting plan. Elements of the plan include requiring the Secretary of …

To implement the changes caregivers are seeking, the State of Connecticut will need an additional $390 million in Medicaid funding for this budget to cover care for the elderly and people with disabilities in long-term care settings and their homes. Currently, federal funding covers 56% of Connecticut's Medicaid expenditures. (Adobe Stock)

CT Caregivers Call on State Leaders for Better Working Conditions

Caregivers in Connecticut are calling on state officials for better conditions and higher pay. They're seeking a $25 an hour minimum wage, paid …

Across the United States, child populations have declined from 74.2 million to 73.1 million between 2010 and 2020, according to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This contrasts with the child population between 2000 and 2010, which increased by 1.9 million. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT Child Population Continues to Decline

A recent report finds Connecticut's child population declined over the last decade. According to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 25% of lawfully present immigrants and almost half (46%) of undocumented immigrants were uninsured in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Affordable Care Act Access Expanded to DACA Recipients

The Biden administration is expanding access to health coverage under the Affordable Care Act to include young people in the Deferred Action for Child…

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 68% of extremely low-income renter households in Connecticut are severely cost burdened, meaning they spend more than half their monthly income on housing. (Adobe Stock)

CT Councilwoman Redoubles Focus on Housing, Public Safety

One Connecticut elected official is eager to begin addressing issues in focus at the National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference…

According to data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, ridership on CT transit took a sharp dive at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained low for some time, but as of summer 2022, ridership levels are returning to pre-pandemic levels. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Calling for CT Transit to Remain Fare Free

Transit advocates are calling on Connecticut's General Assembly to keep the state's public transit system free. In April 2022, Gov. Ned Lamont …

Seg�n un an�lisis de la Asociaci�n Estadounidense de Atenci�n de la Salud, el crecimiento del empleo para los empleados de hogares de ancianos se desaceler� en 2022. Dice que si se mantiene ese ritmo, los hogares de ancianos no volver�n a los niveles de personal previos a la pandemia hasta 2027. (Adobe Stock)

Asamblea General de CT Considera Reformas a Hogares de Ancianos

La Asamblea General de Connecticut está considerando una legislación para establecer reformas radicales en los asilos de ancianos. El …

Connecticut's Education Cost Sharing Formula estimates it costs $11,525 to educate one public-school students. The goal of the ECS is to spread more than $2 billion across the state to fund education programs. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed Bill Would Speed CT Education Funding Plan

A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly could change how the state funds public education. The bill is designed to speed up fully funding the …

A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly calls for a $50 million investment into homeless and housing programs in the state, with more than $37 million to help chronically underfunded homeless response nonprofits. (Adobe Stock)

CT Legislation Would Fund Programs Addressing Homelessness

Proposed legislation aims to fund numerous programs helping Connecticut's homeless population. The bill would invest $50 million in the state's …

According to research from the American Federation of Teachers, there were 55,000 fewer registered nurses employed in the U.S. in 2021 than in 2020. This was the first decrease in five years. (Adobe Stock)

CT Groups, Unions Call for Public-Health Reforms

Health-care professionals and advocates in Connecticut have said it will take sweeping reforms to bolster the state's flailing public health system…

According to the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, evictions reached their <a href=

lowest points during the pandemic because of rent protections. During 2020 and 2021, evictions reached 6,429 and 9,356, respectively. (Adobe Stock)">

CT Facing Rise in Evictions

Connecticut is seeing a record high number of evictions. During 2022, the state recorded more than 21,000 evictions filed, despite a decline from 2017…

Numerous members of Congress have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging them to add $368 Million to the National Labor Relations Board's funding. (Adobe Stock)

Labor Advocates Want Congress to Approve NLRB Funding Boost

Labor advocates are asking Congress to better fund the National Labor Relations Board in its upcoming budget. The NLRB budget has declined 25% …

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CT: Budget Policy & Priorities