New figures show the projected surplus for Connecticut's state budget this year is collapsing. Gov. Dannel Malloy's budget office is now projecting the current fiscal year's General Fund will end $43.4 million in surplus—which is down from the expected $461.5 million figure--- according to a letter sent Wednesday from the Office of Policy and Management to the State Comptroller. Malloy's proposed $55-per-person tax rebate, to be paid for with surplus funds, was a casualty of the declining revenues.
More than 1,000 graduate assistants at Yale University are calling for a process to decide on unionization. Members of the Graduate Employees and Students Organization marched through soaking rain on Wednesday to deliver their petition to Yale’s administration. The group’s spokesman says it's time for Yale to join other universities that collectively bargain with graduate research and teaching assistants who do a vast amount of work on campus.
4th Measles Case Confirmed in Connecticut
The state Health Department has confirmed a fourth case of the measles in Connecticut. This case is a child in Fairfield County. Officials say the child was recovering and was unvaccinated. Health officials say the best way to prevent the measles is to be vaccinated. Of the other three confirmed cases, the most recent was in Branford this week. The remaining two, reported in February, also were in Fairfield County.
Northeast Power Grid Adequate for Extreme Weather
A group that promotes power reliability says the Northeast will have an adequate supply of electricity this summer, even during extreme weather. The Northeast Power Coordinating Council released its annual summer reliability assessment today. The region includes New York, the six New England states---and also the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec.
State Parks Appreciation Day Planned
The state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that Connecticut's first State Parks Appreciation Day is scheduled for later this month. DEEP invites volunteers to help prepare more than 20 state parks in Connecticut for the summer season. DEEP has partnered with Friends of Connecticut State Parks groups ---which support parks across the state to organize State Parks Appreciation Day events.
