Connecticut lawmakers averted a $4.5 million cut to legal aid for the poor that was expected to reduce services for the state’s neediest residents. The legislature approved a plan to continue using increased court filing fees to fund legal aid. It was part of a massive budget bill adopted just before the legislative session ended on Wednesday.
A Quinnipiac Poll released today shows Governor Dannel Malloy and Greenwich Republican Tom Foley are still deadlocked in the race, 43 to 43 percent--- while Malloy would beat Republican contender state Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney of Fairfield 44 to 40 percent.
Utility Plans Rate Increase
Connecticut Light and Power will seek a 5.9 percent rate increase from state regulators as it works to replace aging infrastructure and improve reliability. The company says any approved electric rate increase would not go into effect until December. The company says it is investing in new and stronger poles, wires, transformers and substations.
Most Underwater Mortgages in Hartford
Hartford has the highest rate of underwater mortgages in the country. A study conducted by UC Berkley’s Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society shows communities of color are most likely to owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. But the city administration disputes the data on which the study is based.