The Wheelhouse

This hour, we look at how successful Governor Ned Lamont's first hundred days were, and what his plans are to create a "cost-efficient, user friendly" government. Meanwhile, he's at odds with fellow Democrats over a proposed controversal tax increase on the state's wealthy residents . Also, more allegations against Purdue Pharma - that the company and its owners promoted deadly opioid addiction. A...

Stop & Shop employees continue to strike in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, prompting some customers to fill their grocery carts elsewhere.  An anti-toll rally draws an underwhelming crowd in Hartford, despite receiving promotion from several influential radio hosts (and we're not talking about Colin McEnroe here). And while state lawmakers debate religious exemptions for va...

The state's desperation for new revenue is certainly fueling this year's push to legalize marijuana. But for many Democrats in the legislature, a larger goal is addressing racial injustices created by a crackdown on illegal drugs that has inordinately targeted non-whites. A bill surviving a key vote this week ties legalization to the expungement of criminal records for those convicted of minor can...

There are those who hope Joe Biden, as he weighs a 2020 presidential run, hasn't lost his touch for personal connections. There are others who wish he would . A Connecticut resident is among the two women who came forward this week with complaints that the former Democratic vice president violated their personal space when greeting them at campaign events. Amy Lappos , a former staffer for U.S. Re...

"Treasonous" is a word President Donald Trump is now using to describe claims that he or those in his orbit conspired with Russian officials during the 2016 election. His re-election campaign is urging television news outlets to have second thoughts about booking some of the president's harshest critics, including Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. It's all part of the counterattack by Trum...

As New Zealand reacts to the deadliest mass shooting in its history, the debate over guns is resurfacing here in Connecticut on many fronts. The Connecticut Supreme Court has dealt a blow to the company that manufactures the semi-automatic rifle used in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Victims' families allowed to proceed with their lawsuit finally may be able to force Remington...

Connecticut's unemployment rate is at a 17-year low. The state has stockpiled $1.2 billion in its budget reserve fund. But it's still not in a position to go on anything resembling a spending spree. Not with state Comptroller Kevin Lembo warning lawmakers against counting on a repeat of last year's spike in tax collections. Job gains in 2018 also were not nearly as robust as initially reported. An...

Hundreds are expected to turn out to the state Capitol Wednesday for a public hearing on Gov. Ned Lamont's bill to install electronic tolls on Connecticut highways. But even those who favor tolls may not support another bill to create a transportation authority. Some think it would make state legislators less accountable when it comes to setting toll rates and deciding where toll gantries will be...

Governor Ned Lamont has said he is open to negotiating almost everything in his budget proposal. Well, it seems like lots of people are going to take him up on his offer. State legislators on opposite sides of the political spectrum are panning Lamont's plan to raise more than $500 million by expanding the goods and services subject to the state's sales tax. Union leaders feel slighted by his call...

The honeymoon period is over for Gov. Ned Lamont. When he delivers his state budget address to lawmakers later on Wednesday, there will already be plenty of animosity among those watching. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell's recently announced plans to leave the department has brought the city's budget woes into focus, as well as its contentious brand of politics. The police department is down to 395 officers , Campbell told city alders earlier this week. That's 100 less than called for in the department's 2019 fiscal year budget, he maintained. Support the show: http://wnpr.o...

President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night was full of contrasting tones. Like when he endorsed national paid family leave for new parents, and then just seconds later, called for legislation banning late-term abortions. Today, we break down his speech, and how well it went over or didn't go over with Congressional Democrats. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omny...

Elections aren't for another nine or so months, but mayoral races are heating up across Connecticut. That includes those in the state's three largest cities where the top municipal leaders are Democrats, and challengers from within the party keep emerging. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the shutdown of nine federal departments drags into its second month , it's not only about federal government workers going without paychecks. There has been an increase in warnings that various  programs   may also take a hit due to the stalemate between President Donald Trump and Democrats over border wall funding. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/lis...

The new wave of progressive Democrats, both in the Connecticut General Assembly and in Washington, D.C., isn't waiting for the 2020 election to bring about big changes. In Connecticut, there is emboldened optimism for increasing the state's minimum wage, like Massachusetts just did and allowing early voting , like New York, which  is on the verge of enacting. Support the show: http://wnpr.org...

On his first day of the job, Gov. Ned Lamont made a lot of requests. He requested state lawmakers to not play the "blame game" and instead confront the challenge of fixing state finances head on. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ned Lamont has been waiting for this day for a particularly long time. Our next governor may slip in a few new details about his specific policy goals after he takes the oath of office on Wednesday. But  Inauguration Day will mostly be a time for Lamont to set the tone of his forthcoming administration. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

It's the New Year and, for Ned Lamont, that means there is only one week left to prepare for the day he takes over the reins of state government. Lamont has signaled a willingness to be a consensus-builder , someone who brings together opposing viewpoints to reach effective solutions. But does he have the backbone to stand firm during the budget process when groups that propelled him into office p...

The troubling gap between the rich and the poor in Connecticut is formidable and only getting more profound . Studies have shown that failing to address income inequality hampers overall economic growth. So it's in everyone's interest that something is done about it. But with the state carrying the weight of massive debt payments, can we afford more programs designed to lift up those at the bottom...

To absolutely no one's surprise, outgoing Governor Dannel Malloy is not letting anyone define his legacy without adding his two cents . While speaking to the media Tuesday after the final Bond Commission meeting of his administration, Malloy struck back at those criticizing job growth in Connecticut and the level of state borrowing during his eight years in office. Support the show: http://wnpr.or...

Governor-elect Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced two team captains  who will be tasked with helping him confront huge state budget deficits and Connecticut's tarnished business climate. For his chief of staff, Lamont picked Ryan Drajewicz, an executive from Westport-based hedge fund behemoth Bridgewater Associates. His budget chief will be Melissa McCaw, currently the head of the city of Hartfo...

A narrative often repeated by Connecticut Republicans and others is that state residents are sick of the high taxes and government ineptitude, and ready to bolt to greener pastures. But new census data isn't all doom and gloom. Out-migration trends that soiled Connecticut's reputation in recent years are dissipating, according to a Hartford Courant editorial . In certain key categories, it found r...

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, The Wheelhouse is out enjoying a well-deserved break and being thankful for Colin McEnroe . We’ll be back next week giving you the latest news on all things politics in Connecticut. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re still finding out results from last Tuesday’s elections in Connecticut and that’s not surprising, really. Some of the races were just really close. That’s probably a good thing. Another good thing: Lots of people showing up to vote. Gigantic numbers showing up to vote in a midterm election in Connecticut and just about everywhere. The bad thing: We still can’t seem to get this election thing...

Upstart candidates like Connecticut's Jahana Hayes played a big role in Democrats regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's election. Hayes' victory over Republican opponent Manny Santos also kept the GOP locked out of the state's congressional delegation yet again. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.