Democratic Rule Remakes Connecticut’s Legislature. MOST liberal state, This is the test

[Soral]

HARTFORD — In a year when conservative politics have dominated even traditionally Democratic states like New Jersey and New York, Connecticut is closing out its most activist, liberal legislative session in memory.

Lawmakers over the last several weeks have enacted.....
~ the largest tax increase in Connecticut history
~ approved the nation’s first law to mandate paid sick leave for some workers.
~ voted to extend protections for transgender people
~ to charge in-state college tuition rates to illegal immigrants
~ to extend an early-release program for prisoners
~ to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana

As legislators wrap up the first session in 20 years with a Democratic governor, who is working with two chambers in the Legislature under Democratic control, it is clear that either they did not receive or they decided to tear up the antitax, budget-slashing, confront-the-unions script that has characterized state legislative sessions elsewhere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/nyregion/democratic-rule-remakes-connecticuts-legislative-face.html







This is the test. While the rest of the country is out gutting state government from the ground up, democrats in CT are building from the ground up.

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. Unfortunately, Malloy has also ramped up the anti-union rhetoric.

Other than that, he's been doing mostly the right things.

[Soral]

3. Yes, $1.6 billion in union concessions on pay and benefits over two years.

But, I say, taking a little here and there is OK when you are putting it back into the system, instead of handing it to corporations and the rich.

[Glorfindel]

2. Hooray for the courageous Connecticut legislators!

And the governor, too.

[Soral]

4. It took us 2 decades to get a democrat governor, but its finally working out