WICC The Voice of Connecticut

Host Paul Pacelli updated listeners on Friday's "Connecticut Today" about an emerging proposal in Hartford to implement a possible state income tax surcharge on its richest residents, a plan that's already up and running in Massachusetts, with interesting results (00:46). Former Bridgeport Democratic state Rep. Chris Caruso offered his thoughts on a controversial "emergency" bill that passed in Hartford (16:12). Southern Connecticut State University Sports Communications and Sports Marketing Instructor Len Mead talked about "Problem Gambling Awareness Month" and the continued integration of legal wagering and mainstream sports programming (25:41)

Despite being denied by PURA this past fall, a potential sale of Aquarion Water Company may happen before the end of March! Find out in the podcast how this could affect your water bill and what is being done about it.

There is a push to pass a proposal funding universal free breakfasts for school children across the state. But it's more complicated than just wanting to do the right thing and feed kids. We talked about funding and quality of food concerns with state Rep. Tina Courpas.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities is sounding the alarm about slipping pension offset language into Senate Bill 298. This was the sweeping emergency certification bill that passed in the state House and Senate. We got a better understanding about CCM's concerns from Joe DeLong. 

The emergency bill that passed the Senate has now passed the House and moves to the governor’s desk. In the House, three Republican representatives, including Rep. Ben McGorty of Stratford, voted in favor of the bill. We found out why. 

Host Paul Pacelli jump-started Thursday's edition of "Connecticut Today" telling critics of President Trump that it was more than proper for the U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team to accept an invitation to the State of the Union Address (00:35). New Canaan/Darien/Stamford GOP State Rep. Tom O'Dea (16:23) and former GOP State Senate Leader John McKinney explained their thoughts on a so-called "emergency" bill at the State Capitol (21:57)

Two pieces of election law provisions are included in that massive emergency certified bill that passed the Senate this week. We talked about the legislation with state Representative Matt Blumethal, Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.

Image Courtesy of Matt Blumenthal

There’s an effort to pass a bill that would combat wage theft at the workplace. We’re told the bill was designed to improve accountability among contractors and protect workers on state-funded projects. We asked Comptroller Sean Scanlon about this legislation.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

There is a public hearing next week regarding the need for parental consent when a minor wants to have an abortion. We spoke with state Representative Brian Lanoue about the push for this legislation.

If you want to make public comment or testified on this: https://www.cthousegop.com/lanoue/public-hearing-announcement--hb-5309-parental-notification-bill

The Senate voted to pass a 121-page bill through an expedited process called emergency certification. The bill introduced Wednesday covers a wide range of issues from education to election law to warehouse ownership requirements. It also includes earmarks – directing millions of dollars toward various nonprofit groups and municipalities. All Senate Democrats and Republican Senator Tony Hwang voted in favor of the legislation; the remaining Republican Senators voted against it. We spoke with Senator Hwang about his decision to vote for it.

Image Courtesy of Tony Hwang

A government shutdown or a natural disaster are good reasons to pass legislation under emergency certification. But what is the ‘emergency’ prompting the passage of a 121-page bill in the state Senate and does it point to a bad trend coming in Hartford? We spoke with House Minority Leader, Vin Candelora, about the process of e-cert legislation.

There's a new blood test that may indicate whether older people have a real high chance of living longer.   Researchers at Duke University published findings in "Aging Cell" that show certain small RNA molecules in the bloodstream can predict whether older adults are likely to survive at least two more years. We asked Dr. Fred Browne about this.

Image Courtesy of Griffin Health and Dr. Fred Browne

Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" featured both host Paul Pacelli (00:35) and Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar (16:52) talking about a rare, parliamentary move by majority Democrats at the State Capitol to pass a big, multi-faceted bill. We also analyzed the previous evening's State of the Union address with Southern Connecticut State University Associate Professor of Political Science and Urban Affairs Dr. Jonathan Wharton (23:46) and Quinnipiac University Professor of Political Science Dr. Scott McLean (30:29)

Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill that would provide public funding for 12 early-career journalism fellowships in newsrooms around the state. As a fellow reporter, I love the idea of building our pipeline of local journalists but is there a catch? We talked through the legislation with Ben Bogardus, Professor of Journalism and Chair of the Department of Journalism at Quinnipiac University.

To read the bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/TOB/H/PDF/2026HB-05159-R00-HB.PDF

A new bill is looking to improve reading skills for our students. It builds on an effort that started three years ago. Senate Bill 220 would require that schools adopt an individual reading plan for every student in grades 4 through 9 who does not meet the achievement standard for reading on annual exams. It may sound good on the surface, but is it more complicated to implement than we realize and how will we pay for it? A real reading advocate and education leader in our state, Fran Rabinowitz, weighed in on this. She is the executive director of The Connecticut Association...

Following President Trump’s State of the Union address, our governor, Ned Lamont, released this statement saying in part: President Donald Trump outlined his administration’s priorities, but for too many families in Connecticut and across the country, the reality of this administration can be summed up by increased costs and unpredictability. What were the key takeaways from the address and what direct impact will it have on Connecticut residents? Sacred Heart University political professor, Dr. Gary Rose gave feedback.

The CT Senate Republican Caucus will address the “emergency” Senate session happening today. We’re told more than a dozen pieces of legislation will potentially pass today without public hearings. State Democrats say all the bills being discussed have had prior hearings and went through committees in the past. We talked about the controversies around this emergency session with News 8 political reporter, Mike Cerulli.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Tuesday's edition of "Connecticut Today" featured host Paul Pacelli wondering if listeners were going to listen to, or watch, President Trump's State of the Union address, or avoid the event (00:42). Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio talked about a big "emergency bill" being considered this week at the State Capitol (15:42), while CT News Junkie and Substack.com columnist and blogger Terry Cowgill commented on the national scene (27:11). CBS News correspondent Olivia Rinaldi joined us from Washington, D.C. on tonight's State of the Union address (37:22)

Right now, Connecticut lawmakers are looking at a piece of legislation that will
enhance protections for ticket purchases and crack down on deceptive internet sites posing as event venues. It’s called An Act Concerning Entertainment Event Tickets which really got more attention after an event came to light at The Klein. We spoke with Laurence Caso, executive director at The Klein, about what happened in 2024 and how it’s prompted change during this legislative session.

State Police released an arrest warrant affidavit for the former Chief of Police in New Haven, Karl Jacobsen. He is alleged to have stolen more than $85,000 from the department between 2024 and 2025. The document says the money stolen is allegedly tied to gambling. We spoke with Gary MacNamara, former Chief of Police in Fairfield, about the potential issue of battling addictions while performing in a top cop role.

The blizzard of 2026 really packed a punch and hit Connecticut hard. We looked at the aftermath with Josh Morgan of the Department of Transportation and asked if we are ready for anything else this winter can bring. 

Host Paul Pacelli chatted with WICC Chief Meteorologist Paul Piorek on Monday's "Connecticut Today" about the previous day's blizzard, known as Winter Storm "Fern." (00:18 and 03:52)

CT Senate and House Republicans unveiled legislative proposals aimed at preventing fraud. We spoke to Senate Minority Leader, Steve Harding, about efforts to strengthen oversight and accountability and whether this is a culture of corruption in state government. 

It’s any parent’s nightmare: your child is in the care of a predator. That nightmare came to life in Bethany a few years ago. A former parks and recreation employee was arrested and charged with multiple felony charges, including sexual contact with a victim under 13, first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. A recent OCA report revealed there are a lot of systemic failures for license-exempt programs, like parks and rec. We spoke with Acting Child Advocate, Christina Ghio, for the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate.

For parents to search program lice...

Host Paul Pacelli kicked off Thursday's "Connecticut Today" wondering if it's an insult to a member of Congress' constituents if that member - like Sen. Chris Murphy - skips the upcoming State of the Union address (00:50). We also heard the latest on Connecticut politics from former Bridgeport Democratic State Rep. Chris Caruso (14:54) and former State Senate GOP leader John McKinney (24:16). CBS News White House reporter Linda Kenyon had the latest on a possible U.S. attack on Iran (33:53), while Quinnipiac University men's and women's hockey TV play-by-play voice Phil Giubileo broke down today's women's Olympic Gold-Medal game between the U...

A stadium meant for the Connecticut United Football Club is still happening but maybe not in Bridgeport anymore. The shocking decision comes after Governor Lamont announced that the state would not invest any more state dollars into the project.
We got more details from Andre Swanston, CEO of Connecticut Sports Group which owns the Connecticut United Football Club.

The FDA is agreeing to review Moderna's influenza vaccine. Officials defended the initial decision, saying the company should have given a higher-strength vaccine to older patients in the control arm of its trial. However, Moderna made revisions to its approach and is now seeking full approval for the shot for adults between 50 and 64 years old as well as accelerated approval for those aged 65 and above. We talked about this with Dr. Browne of Griffin Health.

Image Courtesy of Griffin Health and Dr. Fred Browne

The governor wants to raise the minimum age to access prediction market platforms from 18 to 21. Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to risk money forecasting all kinds of events including sports, elections, and celebrity news. But how likely is it for Connecticut to pass effective legislation without enough federal regulation? We asked Paul Tarbox, Director of Public Policy and Communications at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

For more information: https://ccpg.org/

The Stratford High School softball team is joining forces with Notre Dame West Haven. We got the scoop on what happened from Stratford’ Head Coach, Gary Sherrick.

Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

Governor Lamont is proposing more incentives to recruit and retain police officers and firefighters. The push comes amid staffing shortages in both industries across the state. But does it really do enough, especially for police, to attract people to the jobs and keep them? We asked State Senator Paul Cicarella, who is a leading lawmaker on the Public Safety and Security Committee.

Connecticut lawmakers pushed for a refundable child tax credit. House Bill 5134 calls for a fully refundable child tax credit of $600 per child for up to three children. It would be available to families that earn up to $100,000 for single filers and $200,000 for joint filers.

We spoke with Molly Markowitz from the American Academy of Pediatrics; she’s also a member of the CT Child Tax Credit Coalition.

This month, the FAA announced the requirement for all U.S. airlines to certify that they are using merit-based hiring for pilots. But are DEI hiring practices even happening for the average pilot hiring in America? We got perspective from Connecticut retired commercial airline pilot, Paul Zielinski.

Host Paul Pacelli welcomed Greenwich / Stamford GOP State Rep. Tina Courpas to Wednesday's "Connecticut Today" regarding a public hearing the previous day on another controversial housing bill (00:42). Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Editor and Columnist Dan Haar talked about another controversy over the sale of Aquarion Water (10:22). CBS News Legal Analyst Thane Rosenbaum discussed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony, earlier in the day, in a key social media court case (21:02). Paul also a had a few thoughts on a proposed Connecticut climate "superfund" (27:57)

Lithium-ion battery fires are rapidly increasing across the country with over 5,000 incidents annually at recycling facilities alone. Common culprits include e-bikes, e-scooters, cell phones, and power tools which catch fire easily due to thermal runaway, damage, or improper charging. CT manufacturer Packaging And Crating Technologies (PACT) is helping to keep consumers safe in honor of National Battery Day today. PACT Chief Operating Officer Rodger Mort is here to give us some tips on safe storage, charging, and disposing of handheld devices and E-mobility equipment containing lithium batteries.

For more information: https://pactww.com/

Disability Rights of Connecticut, a federally mandated agency advocating for individuals with disabilities, and the state's Office of the Child Advocate looked at out-of-state placements for Connecticut special education students during three school years, from 2021 to 2024. And that report revealed tens of millions of dollars being spent to send kids out of district. But more importantly, some of these kids are going to facilities out of state without Connecticut oversight and sometimes even oversight from the state where they operate. We wanted to dive into this report more so we connected with Christina Ghio, Acting Child Advocate for the...

The nation is still recovering after the devastating death of Dawson’s Creek star, James Van der Beek. Colorectal cancer has been on the rise in young adults for years and is now the leading cause of cancer deaths overall in this age group. We spoke with wellness coach, Amy Llinas, about ways to lower the risk of getting this cancer.

This month, The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection announced a new liquor education program for permit applicants. We learned more about that from Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli.

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" looking at a controversial state Senate bill that could drastically reduce municipal residential planning and zoning control (00:35). We also heard thoughts on that same bill from GOP State Rep. and Housing Committee member Steve Weir (16:34) and Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio (26:47). CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro also updated us on the current funding shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security (36:48)

The state Judicial Branch has reportedly been working behind the scenes to build a new juvenile detention center in Tolland. But apparently, no one in the town or even state police knew about the proposed project. We spoke with Senator Jeff Gordon, who represents several municipalities including Tolland, about a potential loophole in state law allowing zero transparency with municipalities on development projects like this.