Keith M. Phaneuf / CT Mirror

It became increasingly likely Thursday that Connecticut officials’ plan to give $1,000 bonuses to many essential private-sector workers will be scaled back.

About 30,000 applications for pandemic bonuses for private-sector workers filed in first days of program

Donald Frost identified in affidavit as an official who had accepted illegal gifts from state pier consultant.

The Premium Pay portal is open for Connecticut Health care workers, grocery store employees and other private-sector employees who staffed vital services during the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic can begin applying for up to a $1,000 bonus from the state.

While Erick Russell, Dita Bhargava and Karen DuBois-Walton bring different backgrounds to the primary, all three are acutely aware of the importance of the treasurer’s office and pledge to bring a strong voice to the job. The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, in the general election in November.

When Connecticut deposits roughly $4.1 billion into its pension funds this fall, it will mark the third consecutive year the state used its budget surplus to whittle down the massive pension debt accrued over more than seven decades. But a recent analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts provided a sobering reminder of just how far Connecticut still has to go — even considering its great wealth — to overcome decades of fiscal irresponsibility.

Roughly 70% to 80% of eligible households claimed the state’s $250-per-child tax rebate before the application period closed Sunday, Gov. Ned Lamont’s office reported Monday. A total of 238,668 low- and middle-income households claimed the benefit on behalf of 369,883 children. That means $92.5 million or 74% of the $125 million that legislators appropriated for the program would be distributed.

Republican gubernatorial challenger Bob Stefanowski unveiled a $640 million relief plan Tuesday that would spare businesses from repaying hundreds of millions of dollars owed to Connecticut’s unemployment trust.

An economy on the brink of recession and 9% inflation weren’t enough to stop state government’s surplus from shattering the $4 billion mark, Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget office reported Wednesday.

Connecticut, like many states, has tried to capture more tax revenue from online sales since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door in 2018.