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A bipartisan group of lawmakers reviewing possible new gun laws after the Newtown shootings has decided to issue two lists of recommendations -- one from Democrats, another from Republicans. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, that wasn't exactly the plan.

Small town leaders from across the state were at the state capitol today. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, they were there to push back against one of Governor Dannel Malloy's budget proposals -- the elimination of some car taxes.

Malloy wants to eliminate the property tax for cars worth less than $28,000. He says it will provide middle class tax relief and that it will curtail the "most hated and regressive tax in the state." John Elsesser doesn't like the tax, either. He's the town manager for Coventry.

The superintendent of schools for Aurora, Colorado spoke to Governor Dannel Malloy's Sandy Hook Advisory Commission today/Friday. Aurora was the scene of a mass shooting last July. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports. Malloy's task force is meeting to come up with policy recommendations after the Newtown shootings.

Vice President Joe Biden was in Connecticut to talk about gun control measures at a conference with Governor Dannel Malloy. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, an otherwise somber governor did a little bit to try and make the crowd laugh. Without the vice president in the room, Malloy gave his remarks and said that anytime you get to spend part of your day with Joe Biden is a good day.

And then he said this: "I'm going to bet that he's going to mention either his grandmother or his grandfather at some point in his talk with us." Enter the vice president.

Earlier this week, the Department of Defense officially announced it will extend certain spousal benefits to partners of gay and lesbian service-members. It's another step in a policy shift to treat all service members equally since the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Connecticut officials are welcoming President Barack Obama's sweeping proposals for curbing gun violence following the deadly shooting at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports. Gov. Dannel Malloy credited the president with taking "the critical first step" in making sure such a tragedy doesn't happen again. Malloy said the president has offered "common sense measures" that "we should all be able to agree on."

Connecticut legislators are establishing a bipartisan task force to recommend possible legislation to prevent gun violence, provide mental health care and improve school safety. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, this comes a month after the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

As Vice President Biden prepares to issue his gun safety recommendations to the president early next week, Connecticut Democrats are keeping the pressure on. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy say they've sent a letter to Biden, urging measures that would expand assault weapons bans, institute universal background checks for gun and ammunition purchase, and improve federal tracking of firearms.

Today was the launch of something called the Connecticut Health Council. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, the council's ultimate goal is to attract new healthcare industry jobs to the state.

The council will have meetings every six weeks or so to talk about topics in health care, and representatives from various areas within the industry are planning to take part. It's part education, part networking, and part Connecticut sell job.

It's been about three years since the the Connecticut Science Center sued some of the contractors who built it, looking to recoup some of the money it lost from a faulty roof. Now, as WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, the science center has resolved some -- but not all -- of those claims.

Students in three Connecticut school districts will start having longer school days beginning next year. Governor Dannel Malloy joined U-S Education Secretary Arne Duncan and leaders from four other states to announce the initiative in Washington DC.  He says Connecticut will use a mix of state and federal funding to help pay for an additional 300 hours of school time next year.

Three months after promising a national search to find a new chief operating officer, the city of Hartford says it hasn't yet started to look for one. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, this comes on the heels of a search for a police chief that got mixed reviews.

Earlier this year, Mayor Pedro Segarra spent $50,000 on a national search for police chief only to pick James Rovella in the end. Rovella was already serving as acting chief. That move rubbed some on the city council the wrong way. And, at the time, even Segarra's chief of staff Jared Kupiec said the process wasn't ideal.

With legal and political battles over the Affordable Care Act all but settled, it now appears that the health care overhaul law is here to stay. The goal of the law is to promise insurance coverage for more Americans and, if it works, increase access to care.

The city of Hartford and the town of Farmington are working together to turn 86 acres of forested land into office space. The city owns about 1,000 acres of wooded property in Farmington, land it has had for nearly a century since it was acquired from the old Hartford Water Company.