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VP Kamala Harris says she plans to 'earn and win' Democratic nomination after Joe Biden drops out and endorses her; New Alabama bill threatens voter rights, legal challenge ensues; Fact-checking GOP claims on immigrants; Water contamination a concern in Midwest flood aftermath.

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President Joe Biden drops his 2024 re-election bid. He's endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his spot on the ticket, and election experts say they see benefits to this decision.

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It's grass-cutting season and with it, rural lawn mower races, Montana's drive-thru blood project is easing shortages, rural Americans spend more on food when transportation costs are tallied, and a lack of good childcare is thwarting rural business owners.

CT insurance committee fails to advance legislation

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Tuesday, April 2, 2024   

Connecticut's Insurance and Real Estate Committee failed to advance any bills by its legislative deadline. Almost 40 bills were brought before the committee this session, but last-minute disagreements cost them a chance to vote on any of them.

Some of this legislation could have provided relief for residents, since insurance rates increased this year.

Tom Swan, executive director of Connecticut Citizen Action Group, called the situation unprecedented and said it speaks to a certain level of dysfunction among committee members.

"There were any number of bills before the committee this year, ranging from health-care affordability to mental health parity, that could have really improved people's lives. And I would argue that, because of the stubbornness of one co-chair, nothing happened," he contended.

With elections being held for both chambers this year, the committee will look quite different when it reconvenes next year. Swan feels this will serve as a learning experience for state lawmakers, and that next year, there could be a better understanding of what both caucus' priorities are, and move forward with a better knowledge of what bills will be raised.

Some bills before the committee would have been key to implementing reforms in certain insurance sectors. One would have approved a study to see how well companies abide by the state's Mental Health Parity Law. Despite vast support, this bill will wait until next year to be revisited.

Swan said if the same House co-chair returns to the committee in 2025, certain provisions need to be made.

"When the chairs meet, it probably would make sense for a representative of leadership's offices to be in the room, to make sure that what is agreed to actually happens when it comes up," he explained.

Some health-care increases were brought on by the pandemic, with Medicare and Medicaid's percentage of growth in cost expenditures barely growing 5% in 2021. But in the same year, commercial insurance's growth skyrocketed to almost 20%, with Connecticut spending $34 billion on health care and insurance costs.


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Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a political event in Grand Rapids, Mich., in early 2024. (The White House/Wikimedia Commons)

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