If a federal spending package isn鈥檛 passed by Sunday, the government could shutdown
Thousands of 海角换妻 residents will be impacted if federal lawmakers can鈥檛 come up with a resolution to fund the U.S. government by Oct. 1.
A small group of hard-right Republicans have sent the U.S. House into chaos as their party fails to reach consensus on a spending bill to keep the government open past Saturday. The U.S. Senate is working on its own bipartisan plan that is supported by both parties to continue funding at current levels.
According to data obtained by 海角换妻 and CT Mirror federal policy reporter Lisa Hagen, the state has more than 8,400 federal employees. And they mostly work for Cabinet-level agencies or large independent agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.
The state鈥檚 defense workforce, along with service members at the New London-based U.S. Coast Guard Academy, are also facing the ramifications of a government shutdown.
"In 2019, when the Coast Guard was shut down along with the Department of Homeland Security in New London, we had pop-up food banks to help Coast Guard families put food on the table for themselves and their family members," U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a 海角换妻 Democrat, said earlier this week. "This potential shutdown is totally unnecessary, unfair, and will wreak havoc across the country."
Coast Guard families poured through donations at tables that were set-up on campus back in January of 2019, when a government shutdown prevented service members from collecting their pay on time.
The government shutdown could also hurt non-federal employees. A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said Friday that nearly 50,000 women, children and infants will lose benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC. Farmers seeking loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and those expecting flooding relief from FEMA could also experience a lack of support if the government isn鈥檛 funded.
Open Carry ban, limits on 鈥榖ulk鈥� gun purchases taking effect Sunday
海角换妻, already home to some of the strictest gun laws in the United States, will now have more firearm restrictions starting Oct. 1.
The new rules include a ban on the open carrying of firearms in public, a monthly in-state purchase limit of three handguns for most buyers, and a disqualification of domestic violence offenders from obtaining pistol permits.
Earlier this year, 海角换妻 lawmakers passed the restrictions in the hopes of curbing gun violence.
鈥淭his bill that I just signed takes smart and strategic steps to strengthen the laws in 海角换妻 to prevent tragedy from happening,鈥� Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement.
The legislation also includes provisions strengthening the state鈥檚 ban on assault weapons and ghost guns, which are firearms that lack serial numbers.
Bridgeport absentee-ballot investigation dominates special session conversation
While state investigators and a local superior court judge sort through evidence of alleged absentee ballot abuse in Bridgeport, state lawmakers pondered ways to strengthen the integrity of local elections at the state Capitol.
Republicans in the 海角换妻 General Assembly proposed the state in response to a video that recently surfaced out of Bridgeport alleging ballot-stuffing.
That prompted the Speaker of the state House of Representatives, Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, to call for his colleagues to take a more careful approach in the brief special legislative session.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe the wrecking ball approach is the right one here,鈥� Ritter said before lawmakers convened at a special legislative session Tuesday in Hartford.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what you get from banning a ballot box in Pomfret, CT. I don鈥檛 know what that accomplishes, other than saying to people who might鈥檝e got their absentee ballot the Saturday before the election, 鈥榊our vote鈥檚 not going to count.鈥� Well, all you鈥檙e doing is disenfranchising those individuals.鈥�
Republican lawmakers also in 海角换妻.
Ultimately what did make it through the special session in response to Bridgeport was a bill opening up access to dollars once budgeted for an election monitor.
Also at the special legislative session, lawmakers confirmed Lamont鈥檚 pick for the 海角换妻 Supreme Court, Nora Dannehy. And, the date of 海角换妻鈥檚 presidential primary was moved up from April 30 to April 2.
Frankie & Johnny premieres Fridays at 4:44 p.m. during All Things Considered on 海角换妻 Radio. 海角换妻鈥檚 Jennifer Ahrens, Matt Dwyer, Lisa Hagen, Kelsey Hubbard Rollinsin and The Associated Press all contributed to this report.
