The Wheelhouse

Elections in 2023 will determine who will lead cities and towns in Connecticut like Hartford, Bridgeport, and Fairfield.

Local party committees recently faced a deadline to endorse candidates ahead of the September primaries. On this episode of The Wheelhouse, our panel of political experts and reporters discuss the primaries—from the endorsed candidates to their opponents.

Plus, what these municipal races tell us about how Connecticut residents will vote in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.

GUESTS:

• Mark Pazniokas: Capitol Bureau Chief, CT Mirror
• Christine Stuart: Editor-in-chief, CT News Junkie
• Jonathan Wharton: Associate Professor of Political Science and Urban Affairs, Southern Connecticut State University

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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All week long, Connecticut Public’s talk shows are celebrating all things nautical with its first-ever NautiWeek. So, on The Wheelhouse, we’re going big on some sea creatures getting attention at the State Capitol.

In recent years, state lawmakers have put in place a number of protections for both horseshoe crabs and shellfish — including a ban on hand-harvesting horseshoe crabs just this past year. This hour, learn all about efforts to preserve both of these creatures in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Jo-Marie Kasinak: Director, Project Limulus at Sacred Heart University
• John Moritz: State Reporter, CT Insider
• Tessa Getchis: Aquaculture Extension Educator, Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension Program

Special thanks to our colleague Jeni Ahrens for contributing to this episode.

Dive into all of the nautical-themed stories airing this week on Connecticut Public's original talk shows by visiting ctpublic.org/nautiweek.

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The U.S. Coast Guard is coming under fire for its years-long cover-up of sexual assault. Now, federal lawmakers — including members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation — are demanding accountability. This hour, we’ll give you the latest on that.

Plus, service on one of the largest commuter railroads in America could shut down in the coming months. What a workers strike might mean for the Metro-North railroad — and your commute.

Finally, we break down the debate over Connecticut’s new kindergarten age cutoff.

GUESTS:

• Lisa Hagen: Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and Connecticut Public
• John Moritz: State Reporter, CT Insider
• Alex Putterman: Reporter, CT Insider
• Lisa Fiore: Professor and Chair of the Education Department, Lesley University

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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In 2021, Connecticut passed a law mandating school districts to have curricula focused on quote "the science of reading." That refers to research-backed approaches to literacy like phonics.

Initially, all 200 school districts had until July 1 of this year to implement an approved “science of reading” program. That deadline is now July 1, 2025. But not all school districts are happy about this.

So, why is “the science of reading” facing so much pushback? This hour, we’ll break down the past and present of the so-called “reading wars” in Connecticut and beyond.

GUESTS:

• Emily Hanford: Senior producer and correspondent at American Public Media; host of the award-winning podcast Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong
• Louise Spear-Swerling: Professor emerita in the department of special education at Southern Connecticut State University
• Dr. Margie Gillis: Founder and president of Connecticut-based nonprofit, “Literacy How”

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

The Wheelhouse

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It’s official — adults in Connecticut can now grow cannabis at home. If you’re 21 or older, you can legally grow up to 12 plants per household, as long as you’re growing them indoors and away from public view.

For years, cannabis has been a budding industry in Connecticut and across the U.S. The push to legalize — and expand the cannabis market — has swept the country. About half of all Americans live in a state where it’s legal to possess and purchase cannabis if you’re 21 years old.

This hour, we’ll get in the weeds on Connecticut’s cannabis laws — and why there's been so much inaction at the federal level.

Plus, a recap of some recent Supreme Court decisions.

GUESTS:

• Jay Wexler: Law professor at Boston University and author of the book Weed Rules: Blazing the Way to a Just and Joyous Marijuana Policy
• Jordan Fenster: Reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media Group and CT Insider
• Tahira Rehmatullah: Co-founder of the CBD company, Commons, and investment firm, Highlands Venture Partners, and co-author of Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice
• Ian Millhiser: Senior Correspondent, Vox

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Connecticut has hundreds of miles of shoreline, extending from Greenwich in the west to Stonington in the east.

But many of these coastal communities have found ways to exclude certain people. In fact, there's a long history of segregation on our shores, dating back decades. This hour, we’ll unpack past and present beach access in Connecticut.

Plus, we’ll look at who does — and does not — get access to quality public spaces like parks.

GUESTS:

• Andrew Kahrl: Professor of history and African American Studies at the University of Virginia and author of Free the Beaches: The Story of Ned Coll and the Battle for America’s Most Exclusive Shoreline
• Dr. KangJae Lee: Assistant professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, North Carolina State University

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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In May 1969, Black Panther Alex Rackley was murdered by fellow revolutionaries in Connecticut.

Rackley’s murder eventually led to what some call “one of the most significant political trials of the century.” In 1970, the New Haven Black Panther trials became the focus of national attention — and what happened then reverberates loudly into the present.

This hour, we’ll unpack everything from how the federal government targeted Black Panther Party leaders to the legacy of the trials in the Elm City.

GUESTS:

Mercy Quaye: CEO of the Narrative Project and host of the podcast, Revolution on Trial
Paul Bass: Founder of the New Haven Independent and co-author of Murder in the Model City: The Black Panthers, Yale, and the Redemption of a Killer

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Connecticut will soon see what’s being called the largest reduction in income tax since it was first enacted in 1991.

As Connecticut cuts taxes, federal lawmakers are huddling over a reduction totaling north of $200 billion. This hour, we're looking at tax cuts and their impact on the economy. Plus, we'll recap President Joe Biden's recent visit to Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Susan Haigh: State Capitol/Political Writer, The Associated Press
• Ken Dixon: Government and Politics Reporter, CT Insider
• Jean Ross: Senior Fellow, Economic Policy, The Center for American Progress
• Molly Ingram: Fairfield County Reporter, WSHU

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Last Wednesday marked the final day of this year’s legislative session in Connecticut.

Since January 4th, lawmakers have debated bills surrounding medical aid-in-dying, zoning reform, Medicaid, gun control, and so much more. This hour, we're gonna break down some of the big bills from the session — and also talk about what lawmakers did not get to this year.

Plus, June’s a busy month for the Supreme Court. We’ll break down some of the big decisions expected in the weeks ahead.

GUESTS:

• Christine Stuart: Editor in Chief, CT News Junkie
• Jaden Edison: Justice Reporter, The Connecticut Mirror
• Susan Raff: Chief Political Reporter, WFSB
• Tobias Barrington Wolff: Jefferson Barnes Fordham Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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This month marks one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, we’ve seen states across the country roll back abortion access. But here in Connecticut, the opposite has been true.

From protections for providers to a “safe harbor fund,” lawmakers have proposed different ways to expand abortion access in the state this year. This hour, we’ll get the latest on that and how Connecticut compares to other states. Plus, we get a preview of the final day of this legislative session.

GUESTS:

• Deb Risisky: Professor of Public Health and Undergraduate Coordinator, Southern Connecticut State University
• Christine Stuart: Editor in Chief, CT News Junkie
• Sarah McCammon: National Correspondent, NPR
• John Craven: Political Reporter, News 12 Connecticut
• Chris Polansky: Reporter, Connecticut Public

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