The Wheelhouse

Last week, Connecticut officials finally gave the ‘thumbs up’ to baby bonds, reaching an agreement on how to finance its long-awaited program dedicated to reinvesting money in under-served communities.

Officials hope the program will help break cycles of generational poverty. It's on track to begin in July, after being in political limbo for quite some time. This hour, we look at what it will mean for Connecticut residents — and why it took so long to reach an agreement.

Plus, Connecticut has ended its COVID emergency. We’ll break down what that means for you.

GUESTS:

• Ginny Monk: Children’s Issues and Housing Reporter, CT Mirror
• Dedrick Asante‑Muhammad​: Chief of Organizing, Policy, and Equity, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
• Ofronama Biu: Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute
• Sujata Srinivasan: Senior Health Reporter, Connecticut Public

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Last year, Connecticut became one of the first states to mandate Asian American and Pacific Islander studies in K-12 public schools.

The bill requires AAPI studies to be implemented in the state curriculum by the 2025-26 school year. It also provides about $150,000 in state funding to support these efforts. School districts will incorporate a wide range of topics into their curricula, from AAPI history to AAPI involvement in the arts.

So where does the development of this curriculum stand right now? This hour, we check in on that.

Plus, we get the latest on legislation inspired by Randy Cox, who was paralyzed at the hands of police. We also look at the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.

GUESTS:

• Jason Oliver Chang: Professor of History and Asian and Asian American Studies, UCONN
• Eddy Martinez: Reporter, Connecticut Public
• William Buzbee: Professor and Faculty Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Program, Georgetown University Law Center

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Last election day, residents voted overwhelmingly to bring early voting to Connecticut. But it won’t be implemented in time for next election day, according to the state’s top election official, Stephanie Thomas. This hour, we look at how early voting will work in the state.

Plus, we look at efforts from Connecticut’s senators to regulate social media at the federal level, and we break down the professional diversity of the state’s judicial bench.

GUESTS:

• Christine Stuart: Editor-in-chief, CT News Junkie
• Lisa Hagen: Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public
• Michael Marciano: Bureau Chief, Connecticut Law Tribune

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President Joe Biden is officially running for president again. Last Tuesday, he announced his reelection campaign, saying we’re still “in a battle for the soul of America.” Ahead of 2024, we look at the Biden campaign for reelection.

Plus, we get the latest on bail reform in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Dr. Bilal Sekou: Hillyer College Associate Professor of Politics and Government, University of Hartford
• Brakkton Booker: Correspondent and author of The Recast newsletter at POLITICO
• Nina Smith: President, PoliSol Public Affairs, Inc.
• Jaden Edison: Justice Reporter, CT Mirror

For more visit ctpublic.org/wheelhouse.

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Last year, the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted the prison sentences of 71 people — including 44 doing time for murder.

Now, the board is facing backlash from some families of victims and lawmakers. Following the outcry, Gov. Ned Lamont has removed Carleton Giles as chair of the board. This hour, we'll look at how commutations became the political issue in recent weeks.

Plus, we’ll look into why medical aid-in-dying legislation failed this session.

GUESTS:

• Christopher Keating: Capitol Bureau Chief, Hartford Courant
• Miriam Gohara: Clinical Professor of Law, Yale Law School
• Mike Lawlor: Professor of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven; Former Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning for Governor Dannel Malloy
• Christine Stuart: Editor-in-chief, CT News Junkie

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A load of trash bags are dropped off at HQ Dumpsters and Recycling in Southington on April 14, 2022. Orange and green bags, which were part of a pilot municipal food waste recycling program in the town of Meriden at the time, get sorted out of the load and then transferred to an anaerobic digester and turned into electrical power and compost.

This Saturday, April 22nd, marks Earth Day. So we thought it was as good a time as ever to check in on what’s happening on the environmental beat in Connecticut. From bear hunts to trash, there have been a number of environmental proposals before lawmakers this session. This hour, we check in on where those stand.

Plus, there are efforts to legalize natural organic reduction, also known as “human composting," in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Mark Pazniokas: Capitol Bureau Chief, CT Mirror
• John Moritz: State Reporter, Hearst Connecticut Media Group
• Alison Cross: Reporter, Hartford Courant

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Former President Donald Trump dominated cable news last week when he appeared in a Manhattan court, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges.

On March 30th, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump in connection to hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.

Despite the 34 criminal charges, Trump is still very much in the running for president. This hour, we look at Trump's indictment and what it might mean for 2024.

GUESTS:

• Maya King: Politics Reporter, New York Times
• Liz Kurantowicz: Republican strategist and political analyst
• Asha Rangappa: Lawyer, former FBI agent, and senior lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

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Over the past decade, Connecticut has been able to cut its prison population in nearly half. But advocates say there’s a lot more that can be done to improve the criminal justice system.

This legislative session, there have been a number of proposals aimed at doing just that — involving everything from deceptive police tactics to voting while incarcerated. This hour, we look at the state of criminal justice reform in Connecticut.

Plus, we get the latest on some upcoming mayoral elections across the state.

GUESTS:

•  Jaden Edison: Justice Reporter, The Connecticut Mirror
• Mercy Quaye: Founder, The Narrative Project; Editor, CT Mirror's Community Editorial Board
• James Forman, Jr.: Professor, Yale Law School; Faculty Director, Yale Law and Racial Justice Center
• Jonathan Wharton: Associate Professor of Political Science and Urban Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University

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Following the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown, the phrase “stay woke” became a rallying cry among Black Lives Matter activists in Ferguson and beyond.

In the years since, the word “woke” has been weaponized by the right. Politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are declaring a quote “war on woke,” going so far as to attempt to restrict what's being taught in schools. This hour, we’ll look at the anti-woke movement and what it means for the 2024 elections.

Plus, we break down what ranked choice voting could look like in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Dr. Bilal Sekou: Hillyer College Associate Professor of Politics and Government, University of Hartford
• Mordechai Gordon: Professor of Education, Quinnipiac University; Author, Education in a Cultural War Era: Thinking Philosophically about the Practice of Cancelling
• Eric McDaniel: Associate Professor of Government and Co-Director of the Politics of Race and Ethnicity Lab, University of Texas at Austin
• Alison Cross: Reporter, Hartford Courant

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Last year was the deadliest year on Connecticut’s roadways in recent memory. More than 230 people died in motor vehicle crashes, and another 75 people who were walking or biking died in crashes. That’s according to the state Department of Transportation.

In response, lawmakers are considering several bills this session with the goal of making our roads safer. This hour, we look at legislative efforts to make roads safer.

Plus, a look at maternity care deserts in the state — and how the Lamont administration is planning to address the issue.

GUESTS:

• Susan Raff: Chief Capitol Reporter, WFSB
• Ken Dixon: Government and Politics Reporter, Hearst CT Media
• Norman Garrick: Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut
• Alecia McGregor: Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Politics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health

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