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No early voting in Connecticut anytime soon

A measure to bring early voting to Connecticut, one of just 11 states where the balloting only occurs on Election Day, came up four votes short in the state Senate.

The proposal would have asked the voters next year to approve a state constitutional amendment to permit early voting, with the legislature deciding the details after that. Now, the earliest proponents will be able to try again is in two years, to get a measure on the ballot in 2022 that might lead to early voting two presidential elections from now.


Early voting has consistently boosted turnout because it helps the physically disabled, parents without child care and workers with unpredictable schedules get to the polls.

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From Nixon to Trump: A Blueprint for Restoring Congressional Authority
the capitol building in washington d c is seen from across the water

From Nixon to Trump: A Blueprint for Restoring Congressional Authority

The unprecedented power grab by President Trump, in many cases, usurping the clear and Constitutional authority of the U.S. Congress, appears to leave our legislative branch helpless against executive branch encroachment. In fact, the opposite is true. Congress has ample authority to reassert its role in our democracy, and there is a precedent.

During the particularly notable episode of executive branch corruption during the Nixon years, Congress responded with a robust series of reforms. Campaign finance laws were dramatically overhauled and strengthened. Nixon’s overreach on congressionally authorized spending was corrected with the passage of the Impoundment Act. And egregious excesses by the military and intelligence community were blunted by the War Powers Act and the bipartisan investigation by Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho).

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In and Out: The Limits of Term Limits

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In and Out: The Limits of Term Limits

Nearly 14 years ago, after nearly 12 years of public service, my boss, Rep. Todd Platts, surprised many by announcing he was not running for reelection. He never term-limited himself, per se. Yet he had long supported legislation for 12-year term limits. Stepping aside at that point made sense—a Cincinnatus move, with Todd going back to the Pennsylvania Bar as a hometown judge.

Term limits are always a timely issue. Term limits may have died down as an issue in the halls of Congress, but I still hear it from people in my home area.

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