Connecticut lawmakers recently cemented their priorities for the next two years with final passage of a $55.8 billion budget. At the end of the 2025 legislative session, they were able to find money for Medicaid programs and invest in our children’s future, especially young children. But some – mainly the minority in the state legislature – say that it comes at too high of a cost. Today on the Wheelhouse, the “fiscal guardrails” have been breached and lawmakers will press forward amid a foggy federal funding landscape. GUESTS: Rep. Jason Rojas, Majority leader, CT House Democrats Rep. Vin Candelora, Minority leader, CT House Republicans Alex Putterman, Reporter, CT Insider Michayla Savitt, State government reporter, CT Public Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 legislative session in Connecticut started with lawmakers facing an uncertain future clouded by potential federal funding cuts. The end of the session is nigh in Connecticut. Amid these murky days, we know that local lawmakers have taken drastic measures to shore up state Medicaid funding. But how far are they willing to go to secure a new two-year budget deal? Today on the Wheelhouse, a preview of the last day of regular lawmaking in Connecticut. GUESTS: Mark Pazniokas, Capitol bureau chief, CT Mirror Susan Raff, Chief political reporter, WFSB News Ch. 3 Ebong Udoma, Senior reporter, WSHU Beth Bye, Commissioner, CT Office of Early Childhood Eva Bermudez-Zimmerman, Coalition director, Child Care for CT Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State lawmakers are foregoing budget caps to fund Medicaid. But with Medicaid relying on two primary funding sources–and U.S. lawmakers poised to pass President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”--the future of low-income healthcare programs is uncertain. Today on The Wheelhouse, America’s brittle social safety net hangs in the balance. GUESTS: Lisa Hagan, Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public Joan Alker, Reporter, Georgetown University John Henry Smith, Host, All Things Considered, CT Public Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in 2020 inspired police reform in America. Five years ago this week, Americans took to the streets amid a global pandemic to protest Floyd’s murder. Chants of “Black Lives Matter” reverberated throughout Connecticut. And then, two months after Floyd’s death, Connecticut was one of the first states in the nation to enact police reform legislation. “I don’t think this day happens without the connection between what’s going on on the streets and why the people are in the building fighting the way they are,” Democratic lawmaker Gary Winfield said after the bill passed through his state senate chamber on July 29, 2020. Today on the Wheelhouse, an update on police reform – what stuck, and what still needs to be done to protect Black lives…five years after George Floyd. GUESTS: Jeffrey A. Fletcher, Owner and Collector, Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum Brakkton Booker, National Political Correspondent, Politico Lorenzo Boyd, Professor of Criminal Justice and Community Policing, University of New Haven Elizabeth Hinton, Professor of African American Studies, History, and Law, Yale University Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colleges and universities across the country are facing serious headwinds. In 2022, college enrollment was 14.8% below peak enrollment in 2010. That’s according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Is a post-pandemic rebound even possible? Factors like declining enrollment, shifting perceptions of value, and rising financial strain have college and universities in Connecticut and beyond ringing the alarm bell. This hour, we look at how the future of higher education will impact the state’s economy, workforce, and the country’s ability to compete on a global level. GUESTS: Susan Raff, Chief political reporter, WFSB Eyewitness News Ch. 3 Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Investigative reporter, Hearst Connecticut Media Brian Rosenberg, Visiting Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education, author of Whatever It Is, I’m Against It Jon Marcus, Senior higher education reporter for The Hechinger Report and co-host of the podcast, “College Uncovered” Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Pew Research Center, our “trust in government” has eroded over the last sixty years. While there have been “modest” gains in support, factors like age, race, employment status, educational experience, and more impact how we view our federal institutions. Today on the Wheelhouse, we journey through age groups, consider experiences, and offer a bit of a U.S. history lesson to shed some light on how Americans have formed their views about the government from the late 1950s to the present. Plus, how can Gen Alpha engage with politics? How can adults help with kids’ civic development? GUESTS: Mercy Quaye, Founder and President at The Narrative Project; Columnist for CT Mirror and Editor of CT Mirror's Community Editorial Board Jonathan Wharton, Associate professor of political science and urban affairs, Southern Connecticut State University J. Baxter Oliphant, Senior researcher, Pew Research Center Sally Friedman, Associate professor of political science, University at Albany Jean Twenge, Professor of psychology, San Diego State University Elena Moore, Reporter, Washington desk, NPR Deborah Rivas-Drake, Ph.D., Professor of Education and Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan Christia Spears Brown, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Professor of Developmental, Social, and Health Psychology, University of Kentucky Rikesha L. Fry Brown, Ph.D., co-founder and Executive Director of the African American Honors Collective and Adjunct Professor, Clark Atlanta University Melissa Santos. Ph.D., Division Head, Pediatric Psychology, Connecticut Children’s This show was edited together to feature thoughts and perspectives from people of various backgrounds. You will hear past interviews, including discussions from the April 10, 2024, “How to Talk to Kids about the 2024 Presidential Election” and the August 7, 2024, “Politics Across the Generations”. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some federal officials don’t want the “X” gender option printed on passports. The “T” – and other letters – were removed from websites with content addressing the LGBTQ+ community. Since Day 1, the Trump administration has chipped away at the rights of Transgender Americans. Today on the Wheelhouse, we examine the policies aimed towards erasure. Plus, gender-affirming care. How anti-trans legislation impacts transgender and cisgender healthcare. GUESTS: Orion Rummler, LGBTQ+ reporter, The 19th Evan Urquhart, Journalist and founder of Assigned Media Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director, GLAD Law Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natural gas and nuclear energy may not be the cleanest and greenest methods of power generation. Yet with energy bills being so high for Connecticut residents and an administration in Washington that’s prioritizing fossil fuel production, state officials may have to punt on their net zero-carbon goals in order to produce more juice. Today on the Wheelhouse, the pursuit of climate resiliency in a moment when green energy investment isn’t a top priority. Plus, it’s time to bring the bird feeders and lock up the coconut cupcakes! We’ll have the latest on policy initiatives meant to protect humans in Connecticut from bears. GUESTS: Michayla Savitt, State government reporter, Connecticut Public Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Investigative reporter, Hearst Connecticut Media Charles Venator-Santiago, Associate professor in the departments of political science and El Instituto, University of Connecticut John Moritz, Energy and environment reporter, CT Mirror Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outside the State Capitol, Connecticut residents recently protested against the federal government.“Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Trump and Musk have got to go,” they shouted as they huddled in the rain. There were 2,085 protests like this in the U.S. in February alone, according to the Guardian. Today on the Wheelhouse, why Americans are speaking out against the Trump administration – and the potential consequences of resistance. GUESTS: Archon Fung, Professor of citizenship and self-government, Harvard University Liz Kurantowicz, Republican analyst and owner, The Drury Group Bilal Sekou, Associate professor of political science, University of Hartford Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public health officials are sounding the alarm. In Connecticut, they say the Trump administration is cuttinge $150 million in federal grants allocated to the state –for disease surveillance, childhood immunizations, and more. Those funds were allocated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But COVID is still with us. And there’s also cases of bird flu, measles, and other infections in the U.S. This week on the Wheelhouse, what the federal government’s cuts mean for public health here in Connecticut. GUESTS: Michayla Savitt, State government reporter, Connecticut Public Sujata Srinivasan, Senior health reporter, Connecticut Public Julie Rovner, Chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News Amy Maxmen, National public health correspondent, KFF Health News Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot at stake as the clock ticks on Trump’s tax program. The 2017 Trump tax cuts expire at the end of this year. Top Republicans are pushing to extend the program. But, experts from the liberal think tank The Center for American Progress, meanwhile, say the tax cuts actually hurt the economy over the long haul. This week on the Wheelhouse, why 2025 is a watershed year for American tax policy. Also, as tax day approaches, we’ll discuss the state of the IRS and whether workforce cuts there could impact the delivery of your refund check. GUESTS: Nancy Qian, Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Northwestern University Dan Haar, Senior editor and columnist, Hearst Connecticut Media Ebong Udoma, Senior reporter, WSHU Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state budget may be headed for a “world of pain.” That’s according to our friends at the Connecticut Mirror. State lawmakers are tasked with funding their priorities while anticipating cuts coming from the federal government. Medicaid costs are one line item the state may have to adjust on the fly. Today on the Wheelhouse, how the state could step in to support vulnerable communities if the federal government pulls their support for Medicaid. GUESTS: Rep. Vincent Candelora, State House Republican leader, North Branford Sean Scanlon, Comptroller, State of Connecticut Katy Golvala, Health reporter, CT Mirror Keith Phaneuf, State budget reporter, CT Mirror Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.