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

The 2025 legislative session in Connecticut&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-wheelhouse/2025-01-08/what-will-connecticuts-lawmakers-prioritize-during-the-2025-legislative-session">started</a>&nbsp;with lawmakers facing an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/08/fed-minutes-january-2025.html">uncertain future</a>&nbsp;clouded by potential federal funding cuts.
The end of the session is nigh in Connecticut.
Amid these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/28/white-house-plans-at-last-to-send-some-doge-cuts-to-hill-00372274">murky days</a>, we know that local lawmakers have taken drastic measures to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-wheelhouse/2025-05-28/ct-lawmakers-exceed-the-budget-cap-shoring-up-medicaid">shore up state Medicaid funding</a>. 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:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ctmirror.org/author/mpazniokas/">Mark Pazniokas</a>, Capitol bureau chief,&nbsp;CT Mirror</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wfsb.com/authors/Susan-Raff/">Susan Raff</a>, Chief political reporter,&nbsp;WFSB News Ch. 3</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wshu.org/people/ebong-udoma">Ebong Udoma</a>, Senior reporter,&nbsp;WSHU</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctoec.org/about-oec/commissioner-beth-bye/">Beth Bye</a>, Commissioner,&nbsp;CT Office of Early Childhood</li>
<li><a href="https://www.childcareforct.org/about">Eva Bermudez-Zimmerman</a>, Coalition director,&nbsp;Child Care for CT</li>
</ul>

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.

The Wheelhouse

The 2025 CT legislative session wraps today. Will the guardrails hold?

Start B

Start C

2026 grads seeking professional degrees face capped loans thanks to funding cuts in the federal Republican tax and spending plan

2026 grads seeking professional degrees face capped loans thanks to funding cuts in the federal Republican tax and spending plan

Blumenthal calls federal loan caps for prospective nurse practitioners and doctors ‘stupid’

How did Connecticut earn the moniker “Constitution State”?

Hint – it’s not the Constitution you learned about in history class!

We’ll travel back to the 1600s to explore how history, conflict and big aspirations helped shape the state’s identity.

GUESTS:
Thomas Balcerski, professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies
Kathy Craughwell-Varda, director of Conservation ConneCTion, Connecticut State Library
Andrea Rapacz, chief curator of collections, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History

 

This episode originally aired  on Aug. 20, 2025. 

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.

How did Connecticut earn the moniker &ldquo;Constitution State&rdquo;?
Hint &ndash; it&rsquo;s not the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript">Constitution</a>&nbsp;you learned about in history class!
We&rsquo;ll travel back to the 1600s to explore how history, conflict and big aspirations helped shape the state&rsquo;s identity.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.easternct.edu/faculty-directory/balcerski.html">Thomas Balcerski</a>, professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies</li>
<li><a href="https://clho.org/makeover">Kathy Craughwell-Varda</a>, director of Conservation ConneCTion, Connecticut State Library</li>
<li><a href="https://www.connecticutmuseum.org/about/staff/">Andrea Rapacz</a>, chief curator of collections, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
This episode originally aired&nbsp; on Aug. 20, 2025.&nbsp;
The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-wheelhouse/id1123069986">Apple Podcasts,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0rdTqFfVu8e6TKMa5lWXsI">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzI1M2YwNjY4LTA0NjMtNGFiNC04ZWIzLWE5ZmIwMDRjOTdlNy8wOTUwNDBkZS1hZjMyLTQ1Y2UtOTkwZi1hOWZiMDA0Yzk3ZjUvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/dd73c297-450d-4ea5-bb0b-64131d617ee0/the-wheelhouse">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/The-Wheelhouse-p1207903/?topicId=264709829">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-wheelhouse-connecticut-public-radio-mxksbjc_iJI/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Why is Connecticut called the ‘Constitution State?’

Free speech is in focus at this year’s Wheelhouse LIVE event amid significant shifts in the world of broadcast media. If free press is the cornerstone of American Democracy, what do the Trump administration’s attacks on late night TV hosts – and Congress’ claw back of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – tell us about the future of American politics and pop culture?

Free speech is in focus at this year&rsquo;s Wheelhouse LIVE event amid significant shifts in the world of broadcast media. If free press is the cornerstone of American Democracy, what do the Trump administration&rsquo;s <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115256938634035559">attacks</a> on late night TV hosts &ndash; and Congress&rsquo; claw back of funding for the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-public-editor/2025/09/04/g-s1-86954/how-does-the-end-of-the-cpb-change-npr">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a> &ndash; tell us about the future of American politics and pop culture?

The 2025 CT legislative session wraps today. Will the guardrails hold?

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