Yankee Institute

Connecticut keeps discovering the same government credit-card scandal.

Missing receipts. Unauthorized purchases. Weak supervision. Audits that arrive after the money is already gone.

The records already exist. Taxpayers should not have to file a Freedom of Information request to see them.
YI looks at the pattern — and a public transparency reform that could help stop the next scandal.

Link in the comments. 👀👇

🚨 What if a contract promised billions in savings... and then failed to deliver?

Would you still keep the deal exactly the same?
Under SEBAC, there is no requirement to revisit an agreement when promised savings fall short.

That's a problem. That's why SEBAC needs reform.

No savings. No deal.

Should a contract be able to overrule state law?

Most people assume that when lawmakers pass a law, that law governs. But under supersedence, certain SEBAC contract provisions can take precedence over state statutes.

No labor agreement should be so powerful that it can override laws passed by elected representatives.

That's why supersedence deserves a hard look when SEBAC is renegotiated in 2027.

Why are Connecticut welfare cards being used thousands of miles from Connecticut?

New records raise questions.

Connecticut Welfare Cards Used in Hawaii, Guam and Across the Country, Records Show – Yankee Institute Connecticut electronic benefit cards (EBT) were used in more than $7.2 million in taxpayer-funded cash transactions outside the state over a roughly two-and-a-half-year period, including in Florida resort towns, Hawaii beach communities, Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, acco...

Connecticut taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going.

But when spending is moved off-budget, shifted into special funds, or approved with limited transparency, accountability suffers.

Good government starts with open books and honest accounting.

Connecticut’s Fiscal Transparency Problem – Yankee Institute Connecticut officials often present the state as a model of fiscal discipline, pointing to budget surpluses, pension payments, fiscal rules and bond-rating upgrades as evidence that Hartford has turned a corner. A new report from Truth in Accounting offers a less flattering assessment: Connecticut r...

The best policy solutions don't happen overnight—they start with a strong foundation.

Connecticut still faces billions in pension debt, but every dollar used to reduce that burden can create future opportunities for taxpayers. Lower long-term costs mean greater flexibility to invest in priorities like infrastructure, education, affordability, and tax relief.

Debt reduction isn't the end goal—it's what makes future opportunities possible.

What should Connecticut prioritize once its long-term liabilities are under control? Let us know in the comments.

Today's budget decision becomes tomorrow's precedent.

One year after Connecticut created the Off Budget Account, the question isn't just where surplus dollars went—it's whether this becomes the model for future budget decisions.

Once a new pathway is created, it rarely stays unused.

Do you think this should remain a one-time exception?

New court filings are reviving questions about Hartford Councilman and AFSCME Council 4 Chief of Staff TJ Clarke.

What does the latest filing reveal, and why is the case drawing renewed attention?

Read more:

Court Filing Revives Questions About Hartford Councilman and AFSCME Chief of Staff TJ Clarke A new Hartford court filing is reviving scrutiny of City Council President Thomas "TJ" Clarke II and the city's handling of a sexual harassment controversy that ended in a taxpayer-funded settlement, while raising a separate question about why Connecticut's largest public-sector union later hired hi

Connecticut AG William Tong says he has “serious concerns” about the proposed Paramount-Warner merger and is weighing all options with other state attorneys general.

But is this a monopoly in the making — or two legacy media companies trying to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Apple?

AG Tong Weighs Options as States Eye Challenge to Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger The proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance would bring togetherCBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, CNN, DiscoveryChannel and the Max streaming service under a single corporate roof.  Supporters say the roughly $110 billion

Connecticut's most powerful political force isn't a governor, legislative leader or state agency. It's SEBAC.

After 40 years, it deserves a serious public accounting.

Link in the comments 👇