As Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act celebrates its 50th anniversary, @foiakatherine.bsky.social for @insideinvestigator.bsky.social takes a look at how enforcement of the law has evolved. insideinvestigator.org/sunshine-on-...

NEFAC to Honor Connecticut @insideinvestigator.bsky.social's krevellowrites.bsky.social for #OpenGov Reporting nefac.org/news/nefac-t... #journalism

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day? The State of FOIA at 50 Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) went into effect on October 1, 1975. In the intervening 50 years, enforcement of the law has evolved significantly. insideinvestigator.org/sunshine-on-...

Disorder in the courts: two families struggle for justice After an alleged sexual assault in 2021, the victim's family has struggled for justice in a system they say has let them down at every turn. insideinvestigator.org/disorder-in-...

The concept of “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement is limited has existed since 1993, but guidelines were significantly expanded in 2011 under President Barack Obama. Now, ICE agents have a directive to use "common sense." insideinvestigator.org/stranger-amo...

In Custody: Overdose and withdrawal deaths in police custody Questions about how these deaths happen, the circumstances surrounding them, and what actions can be taken in the future leave few easy answers. insideinvestigator.org/in-custody-o...

Ideal Fish: The rise and fall of an experimental fish farm in Waterbury Today, the former Ideal Fish building sits empty, and allegations have been made of stolen equipment and unmet financial obligations to make taxpayers whole. insideinvestigator.org/ideal-fish-t...

APT Observation: Issues at a New Haven methadone clinic insideinvestigator.org/apt-observat...

Charter confusion: Weston town attorney access and budget transfers stir controversy insideinvestigator.org/charter-conf...

Passing the Buck: The path to clean drinking water can be long and expensive Efforts to get safe water would take four years as she tried to navigate a bureaucratic system that continually “passed the buck” when it came to getting the situation resolved. insideinvestigator.org/passing-the-...

Long Commute: Some state employees live really far away insideinvestigator.org/long-commute...

Unsafe Space: Students allege two years of antisemitism at Yale University insideinvestigator.org/unsafe-space...

Acting Blue: evidence of fraudulent political donations targeting retirees insideinvestigator.org/acting-blue-...

A Rat’s Long Tale: How a distribution facility proposal upended Middlebury insideinvestigator.org/a-rats-long-...

👏 Huge shout-out to our community member Inside Investigator for winning a whopping 26 awards last month from the Society of Professional Journalists, Connecticut Press Club, and the New England Newspaper & Press Association. Click here to read more: insideinvestigator.org/awards/

In 2019, policy changed from one-for-one needle exchange, where users are only given clean needles in exchange for dirty ones, to "needs-based distribution." From 2011-18, 114,693 distributed needles were not returned. From 2019-23, there were 2,487,747. insideinvestigator.org/needs-based-...

For the incarcerated, FOIA has the potential to be a powerful tool to mount a defense against a wrongful conviction. But navigating the law is not always easy for incarcerated requesters or for public agencies responding to requests sent from behind bars. insideinvestigator.org/sole-suspect...

The CEO has been placed on paid leave, a for-profit start-up business they invested in was closed, and the company is now facing a whistleblower complaint with the state auditors, and a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. insideinvestigator.org/state-contra...

In Office: Time sheets show Dach in office while traveling; taking few meetings There appear to have been ten occasions between Jan 2023 and Jan 2024 when Dach may have logged work time when he was not in the office and possibly conducting personal business. insideinvestigator.org/in-office-ti...

Family Feud: Examining a contested DDS guardianship case insideinvestigator.org/family-feud-...

It’s not cheap or quick to evict a tenant in Connecticut. Tenant advocates say renters need more protections because the housing shortage in Connecticut leaves them vulnerable. Landlords say these protections exacerbate the problem. insideinvestigator.org/evicted-what...

Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chairwoman Marissa Gillett has been accused of secretly issuing thousands of decisions, including adding $70 million to ratepayer bills. insideinvestigator.org/the-authorit...

When Anastasia LeBeau submitted a request for records to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), the request was denied on the grounds it is not a public organization, despite 80 percent of its membership fees being paid by the public. insideinvestigator.org/functional-e...

$57 Million Is CCAT’s new HQ worth the price tag? insideinvestigator.org/57-million-i...

Connecticut not only has a shrinking construction workforce—it has an aging construction workforce. And that may not be entirely organic—laws governing how many apprentices contractors can hire, and other forms of occupational licensing, likely play a role. insideinvestigator.org/ratioed-how-...

190 trips totaling more than 2,300 miles appear personal in nature. Weekend trips included the beach, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, pizza runs, restaurants, private residences, tourist destinations, out of state destinations, and a Dave Matthew’s concert. insideinvestigator.org/drive-time-f...

Unsealed: Bidding irregularities in Haddam state-funded project insideinvestigator.org/unsealed-bid...

Connecticut bottle deposits have gone up, and that means a shift in the landscape for collection, redemption, and spending. insideinvestigator.org/e-can-omics-...

Unplugged: The $7 billion tax in your electric bill insideinvestigator.org/unplugged-th...

In her final work for Inside Investigator, Tricia Ennis brings us into the world of horror filmmaking with Connecticut native and Hollywood writer Peter Filardi. insideinvestigator.org/peter-filard...

66 Kilos: Weed, politics, and a warehouse in Suffield ​ ​Rick Sotiel is currently sitting on 66 kilograms of marijuana trapped in one of his barn style buildings that he can’t sell or even take off the property. “If I take it out of here, it becomes illegal.” insideinvestigator.org/66-kilos-wee... ​

Five years ago, a 95-year-old Enfield resident was killed in a dog mauling incident. The dog was ordered put down but it is still alive as a legal battle plays out at taxpayers' expense. What do you think should happen?

Talon Bergen, owner of Bergen House meadery in Middletown, says he wants to create a craft beer experience for those who might not enjoy beer.

The rising cost of health insurance has been a source of frustration for the public, including small businesses, and for lawmakers who have found little agreement on how to move forward with legislation.

The term LARP (or Live Action Role Play) may give visions of armor-clad individuals running around in the woods, but putting on an event takes dedication, imagination, and a whole team of passionate volunteers.

In Connecticut, there is a policy that requires all newborns who were exposed to drugs or alcohol while in the womb to be notified to a central state system but not necessarily reported for DCF investigation and the difference is critical.

The Sheridan family’s story shows the lengths families go to find their loved ones, the hurdles they often run into, and the long-lasting impact that unresolved missing person cases have on their loved ones.

Two East Haven residents have learned that public officials who are already stonewalling requests for information may not become any more eager to disclose that information through FOIA.

Gov. Ned Lamont made two appointments to the SCSB with no press releases or formal announcement, ending a standoff between the board and its director by appointing a new chairperson.

A bill establishing eight peer respite homes in CT never came to a vote, but an amendment to a health bill managed to establish just one.

The reality of Holy Land is one of religious fervor, community spirit, and one man’s determination.

To protect itself from a recent lawsuit, the Connecticut Port Authority is arguing that it is an “arm of the state” but its own co-defendant says the argument doesn’t hold water.

Ken Engelman is spreading a message of kindness throughout Connecticut.

CT Lottery’s foray into the world of online gaming and sports betting hasn't gone quite as planned. ​ insideinvestigator.org/connecticut-...

A new bill would allot $1 million to study state contracting after nonprofits raised concerns that “the contracting system is wrought with inefficiencies that result in contract delays, which then results in payments to contractors being delayed.”

Kevin Harris committed a crime and was convicted in CT. But he is imprisoned in Arizona thanks to a prisoner transfer. States must be able to explain how a transfer supports rehabilitation, but most of that information is missing from Harris’ file.

The town of Weston’s Board of Selectmen inappropriately entered into executive session to discuss the vacant Board of Ethics on two separate occasions.

The bill would allow conditions that can result from long-term occupational stresses -- like heart attack or stroke -- to be classified as "line of duty" injury or death, but it would not allow them to be used for workers' compensation benefits.

If a new bill passes, drivers could not have their licenses suspended for unpaid tickets or failure to appear in court.