Ginny Monk

Inside the case that reshaped foster parents’ rights in CT Her father implored DCF officials to help him get her back. Her foster parents battled to adopt her. The case landed at the CT Supreme Court.

Two years ago, I got an email from John Masserio, a father fighting to get custody of his daughter. Her foster parents had fallen in love and wanted to adopt her. The case went before the CT Supreme Court and irrevocably changed his daughter's childhood.

ctmirror.org/2025/12/02/c...

YAY

What to know about the CT housing bill passed in special session The House and Senate approved the wide-ranging housing bill to replace a similar bill that Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed after the regular session.

With the housing bill now passed, @ginnymonk.bsky.social and @ctmirror.org explain what’s inside the legislation and how it will impact housing across Connecticut. ctmirror.org/2025/11/17/c...

New CT housing bill cuts requirements in favor of opt-ins The replacement for HB 5002, which Lamont vetoed in June, uses opt-in measures and incentives for more housing and strikes 'fair share'

Latest: ctmirror.org/2025/11/07/h...

Much of state-funded affordable housing in CT is rehabbed property It wasn't clear from the Office of Legislative Research report how much the properties actually expanded the state's overall housing stock.

“There’s a lot of conversation about intent, but I think really getting to action is where the rubber meets the road.” Our Melissa Kaplan-Macey spoke to the @ctmirror.org @ginnymonk.bsky.social about how Connecticut counts new homes. ctmirror.org/2025/10/27/c...

For this New Britain man, late summer is pigeon racing season Wilberto Aponte, president of the Connecticut Classic Pigeon Club, has 200 homing pigeons. With racing season underway, the stakes are high.

A few months ago, in chatting with a post office worker, I learned about the hobby of raising homing pigeons. This led me to a vibrant community of people in Connecticut who race pigeons. Reporting this was a lot of fun.

ctmirror.org/2025/09/21/c...

Political challenges of CT HB 5002 depicted in Ned Lamont’s texts The texts show how affordable housing has become a political quagmire for Democrats, with some urging him to sign it despite voting no.

The text messages, obtained by The Connecticut Mirror through an open records request, show how affordable housing has become a political quagmire for the state’s Democrats.

ctmirror.org/2025/09/19/c...

For this New Britain man, late summer is pigeon racing season Wilberto Aponte, president of the Connecticut Classic Pigeon Club, has 200 homing pigeons. With racing season underway, the stakes are high.

For this New Britain man, late summer is pigeon racing season ctmirror.org/2025/09/21/c...

Thanks, Hugh!

Thanks, Tom!

Homelessness rises in CT as federal funding remains in flux There were 3,735 people living in shelters or outside in CT in January 2025, compared to 3,410 in January 2024. That’s nearly a 10% increase.

“I think what this reflects is when investments are made, they work,” our Chief Initiative Officer Jessica Kubicki tells @ginnymonk.bsky.social for the @ctmirror.org. “The challenge is, these investments have to be made to scale to actually what the inflow is.” ctmirror.org/2025/09/11/c...

Connecticut DMV Committee Expands Study of Towing Law to Help Low-Income Residents Get Their Cars Back The working group was created as part of a towing reform law passed in response to a ProPublica and Connecticut Mirror investigation into towing practices in the state.

NEW: Connecticut DMV Committee Expands Study of Towing Law to Help Low-Income Residents Get Their Cars Back

The DMV committee was created as part of a towing reform law passed in response to a @propublica.org and @ctmirror.org investigation into towing practices in the state.

After HB 5002 veto, Lamont not invited to YIMBYtown conference Desegregate CT, which is hosting the national YIMBYtown conference, said Gov. Ned Lamont isn't invited after vetoing an omnibus housing bill.

Desegregate CT, which is hosting the national YIMBYtown conference, said Gov. Ned Lamont isn't invited after vetoing an omnibus housing bill.

Emails: Lamont sought counsel on HB 5002 housing bill opposition CT Gov. Ned Lamont involved his wife, a former state senator and others in discussions over how to respond to opposition to HB 5002.

“We often hear a city or a town doesn’t want Hartford making decisions for them...it sounds like we had a handful of towns making decisions for the entire state. That’s not fair or acceptable either." - @repkavrosdegraw.bsky.social 🎯

@ginnymonk.bsky.social @ctmirror.org
ctmirror.org/2025/08/18/c...

Emails: Lamont sought counsel on HB 5002 housing bill opposition CT Gov. Ned Lamont involved his wife, a former state senator and others in discussions over how to respond to opposition to HB 5002.

“Here’s an example of the anti housing literature, which is catching fire in Fairfield County. I’m trying to figure out how best to respond to these gross misrepresentations before it is too late.”

I FOI'd Lamont's emails to see what happened before his HB 5002 veto.

ctmirror.org/2025/08/18/c...

Intern With Us | CT Mirror CT Mirror offers paid journalism internships in reporting and audience engagement. Details on the programs can be found here.

CT journalism students! Applications are open for a fall audience engagement internship @ctmirror.org Come work with me and @gabbydeben.bsky.social !

ctmirror.org/internships/

Report: Zoning boards in CT don't reflect community demographics A survey in New London and Fairfield Counties found that land-use boards were mostly comprised of white, male homeowners.

"Once seated on a land-use board, the job — which is unpaid — can be a significant commitment...That can make it harder for people who have kids, more than one job, or those who attend night school to join the boards." - @ginnymonk.bsky.social @ctmirror.org ctmirror.org/2025/07/08/l...

CT towing reforms will help some but not all, drivers say Connecticut lawmakers passed reforms on a century-old towing law. But they don’t solve all the problems that vehicle owners have raised.

Our latest on towing with @propublica.org was an exercise in community-engaged reporting. The sources for this story came to us mostly through a call-out that's been included in our stories. Contact info for me and Dave is included in this one.

ctmirror.org/2025/06/30/c...

Children went missing from DCF care about 3,700 times from fiscal years 2021 to 2023, and the number of incidents increased by 42%.

ctmirror.org/2025/06/26/c...

Good thread on today's press conference during which CT's governor announced he'd veto a housing bill he previously supported, the most significant piece of housing legislation to cross his desk during his time in office.

This is how I find out they're making a movie version of Whalefall!

CT lawmaker cites sexually explicit language during budget debate A book-banning provision within the CT budget prompted a lawmaker to read sexually explicit material on the House floor during debate.

My first story with an editor's content warning at the top came out of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Reporting w/ Laura Tillman and Angela Eichhorst:

ctmirror.org/2025/06/03/c...

Ask children’s issues and housing reporter @ginnymonk.bsky.social any questions you have about housing bill HB 5002, her reporting, or what to expect on the last day of this year’s legislative session! She will be answering them starting at 4 P.M. tomorrow on Reddit!

www.reddit.com/r/Connecticu...

Connecticut Legislature Passes Bill Overhauling Century-Old Towing Laws The reforms, which were proposed in response to an investigation by CT Mirror and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve them after a tow.

The reforms, which were proposed in response to an investigation by @ctmirror.org‬ and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve them after a tow.

By @ginnymonk.bsky.social & Dave Altimari

Connecticut Legislature Passes Bill Overhauling Century-Old Towing Laws The reforms, which were proposed in response to an investigation by CT Mirror and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve them after a tow.

ICYMI, investigative journalism prompts good news: Connecticut Legislature Approves Towing Law Reforms

Connecticut Legislature Approves Towing Law Reforms The reforms, which came in response to an investigation by CT Mirror and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property.

This soon-to-be-law is due to the hard work of @ctmirror.org journalists, primarily Dave Altimari, @ginnymonk.bsky.social, @shahrzadrasekh.bsky.social and editor Beth Hamilton. It's good when journalism makes a real difference. ctmirror.org/2025/05/30/c...

Connecticut Legislature Passes Bill Overhauling Century-Old Towing Laws The reforms, which were proposed in response to an investigation by CT Mirror and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve them after a tow.

Tremendous impact. 🎉🎉 Prompted by @ctmirror.org @propublica.org Investigation, Connecticut Legislature Approves Towing Law Reforms, by @ginnymonk.bsky.social and Dave Altimari

Medical workers care for CT’s homeless — from an old ambulance Homelessness is increasing in Connecticut, and groups that want to help are asking the state for more money as cases grow more complex.

“In recent months, as more people, particularly seniors, have lost their housing, health workers are finding that the cases they handle are more complicated.”

Via: @ctmirror.org's @ginnymonk.bsky.social

ctmirror.org/2025/05...

#housing+ #urbanism #urbanism+

Medical workers care for CT’s homeless — from an old ambulance Homelessness is increasing in Connecticut, and groups that want to help are asking the state for more money as cases grow more complex.

I spent a few hours with health care workers visiting homeless encampments last week. They say the medical needs of the unhoused population are growing more complicated, that they’re starting to have end-of-life care conversations with people.

ctmirror.org/2025/05/25/c...

CT House approves bill overhauling state's towing laws The bill would make it harder to tow vehicles from private property in CT and easier for drivers to retrieve their vehicles after a tow.

CT's House of Representatives passed a bill this evening that would overhaul Connecticut's towing statutes.

ctmirror.org/2025/05/22/c...