Mike Savino is the political reporter for NBC Connecticut, making sure Connecticut’s government officials work on behalf of the voters.
Mike is a lifelong Connecticut resident who loves telling the stories of his home state. He’s an alumnus of the University of Connecticut and a graduate of E.O. Smith High School.
Prior to joining NBC Connecticut, Mike worked for several newsrooms around Connecticut. He started his career as a staff writer for the Chronicle in Willimantic, then moved on to the Journal Inquirer in Manchester and the Meriden Record-Journal. He then made the switch to TV, joining a local Connecticut station. He also was head of multimedia for National Mortgage Professional, a business-to-business news outlet covering the mortgage industry.
Mike is a fierce advocate for transparency and open government. He’s been president of the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information, a nonprofit organization that protects the state’s Freedom of Information Act, since 2018. He also won CCFOI’s Stephen A. Collins Award for reporting on FOIA issues in 2016.
When Mike’s not on air, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two dogs checking out all the great food Connecticut has to offer. He also loves going to sporting events, especially the UConn Huskies and Hartford Yard Goats.
The Latest
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Lawmakers consider bill allowing people to sue businesses over illegal gun sales
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow people to sue Connecticut-based gun businesses on claims they violate or help others get around existing gun laws. Proponents say the measure is meant to hold gun stores and other businesses accountable when they don’t take “reasonable measures” to ensure firearms don’t end up in the wrong hands. “What we’re really...
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CT school districts make push for more state aid
As talks on the next state budget hit a new phase, local officials are ramping up their push for more education aid. New Haven officials made a public plea Thursday, asking the state to give more help as the city’s education budget faces a $23 million shortfall. “The governor and the state legislature are sitting on a huge pile of…
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Gov. Lamont says lawmakers' budget is close, but he sees flaws
Gov. Ned Lamont expressed optimism that the budget proposal Democratic lawmakers approved is not far off from the one he presented in February. But he also told reporters at a press conference in Cheshire Thursday that, in his view, the plans presented by the Appropriations and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees have some big flaws. For starters, the two-year, $55.7…
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Democrats introduce budget that exceeds spending cap, draws pushback
Democrats on the Appropriations Committee unveiled a budget proposal Tuesday that exceeds the state’s spending cap by $215 million next fiscal year. Democrats said they wanted to maintain certain priorities in their two-year, $55.7 billion proposal. They also said they had to reject many requests to keep their proposal down. “There’s things in there that some of our members put…
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Lawmakers unveil plan to fix special education costs
Democrats on a new Select Committee on Special Education unveiled a plan Monday meant to help local school districts keep costs down. The identical proposals come as municipalities say special education costs are driving up budgets. “We are at a crisis point,” Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox (D-Trumbull) said. “We are at a point where special education in Connecticut is not sustainable.”…
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Top CT election official apologizes for saying Trump order ‘like the SS'
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas issued an apology earlier this week after comparing President Donald Trump’s election policies to Nazi Germany. She made the comments while talking about Trump’s election executive order during an annual training event for registrars of voters earlier this month. “Any private citizen can turn you in for making the mistake,” she said in...
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UConn students and faculty protest Trump cutting research grants, revoking visas
University of Connecticut students and faculty rallied on the Storrs campus Thursday against funding cuts from the Trump administration. They said cuts to grants will undermine researchers studying treatments for cancers, the impact of cellphones on children and other health-related concerns. “Every single community member all across the country, we’re effective researchers who aren’t able to research cures for...
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Bipartisan proposal would end public benefits charge, create new agency to buy electricity
A bipartisan group of lawmakers rolled out a new bill Wednesday that would remove the public benefits charge from electricity bills. Sen. John Fonfara (D-Hartford) estimated the move would save ratepayers 20%, a sign that “relief is coming.” The bill would also create a new quasi-public agency to buy electricity for most customers, removing procurement responsibilities from the utilities. It…
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Democrats support PURA chair after Republicans walk out in protest
Senate Democrats approved a second term for Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chairman Marissa Gillett, meaning the only remaining step is a signature by the governor who picked her. The vote came after Republicans walked out in protest of a deal that would also see a sitting member of the legislature get an appointment to PURA in exchange for his…
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Lawmakers consider taxing sweetened drinks to fund school meals
A group of House Democrats wants to implement a tax on sweetened drinks as a way to fund universal school meals. The proposal would charge businesses that purchase the drinks, as well as syrups and powders, at a rate of two cents per ounce. Rep. Moira Rader (D-Guilford) said this would overcome some of the obstacles she and…
