At 8 percent, Connecticut already has the highest statewide rate in the nation.

The numbers rose outside urban areas, contributing to the statewide rate of 62.5 percent.

The old plan would have lowered the state's 8 percent sales tax, the highest statewide rate in the nation, to 4.25 percent.

The sales tax, now the highest statewide rate in the nation, would be lowered to 6 percent from 8 percent.

Many local municipalities impose additional sales taxes on top of the standard statewide rate.

This is the first time that the statewide rate has dropped below 4.0 percent since October 2001.

The statewide rate of 6.9 percent was also unchanged from the previous month.

The region's need for power has grown about 5 percent a year, triple the statewide rate.

Current state law limits insurance premiums in cities to no more than 135 percent of an insurer's average statewide rate.

The average statewide jobless rate back then was 4.9 percent, lowest in the nation.