Winners and Losers of the 2023 Legislative Session
The 2023 Connecticut legislative session wrapped up at midnight on Wednesday, ending a five-month struggle for countless causes, advocates, and public officials all hoping to see their interests moved across the finish line and signed into state law.
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ANALYSIS | Connecticut Is Doing Something About Healthcare Costs, Finally
Healthcare analyst Ellen Andrews is celebrating today. When the Governor signs his omnibus healthcare bill, which passed in the last hour of the session on Wednesday, it will take a bite out of monopoly hospital systems and prescription drug prices for care. It’s not a silver bullet, but it will make a serious dent in our healthcare costs.
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Lawmakers Complain About Guardrail Constraints, But Keep Them In Place
Much of the Connecticut Senate’s debate on the $51.1-billion state budget followed a usual formula: members talked about areas where they think the budget fell short before ultimately praising its income tax cut and increased spending on priorities.
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Connecticut Legislature Greenlights $5 Billion Bond Package
Connecticut lawmakers Wednesday approved a bond package that calls for roughly $2.5 billion in borrowing each of the next two fiscal years.
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Municipal Retirement Fund Reform Wins Final Passage
A bill to reform a pension system for municipal employees in 107 Connecticut towns passed the state Senate on a nearly unanimous vote Wednesday night shortly before the end of the legislative session.
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OP-ED | Apropos of Nothing: Of Civics, ‘Common Courtesy’ and the Ursine Menace
Opinion writer Terry Cowgill offers his thoughts on the teaching of civics classes in our schools, a new law requiring police officers to tell motorists why they were stopped, and what the government is doing to ease the friction between people and the state’s bear population.
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State Floats $500M In Bonds For New Trash Facility, Leaves Repayment Details for Later
One of the last bill’s to make its way to the governor’s desk Wednesday was a bill that would allow the state to use $500 million in Green Bank Bonds to finance a new solid waste facility.
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
A salute to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Editorial cartoon by Jeff Koterba.
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Legislature Wraps Up a Session Marked by Bipartisan Cooperation, Budget Pleasantries, and a Housing Hoopla
A day after passing a budget with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Connecticut legislature concluded its 2023 session Wednesday with the steady passage of bills in the House and a day-long filibuster by Republicans in the Senate.
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Lamont Signs Bill Expanding Gun Regulations
Gov. Ned Lamont gave final approval to a sweeping update to Connecticut gun regulations on Tuesday, signing into law a bill that expands the state’s assault weapons ban, restricts the open carry of firearms, and raises the age to buy a semiautomatic rifle.
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After GOP Filibuster, Fair Share Housing Bill Dodges GOP Blocks and Lands on Gov’s Desk
For most of the final day of this year’s legislative session Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered a bill that would, among other things, study how affordable housing should be defined for municipalities and change the relationship between landlords and tenants.
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OP-ED | No More FOI Carveouts For State Or Municipal Workers
Opinion writer Susan Campbell says Senate Bill 1157, which would have protected from disclosure via the Freedom of Information Act the home addresses of state and municipal employees, was a bad idea for a lot of reasons.
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Omnibus Bill Addressing Bullying, Teacher Diversity, Budget Transparency Passes Despite GOP Reservations
HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut House of Representatives Wednesday passed a comprehensive education bill that, among other things, seeks to update state laws around school climate and bullying, recruit a more diverse teaching corps, and improve transparency around local school budgets.
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Gun Violence Awareness, Biden-McCarthy Buddy Movie & Apple Vision
Based on Gun Violence Awareness Day, Apple’s new augmented reality goggles, and the fallout from the debt ceiling negotiation. Editorial cartoons by John Darkow, R.J. Matson, and Rivers.
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Labor Strike Continues Even After Budget Boost
Union leaders told hundreds gathered on the front lawn of the state Capitol Wednesday that they are still on strike for better wages and benefits.
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Pattis Takes Aim At ’Open Carry’
Gun owners took aim at Gov. Ned Lamont Monday even before he wielded a pen to try to curtail gun violence.
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Senate Sends Traffic Enforcement Cameras to Governor
A package of roadway safety policies including a municipal option for automated traffic enforcement cameras is headed for the governor’s desk following a Tuesday night vote of the Senate.
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Illegal Tire Dumping Plan Goes To Governor
The Senate Monday approved a bill requiring the tire industry to figure out how to prevent the tires from being illegally dumped instead of recycled.
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Voting Rights Act Wrapped Into Budget
Included in the 832-page budget is an effort to codify the federal Voting Rights Act into state law. The language was included because the House of Representatives was unlikely to vote on a separate bill to do the same before the legislative session comes to an end Wednesday at midnight.
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OP-ED | All The Rainbows And Unicorns Fit To Print
Opinion writer Kerri Ana Provost counts 38 book challenges just in Connecticut this year, compared to nine last year. None of these book banning attempts prompt divisive debate. They merely reveal existing divisions caused by pure hatred of queer and trans folks.
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Senate Passes $51.1B Budget With Tax Cuts And Fiscal Guardrails Intact
The Connecticut Senate overwhelmingly approved a proposed $51.1-billion, two-year budget Tuesday. Lawmakers credited fiscal guardrails for helping them get to a compromise on a spending plan that includes an income tax cut.
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Drone Attacks On Moscow, Putin’s Nightmare
These two cartoons seemed to go together, following the intense aerial bombardment of Kyiv by Russian missiles and drones last week and a drone attack on Moscow for which Ukraine has denied involvement. Editorial cartoons by Patrick Chappatte and Arcadio Esquival.
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House Approves Restructure of Municipal Retirement System
The House voted Tuesday to approve a proposal by the state comptroller to restructure an ailing state-run retirement system for municipal workers in 107 Connecticut towns and cities.
Keep readingKeep CT’s Climate Promise
Connecticut promised to cut climate pollution and protect our future. But our state isn’t on track to meet its obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Join us in calling on Connecticut lawmakers to pass meaningful legislation this year and Keep CT’s Climate Promise. Learn more at ClimateActionCT.org.
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Senate Backs Ban On Synthetic THC Products
The Senate Monday moved to tighten Connecticut’s regulated cannabis marketplace, banning the sale of synthetic THC and high-potency products that are currently sold by unlicensed retailers.
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Graceless Gospel & Pyramids Then And Now
The Associated Press reports that a Utah parent, frustrated by efforts to ban books from schools, convinced a suburban district that some Bible verses were too vulgar or violent for younger children. And Gatis Sluka offers his perspective on the world’s trash problem. Editorial cartoons by Randall Enos and Gatis Sluka.
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House Requires Police to Inform Drivers of Reasons for Traffic Stops
Connecticut police officers would be required to inform drivers why they had been pulled over during traffic stops under legislation given final passage Monday by the House of Representatives.
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State Offers Help To Residents Who Want To Keep Their Medical Coverage Despite Potentially Losing Medicaid Benefits
State officials are trying to reach out to residents who may lose their Medicaid coverage because of changes in the federal rules.
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