Attached is your weekly legislative report and your summary of happenings at the State Capitol. The most notable event that happened this week was the passage of the religious exemption bill in the House of Representatives. There was over 16 hours of debate, with legislators finishing up around 3am. The bill passed mostly along party lines, with a final tally of 90-53. Seven Democrats voted against the bill, and five Republicans supported it.The Senate is arranged to take up the bill on Tuesday of next week. The House of Representatives is meeting on Monday, with an agenda still not finalized.
Another point of importance is the wide-ranging tax package that passed out of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. The package is 79 pages long with a variety of proposals that received praise, as well as criticism from both parties. In the Executive Branch, Governor Ned Lamont said that he would not sign the package as it stands. He has reservations regarding increased personal income taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents. Chairman of the committee Representative Sean Scanlan said the following: “I think we had a unique challenge before us this year. We tried to craft a package that both met the moment ... but also does not stifle the growth that Connecticut is experiencing. ... There are also people who are really hurting in Connecticut. This package — it’s not perfect. There is good stuff in here. ... I view this package as cutting more taxes than raising them.”
Another significant moment this week was a press conference in Waterbury where the Governor and his team rolled out broad direction for the American Recovery Plan aid that is coming to Connecticut from the federal government. There are components for education and early childhood education, municipal programs, broadband access, healthcare and equity as well as job creation and support for innovation and workforce advancement. More detailed plans are expected over the coming weeks.
This week the nation also reached an encouraging milestone regarding the Coronavirus. Over 200 million individuals have received their COVID-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden acknowledged this on Thursday, saying that this is a great accomplishment for the United States. In Connecticut, the positivity rate is the lowest it has been since February at 1.78%. “We feel like we’re still on very stable footing there,” Governor Lamont said, “so that gives us confidence as we go forward.” COVID-19 still rears its ugly head however, with 515 hospitalized and 8 new deaths overnight. As always, if you have any questions - do not hesitate to reach out!
