Democratic and Republican legislative leaders announced in a joint press release that in consideration of the Governor's executive orders, they do not intend to go back to the Capitol before May 6, the Constitutional adjournment date for regular session. They are, however, working remotely via daily calls with the Governor's office in developing a framework for issues to be discussed in a Special Session that will be forthcoming. No dates have been scheduled yet for such a session and government continues to operate in uncharted waters. The Governor has made clear that he is putting the health of CT residents first and foremost in his decisions to keep non-essential businesses closed, but much is being done to return Connecticut back to normalcy as soon as it is safe.
Budget Changes Unlikely
The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) Secretary, Melissa McCaw, announced that it was anticipated the state would end the year with a $530.2 million budget deficit. This represents 2.7% of the annual budget. At this time the Governor's office is not considering budget cuts or tax increases to address the deficit. Instead, the state is planning on using money from the "rainy day fund" to cover any deficit. The rainy day fund currently sits at $2.5 billion.
Minority Leader Themis Klarides Not Running for Re-election
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides announced that after 22 years in the legislature and 6 years as Leader, she will not seek re-election. Rep. Klarides also stated that "her time in public service isn't over." Rep. Vincent Candelora, the Deputy Minority Leader, could become a potential successor to Klarides. With this announcement, there will be even more turnover at the legislative leadership level going into the 2021 session, as we will have a new Speaker of the House, House Majority Leader, House Minority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader.
