In This Issue:

On The Marble

Municipal Roundup

Federal Focus

CT Agency Corner

This Day in CT History

This Week's News:

CT utilities go to court to challenge PURA decisions that led to credit downgrades across industry

CT Medicaid accused of violating law by not covering weight loss drugs                 

When a bill in the long session has been included in the first tranche of legislation filed on the opening day, there’s a good chance you’ll see legislation considered to be a “caucus priority” bill.

The Senate Democratic caucus is known as being the most frequent utilizer of Senate Bills 1-10 as priority legislation that will be voted on during the session. The bills all differ in subject matter and to date are anticipated to be a variety of topics, including artificial intelligence regulation, housing reform, and prescription drug cost control measures. The House Democrats have more recently used the first bills, which for their caucus is 5001-5005 on topics pertaining to relief for senior citizens, climate change legislation, and investment in expanding behavioral health. Both Republican caucuses during the session also incorporate their priority legislation in certain bills and primarily revolve around tax reform ideas. It is common that Democrats use the long session to negotiate with Republicans that are eager to have their ideas included as part of the budget. It’s a process that occurs after the public hearings conclude in March and can end up in a budget package adopted in May.

If you are a client of S&L, you’ll be notified next Tuesday night (January 7^th) that an overall “statement of purpose” topic includes an issue area of direct interest. These bills will only be one-two pages to start but it’s more of an invitation to reach out to the appropriate legislators that can assist with framing how the legislation may or may not impact your industry. While some find it frustrating to be included as a chief topic of legislation, it does present a firm opportunity to “be in the tent” earlier rather than advocate against the bill’s proponent. Our office is constantly reminded of another famous adage: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

This process is very different than the short session where caucus priority bills are forced to intersect with the budget on the first day and be presented with an entirely different set of challenges. The Governor’s budget in a long session is released in early-mid February which is dependent on how controversial the budget cycle is for the year. Less controversial budgets are released on the first Wednesday following the first Monday and controversial budgets are given a grace period of a week or two after this deadline to account for a lack of, in most cases, revenue. This budget in particular is hard to gauge when the release date will be but at this point the strong stance by Governor Lamont on fiscal guardrails has created a tone of very limited increased spending especially with Federal spending programs created during the pandemic expiring.

We look forward to presenting some initial news and information in 2025 – Happy New Year!

In his first year as Waterbury’s mayor, Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. highlighted key accomplishments in public safety, education, and economic development in Waterbury. The police department added 37 officers, bringing staffing close to full capacity and streamlining the hiring process for certified officers. Progress was also made in education with the implementation of Yondr pouches to limit disruptive cellphone use in schools and the appointment of Darren Schwartz as interim superintendent. Schwartz introduced a new reading curriculum and improved tracking of school incidents while rebuilding trust with teachers. Despite these strides, challenges remain, including addressing crime and raising test scores.

Economic revitalization efforts included the redevelopment of the former St. Mary’s Elementary School into housing for hospital workers and the historic Odd Fellows Hall, which UConn plans to use for expanded educational programs. Additionally, the planned Amazon distribution center is expected to bring 1,000 jobs to the area. Pernerewski expressed pride in engaging directly with residents, in areas like public transit rides, but acknowledged persistent issues like cleaning up over 30 brownfields and sustaining progress in crime reduction. He remains focused on these challenges as the city moves forward.

The state Board of Education is set to vote in January on the approval of a new charter school in Stamford following strong support from local residents and officials at a recent public hearing. The proposed Big Picture Learning Academy aims to provide an internship-based, alternative high school experience, offering personalized learning plans and hands-on projects tailored to students’ interests. If approved, the school would initially enroll up to 200 freshmen and sophomores, eventually expanding to 400 students across all high school grades. Advocates, including Stamford’s associate superintendent Lori Rhodes and interim associate superintendent Matthew Laskowski, emphasized the need for innovative education options to better engage students who may not thrive in traditional classroom settings.

The academy would operate independently as a charter school and is projected to cost roughly $5 million annually once fully operational, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1. Plans include housing the school at Cloonan Middle School and hiring 24 advisors. The project has drawn support from community members, such as Charlene Reid of Stamford Charter School for Excellence, and parents seeking local alternatives to out-of-town private schools. Proponents see the academy as a much-needed addition to Stamford’s education system, addressing the diverse needs of its students through a modern, personalized approach to learning.

A Christmas Miracle



Last week on this section of In the Loop, we focused on the federal government’s unique inability to pass a budget, with a specific look at the incoming Administration, particularly Elon Musk. Just a few hours after that blog was posted, the federal government passed a short term spending package that kicks the can down the road for a few more months. It was a tough look for the final weeks of the lame duck Congress. Potentially a sign of what is to come our way in the next month. In that fight, the incoming Administration has pledged to cut spending and reduce the federal deficit. Let’s look at what that might mean for our state.

The largest tax cut in recent history was passed during the first Trump Administration. While the benefit of that tax package ran mostly towards higher income Americans, lower income Americans benefited as well. The Trump Administration plans on extending that tax package and moving to cut spending which can be difficult in any political atmosphere not to mention the one beginning 2025. If the plan is to cut spending, it will be hard to extend the tax cut package that President Trump passed in 2017. Other forms of spending will be harmed and that’s when we get into the tough conversation about entitlements like social security and Medicare. For states with older populations, that’s a non-starter. Another way the incoming Republican Congress could shift the spending gap is by throwing out support for earmarks, which Connecticut has benefited from for years as we have spoken about on this blog for as long as I have been here at S&L.

There’s a ton of options but no clear path for the incoming administration’s priorities around spending. Any way you look at it, someone loses. Want to alter the SALT (state and local tax) deductions? Sure, there is a win but let’s not forget how polarizing that fight was a few years ago. Plan to cut defense spending or entitlements? Connecticut would be a huge loser there. Looking at transportation cuts or environmental reductions in spending? Yikes for a place like Connecticut. As things get clearer and we look down the road at the incoming administration fast approaching, we will be here to follow just what policies will impact our clients and our state. 

Last week, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced the approval of four new clean energy projects aimed at improving the state's energy grid and reducing costs for ratepayers. The projects include three solar energy initiatives that will generate 816,000 megawatt-hours per year– enough to power 97,000 homes. The fourth project is a 200 megawatt grid-scale battery storage initiative developed by Jupiter Power, the first of its kind in Connecticut. According to DEEP’s estimates, “The selected solar and storage resources represent a 3% increase in the state’s energy supply and will save Connecticut ratepayers $424 million in energy supply costs, net of the costs of the contracts, in the first 20 years of operation.”

In the same press release, the agency announced that it had closed its solicitation for a multi-state coordinated offshore wind project with Rhode Island and Massachusetts without selecting any bids. While some Democrats supported the project as a solid strategy to diversify Connecticut’s clean energy portfolio, Republicans have advocated for months that the Governor walk away from negotiations, citing concerns over the unknown costs that could be passed on to consumers. The issue is far from dead, as the Governor and DEEP have pledged to continue exploring offshore wind opportunities. Offshore wind is just another piece of the debate on how to lower Connecticut’s high energy rates (and who’s to blame!) between lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. More to come!

December 26: The Governor Who Refused to Leave Office

One of Connecticut’s most accomplished citizens — and governors — also had one of the state’s most unusual nicknames. Morgan G. Bulkeley — Civil War veteran, financier, insurance executive, first president of baseball’s National League, and strong-arm politician — earned himself the nickname “the Crowbar Governor,” while serving in that office in 1891.”

Bulkeley was born in East Haddam, Connecticut on December 26, 1837, the son of Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley, one of the co-founders (and later president) of Hartford’s Aetna Insurance Company. After working as a janitor at his father’s insurance company as a teenager, Bulkeley moved to New York City to work in the world of finance alongside his uncle. He took a seven-month hiatus when the Civil War broke out in 1861 to serve in the Union Army under General George McClellan. After the war, the indefatigable Bulkeley remained in New York until the 1870s, when he returned to Hartford and promptly chartered a new bank, founded the Hartford Dark Blues professional baseball team, became actively involved in city politics by joining the Board of Aldermen, and, upon his father’s death in 1872, worked his way up the executive ranks at Aetna Insurance. He became the insurance company’s president in 1879, and was elected mayor of the city of Hartford the very next year — a post he held for the next eight years.

Bulkeley’s insatiable ambition, fueled by a string of political and commercial successes, led him to seek the office of Governor, a feat he accomplished in 1888 on a technicality, with the General Assembly electing Bulkeley Governor after both he and his opponent failed to win a clear majority of votes. Two years later, Bulkeley’s term was up, and although he declined to seek re-election, he ended up playing a crucial role in that year’s gubernatorial election. In 1890, the Connecticut political scene was extremely polarized, and when the Democratic and Republican candidates once again failed to gain a clear majority of votes that November, the decision once again fell to the General Assembly. This time, however, the Republican-controlled lower house and Democratic upper house refused to work together to pick a single candidate. The political posturing and gridlock carried over into January, with no clear winner of the gubernatorial election.

Given the unusual circumstances, Morgan Bulkeley decided to remain the de facto acting governor until his successor was officially chosen, in hopes of providing the state capital with a sense of political stability. However, one morning, he returned to his gubernatorial office to find that the locks had been changed — likely by a custodian fearful of recent threats by political activists from both parties, who had started threatening to install their candidate as governor by force. Furious, Bulkeley found a deputy sheriff, demanded he break the locks open with a crowbar, and proceeded inside to continue business as usual, earning him the nickname of Connecticut’s “Crowbar Governor.” Later that year, the gubernatorial deadlock was decided by the state Supreme Court — which decided to name Bulkeley as acting governor for the remainder of the two-year term! A tall tale led to a memorable nickname for one of Connecticut’s larger-than-life political personalities, who got his start on this day in Connecticut history.

To view the full story on the CT Historian's website, click here.