News

If all goes as planned, the legislature will put four bills on the desk of Gov. Ned Lamont by Friday.

Although it looks like the federal government shutdown will soon be at an end, Gov. Ned Lamont said he has signed a declaration enabling the Connecticut General Assembly to adopt legislation appropriating the funding necessary to create an emergency state response reserve. The reserve will facilitate the state response to millions of dollars in federal cuts toward health and human services that are being made by President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans, Lamont said.

A reworked housing bill encountered spirited resistance from House Republicans Wednesday, although nothing changed in the seven hours of debate, and the bill passed 90-56, mostly along party lines. Five members did not cast a vote.

As the nation endures its longest federal government shutdown on record, Connecticut leaders are moving to shield the state’s most vulnerable residents from the fallout.

With the average rent in Connecticut near $1,975, a new poll from the Regional Plan Association found that nine in ten residents believe Connecticut is “not doing enough” to expand affordable housing. Nearly as many blame outdated zoning rules and infrastructure limits for the problem.

The longest shutdown in U.S. history is starting to wind down after a bloc of Senate Democrats joined Republicans on a deal to reopen the federal government, but Connecticut’s senators opposed the agreement because it made no guarantee to extend the policy at the heart of the shutdown fight: expiring health care subsidies.

Aside from housing, state lawmakers will take up legislation on immigration, food assistance, health care and more when they meet Nov. 12-13.

In a scene that’s been playing out across Connecticut over the past week, Diana Colombo lined up at a mobile food pantry in East Hartford on Wednesday morning — a line double its typical length.

With election results still being tabulated, Democrats are celebrating big wins across the state. Unofficial results show 27 communities flipping from Republican to Democratic control in terms of mayor or first selectmen, and 3 towns led by a Town Council switching power as well.

Democrats racked up wins in municipal elections across the state Tuesday, flipping chief executive seats in Ansonia, Stratford, Milford, and New Britain, and others. All results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of the State’s office.

Democrats made broad gains Tuesday in Connecticut’s first general election since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, flipping open top-of-ballot seats that had been controlled by Republicans in the Democratic cities of New Britain and Norwich and suburbs of Branford and Westport.

Lawmakers want state funds to shield program

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is providing $3 million in emergency state funding to the nonprofit organization Connecticut Foodshare to help Connecticut residents who are expected to lose access to food stamp benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the shutdown of the federal government.

With property values climbing faster than paychecks, many Connecticut homeowners are facing municipal tax increases — and Republican lawmakers say the state’s record surplus should be part of the solution.

Next month, Connecticut voters will head to the polls to elect candidates for local positions in their city or town. No statewide or national elections — like those for United States Senate and House of Representatives seats or for governor of Connecticut — are held in odd-numbered years. But on Nov. 4, many communities throughout the state will still elect officeholders to positions like mayor, city councilor, alder or board of education member.

Connecticut is among the top states in the country for research and development, according to a recent report from Smilehub.org. Smilehub is a nonprofit tech company that uses data to create ratings.

While 70 percent of surveyed Connecticut manufacturers were profitable in 2024, nearly all saw the cost of business go up due to a variety of factors. Nearly two in three businesses though (66%) reported that the Trump administration’s tariff policies are negatively impacting them, according to a recent report issued by the state’s largest business organization.

MyCTSavings is a state-sponsored retirement savings program, for employers with 5 or more full- and/or part-time employees that do not offer a retirement plan. When businesses enroll, their employees can save for retirement through payroll contributions into a Roth IRA. The program is free to businesses, and more than 50 payroll companies work with MyCTSavings to provide payroll integration with your existing payroll process.

A number of Connecticut municipalities listed below are scheduled to conduct real property revaluations effective October 1, 2025. As early as this month, property owners in these municipalities will begin receiving revaluation notices with the proposed new assessments of their properties. Typically, these notices include an opportunity to attend an informal hearing with the revaluation company or the assessor's office to discuss the new assessments, which should represent 70% of a property's fair market value.

The federal government shutdown that began just after midnight Wednesday morning could have wide-ranging and long-lasting effects on the state, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.