The Connecticut General Assembly will convene for the first day of its 2026 legislative session on Wednesday. Top lawmakers — who also happen to be candidates — are already proposing major legislation.
Governor Ned Lamont is expected to propose a one-time $200 dollar per person tax rebate, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Couples earning less than $400,000 annually would get $400 under the reported plan.
The proposal comes during an election year, in which Lamont is seeking a third term. He floated the idea during a meeting with business leaders last week.
“I look at the long-term things that people are proposing, and I feel like I've got to do something, you know, short-term, near-term for folks who are getting crushed,” Lamont said.
Lamont isn’t the only gubernatorial candidate to come out swinging before the first day of the session.
State Senator Ryan Fazio from Greenwich, who is vying for the Republican nomination, released a six-point plan he said will reduce energy prices by 20%. It includes eliminating the public benefits charge and expanding natural gas capacity.
Fazio faces former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R), who is not a member of the General Assembly, in the race to be the Republican nominee. Betsy McCaughey (R), the former Lieutenant Governor of New York, is also running for the nomination.
State Rep. Josh Elliot (D-Hamden) is challenging Lamont on the Democratic side.
Energy prices and the cost of living will likely drive the conversation in Hartford this year. The session is short — only 13 weeks — since it’s an election year, so lawmakers will be cramming to get bills through before the May 6th deadline.
