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Democrats To Push Progressive Agenda In Conn. House

Jessica Hill
/
AP
Connecticut Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin raises a gavel to end the legislative session at midnight at the State Capitol in May in Hartford.

Connecticut House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz has announced the committee assignments and chairmanships for members of his Democratic caucus.

Connecticut House Democrats picked up 12 seats in the 2018 elections, increasing their margin in the state House of Representatives over the Republican minority. Aresimowicz says that’s enabled him to assign a number of new faces to committee chairmanships. He says he’s hoping they’ll help push through a progressive agenda including the reintroduction of highway tolls.

“I’m very open to tolls. I think we have to have an honest discussion about it. And we’ll find out through the committee process where the committees will is to take up that issue. And then in the meantime we’ll be talking with the members to find out where the members themselves are on the tolls issue.”

Aresimowicz says that will be done when his caucus meets in two weeks to map out their legislative agenda. The new session begins next Wednesday.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.