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Lamont Rues The Defeat Of A Public Healthcare Option

Conn. Gov. Ned Lamont
Jessica Hill
/
AP
Gov. Lamont addresses the House and the Senate at the State Capitol in Hartford on Thursday.

Governor Ned Lamont is disappointed that a public option for healthcare insurance was killed in the Connecticut legislative session that ended this week.

Lamont said the proposal would have saved small businesses and individuals up to 20% on their premiums.

“If you believe in small business as the engine of economic growth, we should have passed a bill that brings down the cost of healthcare for small business.”

Lamont said even the stripped-down version of the bill that made it to the floor would have been better than nothing. He said it would have created a competitive market.

“We were going to be able to get a federal waiver for reinsurance for folks with pre-existing conditions, and that would have brought down the cost of healthcare for everybody in the state, especially those on the exchange. So you got to ask those folks that talked that bill to death why they did it.”

Republicans opposed the bill. They say government should not be involved in the private healthcare market.

The health insurance industry, including Connecticut-based Cigna, had lobbied against the bill.  

Meanwhile, Lamont still wants Connecticut lawmakers to return to Hartford over the summer for a special session to discuss transportation infrastructure funding, despite Republican opposition to the governor’s plan to erect highway tolls.

“Obviously the Republicans would like to borrow more. I’d like to use a user fee via electronic tolling, and we sit down and find if there is some middle ground there. But at the end of the day I’m not going to let people avoid a tough vote because it’s the most important thing we can do to get this state moving.”

Lamont says he’s disappointed lawmakers were not able to get tolls. He plans to meet with legislative leaders to organize a special session.

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.