Governor Ned Lamont has urged lawmakers to restart negotiations and vote for Connecticut to join a multi-state Transportation and Climate Initiative.
Lamont says the TCI would help residents with asthma by lowering pollution in cities.
“It's a tough vote but it's the right vote to take. That's why we are here with healthcare professionals who are on the front lines. And I am talking to a wider audience trying to get people to take a vote that is not easy but a vote that is very important,” Lamont said.
Lamont spoke alongside healthcare professionals at Hartford Hospital on Wednesday to mark World Asthma Day.
The initiative puts caps on carbon emissions from gasoline, and requires gas suppliers to buy carbon credits. It would mean a five-cent increase to gas prices starting in 2023.
Many Republicans oppose the legislation. They claim the TCI would be a tax hike on low-income residents who can’t afford electric vehicles.
