ELECTION DAY RESULTS
Connecticut saw a high voter turnout on Tuesday and awaited results late into the night. While one General Assembly seat is being challenged, it’s clear the House and Senate have maintained democratic majority by picking up enough seats to now have a supermajority in both chambers. Election results show democrats in the Senate increased their majority by one seat reflecting 25 – 11 members. In the House, democrats also increased their majority reflecting 102 – 49 members. While House Democrats picked up six seats, House Republicans also picked up two seats. Due to the large number of retirements, we will see new faces on both sides of the aisle.
The seat in question includes the 29th State Senate District race between incumbent Mae Flexer (D) and challenger Chris Reddy (R). The senate seat has been called with Flexer as the winner and is being challenged by Reddy. We anticipate that the results will not change moving forward.
Also included on the ballot Tuesday was an Absentee Ballot question. Connecticut voters approved the ballot question to allow no-excuse absentee voting. We have compiled a Freshman Slide Deck below to serve as a preview of who will be joining the legislature in January for your review.
Review Newly Elected CGA Members Here
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Newly elected members will be sworn into office after the new year and Connecticut will convene for regular legislative session on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. In the meanwhile, leaders will meet with their caucus to determine Caucus leadership, Committee assignments and begin discussion on major policy goals for the upcoming session. We anticipate that leaders will start sharing some Committee Chairs in the coming weeks, while Committee memberships are likely not to be announced late-December to early January.
GENERAL FUND UPDATE
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, in his monthly financial and economic update, projects a Fiscal Year 2025 General Fund surplus of $71.2 million and a Special Transportation Fund (STF) surplus of $131.6 million, both in general agreement with the Office of Policy and Management’s projections. In his letter to Governor Lamont, Comptroller Scanlon noted that experts are reporting a “soft landing” when it comes to the national economy and the easing of inflation.
View Comptroller Scanlon’s Monthly Update Here
BREAKING NEWS
Governor Lamont and Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais announced that the open enrollment period for Connecticut residents seeking to enroll in health insurance plans for 2025 with Access Health CT, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, has begun and will continue through January 15, 2025.
The Connecticut Commission on Community Service, also known as Serve Connecticut, is now accepting applications for mini-grants to support youth-led service initiatives in Connecticut. These mini-grants are available to support the engagement of youths between the ages of 5 and 25 in meaningful, youth-led service or service-learning projects or programs benefiting the community during the grant term of January 1 to September 30, 2025. Eligible applicants include schools, out-of-school time programs (after school or summer), municipalities, agencies, and youth-serving organizations.
Governor Lamont announced that the Commission for Educational Technology, an office within the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS), is being awarded more than $9 million in federal funding to launch key initiatives outlined in the state’s digital equity plan, “Connecticut: Everyone Connected.” The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through its Digital Equity Program, which is part of the White House’s Internet for All initiative authorized through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Governor Lamont announced that he is calling for an independent audit of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system in an effort to increase public transparency and accountability of the higher education system’s financial management practices. The governor submitted a letter to Comptroller Sean Scanlon requesting that his office conduct the review.
SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS
View Full CGA Calendar Here