Legal marijuana appears to be moving closer to reality in Connecticut with top lawmakers and key staffers for Gov. Ned Lamont reporting progress in negotiations on a legalization bill. Asked during a Thursday press briefing if he would partake if Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis the Democratic governor replied, “time will tell.”
Want to get this in your inbox every Friday? Subscribe to Capitol Watch at courant.com/newsletters
The big story
Odds improving for deal on legalizing marijuana: Lawmakers are moving closer to agreement on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Connecticut as the General Assembly heads toward its June 9 adjournment. “My 50-50 has gone up to 57-43,” House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Tuesday of the odds a marijuana legalization bill will be passed this year. Top lawmakers and key players in the Lamont administration have been meeting frequently to discuss the issue. “We’re optimistic we’re going to come to a deal,” said Max Reiss, the governor’s chief spokesman. “Talks have remained constructive.” Ritter said the good news about the negotiations with Lamont has won over some skeptics. “As word gets out that the majority leader’s working group is making progress with the governor’s office, I’m struck by the number of people who I thought were ‘nos’ previously or ‘maybes’ who are king of getting there,” he said. Negotiators are trying to merge pieces of separate bills that passed the judiciary and labor committee earlier this spring. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, said the equity component of the legislation will be key. “The whole conversation around equity is about ensuring that entrance to the [legal marijuana] marketplace is able to be accessed by communities … that have been most impacted by the war on drugs,” he said.
Five things you may have missed
Lamont signs sports betting, online gambling bill: On Thursday afternoon Lamont signed landmark legislation that legalizes sports betting and online gambling in Connecticut and officials are hopeful the first legal wagers will be accepted in time for the start of the NFL season in early September. Now that the bill has been signed, the state must seek approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of Interior to amend revenue-sharing compacts with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. Lamont said he was “confident the federal government will see fit to approve these amendments” so sports betting and online gambling can be launched in the coming months. In addition to the tribes, the Connecticut Lottery Corp. will operate online and in-person betting locations, with larger sites planned for Hartford and Bridgeport. The deal is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars a year for the state.
‘Clean slate’ compromise would erase fewer criminal charges: More than 300,000 Connecticut residents would get their criminal records erased under “clean slate” legislation that was granted final legislative approval in the state House of Representatives late Thursday. Records would be erased beginning in 2023 if those convicted had not been convicted of any new crimes during the past 7 or 10 years, depending on the seriousness of their past crimes. The bill was narrowed from a previous version that would have erased a wider variety of serious crimes, including burglary with a firearm, stalking and sex-related crimes involving minors. Those crimes were eliminated after protests by Gov. Ned Lamont and Republicans. Supporters said the measure was an important criminal justice reform that would allow people who made a mistake years ago to no longer face roadblocks in terms of finding a job or housing. They said the bill did not seek to minimize the seriousness of the crimes.
Democrats, Lamont moving closer to budget deal without tax hikes on rich: Democratic leaders in the General Assembly and Lamont are nearing agreement on a two-year state budget deal that would not include tax hikes on the rich that progressives in the legislature have been pushing. Lamont has resisted the tax increases, saying the state has a budget surplus in the current fiscal year, a rainy day fund projected to top $4 billion and federal coronavirus relief funds on the way. In exchange for dropping their demand for tax hikes, the Democratic leaders are seeking increases on the spending side of the budget, including infrastructure investments in cities through bonding, new “Baby Bonds” that would award $5,000 to poor children at birth and expansion of state health insurance for low-income families. Top Democrats said they had a “very productive” meeting with Lamont Wednesday, and both sides are hopeful a deal will be reached before the June 9 adjournment.
Early voting will be on the ballot in 2022: Connecticut voters will decide next year if the state should join the 44 other states that offer early voting that allows residents to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Under legislation that cleared the state Senate Thursday, the question: “Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting?” will appear on the 2022 ballot. The move comes as many states across the country are tightening access to the polls. “I want Connecticut to be a beacon of light in our country where, right now, too many other state legislatures in America are making it harder and harder for their constituents to vote,” Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, said. The resolution had previously been approved by the General Assembly in 2019 under the multistep process necessary to amend the state constitution.
Zoning reform bill clears final legislative hurdle: Compromise legislation that would loosen restrictive zoning policies with an eye toward creating more affordable housing in the state’s wealthier communities gained final legislative approval in the state Senate late Thursday but the measure falls short of what advocates had initially hoped for. The measure requires towns to allow homeowners to build in-law apartments and places limits on how many parking spaces new homes or apartments must have, but towns can vote to opt out of those provisions. It also prohibits zoning officials from considering the vague term “character if the district” as a reason to deny an application. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he was “a bit frustrated at this bill, that it’s not as strong as it could be or should be” but said it was an important step forward on the issue.
Odds and ends
Themis Klarides, the former Republican leader in the state House of Representatives, has taken an initial step toward running for governor next year. Klarides, who declined to seek reelection in 2020, filed paperwork with the State Elections Enforcement Commission that will allow her to spend her own money while she explores a run. “I believe deeply in the potential of our state, and that the status quo of the Lamont administration has failed our families,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to listening to voters across the state as I carefully consider what is best for our state, our people, and my family.” Lamont has yet to formally announce if he’ll seek reelection but he is widely expected to do so. … State Sen. Dennis Bradley has been indicted on federal conspiracy and fraud charges after prosecutors allege he conspired to cheat the state’s public campaign financing system out of about $180,000. Bradley and his campaign treasurer, former Bridgeport school board Chairman Jessica Martinez, are accused of lying about expenditures and other campaign finance issues to obtain a $84,140 grant for his 2018 Democratic primary campaign and attempt to win another $95,710 grant for the general election that was ultimately denied. Bradley, a 37-year-old Bridgeport Democrat, pleaded not guilty. … Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher has ruled against parents who filed a lawsuit against the state over a requirement that students wear masks in school as a safety measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moukawsher previously dismissed claims that masks posed a risk to students in Connecticut schools and in a final ruling this week said it was clear it was within the governor’s authority to order masks to be worn in schools as part of his powers in a public health emergency. Citing concerns about executive overreach, he noted in his ruling that the legislature had on multiple occasions voted to extend Lamont’s powers. … Sen. Chris Murphy joined with his colleague Sen. Bernie Sanders to introduce new legislation that would grant college athletes the right to form unions by classifying them as employees of their universities. Murphy for years has sought to improve conditions for college athletes, an effort he describes as a “civil rights issue.” The bill, called the College Athletes Right to Organize Act, drew immediate pushback from the NCAA, which argues college athletes are students, not employees. “This bill would directly undercut the purpose of college: earning a degree,” the organization said. … Jeff Caggiano, a former school board member and chairman of the Bristol Republican Town Committee, plans to challenge Democratic Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu in November. He says term limits will be a key issue in his campaign. Bristol voters adopted term limits for members of the council and school board in 2013 but the rule has never been implemented due to legal questions. Bristol voters narrowly backed President Donald Trump in 2016 but chose Joe Biden in 2020. The city’s legislative delegation includes three Republicans and one Democrat.
Russell Blair can be reached at rblair@courant.com.
Recent Comments