UNITED STATES NEWS

Connecticut to adjourn largely bipartisan session in contrast to rancor in other states

Jun 7, 2023, 5:40 PM

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly passed protections for abortion providers and gave more power to libraries facing book challenges — and they did it with Republican support.

All but 13 Republicans voted for the major gun control bill that’s already being challenged in court.

Bucking the partisan rancor seen in other legislatures this year, Connecticut lawmakers were poised Wednesday night to wrap up what’s been one of the most bipartisan legislative sessions in recent memory. And they’re crediting old fashioned relationship-building, a willingness for compromise, a healthy budget surplus and a strict adjournment deadline.

“ Oregon hasn’t met in a month because the senators have just left the building. Think about that,” Democratic House Speaker Matthew Ritter said hours before Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont was scheduled to address lawmakers in a traditional midnight speech.

“We’ve talked about it. We’ve tried to create a culture in the House whereby people have to learn to compromise, not only with Republicans, but with each other in their caucus,” Ritter said. “We have insisted on people sitting down, working it out.”

Ritter said the strict session deadline in the state constitution also forces the part-time Legislature to compromise.

Besides Oregon, where hundreds of bills are languishing amid a partisan stalemate, there have been examples of discord this year across the country. Lawmakers have expelled colleagues in Montana House floor.

In contrast, Connecticut Democrats and Republicans on Wednesday were still celebrating the strong bipartisan support for the budget finalized Tuesday, though there were some disagreements about spending levels for social nonprofit service agencies and how much to cut taxes.

“This was probably the most amenable session,” said nine-term Republican Eric Berthel, who represents the most conservative Senate district. The top Senate Republican on the budget-writing and education committees, Berthel said he feels comfortable defending his vote to his constituents, even though they might criticize him for voting for a budget Democrats supported too.

However, Berthel acknowledges if Connecticut didn’t have a robust surplus things might be different.

Republican Rep. David Rutigliano, who helped craft a bipartisan bill this year that fixes Connecticut’s recreational marijuana law, something he and other GOP lawmakers opposed in 2021, said he’s learned from the top Republican and Democratic House leaders, who are on friendly terms, that relationship-building is key, especially for a minority Republican.

“They tell us if you want to get anything done, you have to have a relationship. You can’t do a lot of gotcha stuff. You can’t be kind of a jerk and you have to talk,” he said. “Listen, (Democrats) are in charge, we get it. But it’s better when we’re in the room. Our ideas aren’t all bad.”

Despite talk of bipartisanship this session, there have been mostly partisan votes, including on election-related matters and guns.

And not every advocate is thrilled with this year’s political compromises, especially when it comes to the state budget. Groups working on behalf of low-income workers contend the plan, which was limited by a spending cap, shortchanges residents still financially struggling from the pandemic.

“Nonpartisanship has its merits, but when it comes at the expense of real hardworking people, from our perspective, it becomes problematic,” said Pastor Rodney Wade, a member of Recovery for All, a coalition of unions, religious groups and other community organizations. He points out how striking group home workers, many of them racial minorities working multiple jobs, picketed outside the state Capitol during the final days of the legislative session seeking a “living wage” but he believes the issue did not get the attention it deserved.

“If the goal is simply to have a budget, then I believe the state of Connecticut missed the mark,” he said.

The desire for bipartisanship has watered down some initiatives, said Sarah Ganong, state director of the left-leaning Connecticut Working Families Party. For example, a proposal to raise the age limit for Medicaid health insurance for immigrant children lacking legal status from 12 to 26 was reduced to 15.

“On the surface, maybe that seems like a sort of a bipartisan compromise,” she said. “But to a 17-year-old that doesn’t have health care right now, that’s not actually a middle ground. That’s clearly picking a side.”

United States News

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber at the Capitol in Washingt...

Associated Press

U.S. government avoids shutdown hours before deadline

The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday hours before a midnight deadline and sent the measure to President Joe Biden.

24 minutes ago

Associated Press

UN to vote on resolution to authorize one-year deployment of armed force to help Haiti fight gangs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduling a vote Monday on a resolution that would authorize a one-year deployment of an international force to help Haiti quell a surge in gang violence and restore security so the troubled Caribbean nation can hold long-delayed elections. The U.S.-drafted resolution obtained by The […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was […]

5 hours ago

FILE - Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., listens to fellow speakers before President Joe Biden speaks on ...

Associated Press

Rep. Jamaal Bowman triggered a fire alarm in a House office building amid voting on a funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman acknowledged triggering a fire alarm Saturday in one of the U.S. Capitol office buildings as lawmakers scrambled to pass a bill to fund the government before the midnight shutdown deadline. The fire alarm sounded out around noon in the Cannon House Office Building and prompted a building-wide evacuation […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab

A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee’s hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle […]

6 hours ago

(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS...

Associated Press

On the brink of a federal shutdown, the House passes a 45-day funding plan and sends it to Senate

On the brink of a federal government shutdown, the House on Saturday swiftly approved a 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open as Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage to send the package to the Senate.

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Connecticut to adjourn largely bipartisan session in contrast to rancor in other states