黑料吃瓜网's legislative session ended last week. A number of weighty bills addressing big topics like climate change, abortion and artificial intelligence .
But there were also legislative winners, including a bill tightening absentee ballot regulations in 黑料吃瓜网 and new laws strengthening rules in nursing homes.
黑料吃瓜网 Mirror Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Pazniokas recently spoke with 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 All Things Considered about what he saw as big winners and losers during the 2024 legislative session.
Lamont holds fast on spending caps, for now
The biggest winner from this last session was 黑料吃瓜网 Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, Pazniokas said.
Lawmakers got through the session 鈥渄oing a budget that was more-or-less on his terms,鈥� Pazniokas said. 鈥淢ainly that there was no revision to the various spending caps that [were] of utmost importance to this governor.鈥�
Those 鈥渟pending caps,鈥� also known as 鈥渇iscal guard rails,鈥� are spending limits credited by Lamont and other Democrats with generating and maintaining the state鈥檚 budget surplus.
GOP critical of move to disperse expiring pandemic aid
After the end of the legislative session on May 8, Republican House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora took issue with the decision of Democratic leaders to use leftover federal pandemic assistance funds to pay for spending needs this year. Candelora wanted lawmakers to instead craft a formal set of budget changes for the second year of the two-year budget.
But by not doing a full budget this year, Democrats avoided having to make budget cuts that could otherwise have been required by the state鈥檚 fiscal guard rails. 鈥淭he Republicans said the Democrats are champing-at-the-bit to loosen the fiscal guard rails and that we're going to see an impact on that next year,鈥� Pazniokas said.
Higher ed and health care were legislative winners
黑料吃瓜网 legislators passed bills to the Governor鈥檚 desk that include 鈥� among other things 鈥� more money for higher education, a health care omnibus measure, protections for road workers and protections for elderly
Pazniokas said the non-profits that the state often relies on to fill the gap between state programs and for-profit programs won too 鈥� but not by much. 鈥淚t's a mixed bag,鈥� Pazniokas said. 鈥淭he nonprofit providers get about a 2.5% increase, which is better than nothing, but not nearly what they say they need.鈥�
Climate measures once again fall flat, disappointing activists
Legislators did not pass most legislation aimed at tackling climate change. That includes a large House-approved bill that would have updated the Global Warming Solutions Act, created incentives for businesses and declared a state climate crisis.
鈥淭hat was a big, big disappointment for the environmental movement because last year was not a great year for them,鈥� Pazniokas said. 鈥淭hey were really hoping to have something that would put 黑料吃瓜网 back on the map as a state that seems to be taking climate change seriously. It was a priority of the House Democrats. The Senate Democrats never called it for a vote.鈥�
Curious case of a last-minute bill Lamont says he鈥檒l veto
That brings us to the one bill making it to Lamont鈥檚 desk that the governor has pledged to veto: House Bill 5431, more commonly known as the 鈥淪triking Worker Assistance Fund.鈥�
This bill passed with what Pazniokas believes is purposefully unclear language. 鈥淚t provided $3 million to assist low income workers and that's really all it said,鈥� Pazniokas explained. 鈥淭he Comptroller鈥檚 Office would administer it. But define low income workers? There's nothing in the bill. Define what kind of assistance? There's nothing in the bill.鈥�
Republicans were all against this bill and could have filibustered to keep it from coming to a vote, Pazniokas said. 鈥淭hey all voted against it, but they didn't ask a single damn question 鈥� like a very basic one: What's the purpose of this? Where did this come from?鈥� Pazniokas said.
Pazniokas said that could indicate Republicans struck a deal with Democrats to not filibuster the bill, despite not supporting it.
Democratic leadership in the Senate favored 鈥渂enefits for strikers over the climate change bill,鈥� Pazniokas said, but 鈥測ou weren't going to get them both through on the last day. They had other substantial business, and it was very important to him [Senate President Martin Looney] and labor.鈥�
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
