As the 2026 legislative session ends and he turns towards his campaign for a third term, Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut remains fiscally strong as it churns out balanced budgets and pays down billions in pension debt.
During a Capitol news conference, Lamont gave positive reviews to the just-completed session, saying lawmakers were able to send more money than expected back to towns and cities, including a one-time, $100 million grant for municipal spending and $170 million added for public schools.
“Overall, we’ve more than doubled municipal aid over the last 7 years,” said Lamont. “Working hard with our mayors and first selectmen to hold down property taxes and make life a little more affordable for people.”
The governor wasn’t able to push through $200 per person “energy rebates,” but the state did cut the “public benefits charge” on electric bills.
Lamont also touts new legislation on artificial intelligence and parental controls for social media. The session also delivered $300 million for affordable childcare, free school breakfasts and universal absentee voting.
The governor was disappointed that a statewide school cellphone ban never got a vote in the Senate, saying, “We were a real leader on this a few years ago (when the state directed towns to set their own school cellphone policies). Now, I get to talk to governors who tell me that you get the phones out of the schools, not only do the kids talk to each other more, but also more books are taken out of the library.”
He predicts the cellphones ban will pass next year. In the meantime, he expects the state to offer school systems more guidance on the issue.
He was also hoping that more protections for tenants’ rights would have passed. They fell short, as well.
Reporters turned their questions to the campaign.
Reporter: “What would you say this last 3 or 4 months (legislative session) means for another 4 years of Gov. Ned Lamont?”
Lamont: “I think promises kept, promises delivered. Look where you were 7 years ago, look where you are today. We’re still managing through an incredibly complicated time with the Trump Administration. We were able to back people up when it comes to healthcare, we were able to get additional funding for schools. We were able to grow the economy, while in many other places it’s contracting. We were able to get an additional $50 million in case President Trump cuts other things, so we can protect people. I think people know where we come from and what we gotta do going forward… continue to bring down energy prices, continue to build out housing… I think those are our priorities and bending the curve on healthcare.”
In a statement, Republican candidate for governor Erin Stewart responded, “If ever there was a perfect example of how disconnected Ned Lamont is from reality look no further than this sham of a press conference.”
