Lamont Calls Legislature Into Session To Consider Several Timely Policy Issues and Judicial Nominations

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is calling the Connecticut General Assembly to convene in special session beginning Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. to consider legislation on several timely policy issues, as well as consideration of the four judicial nominations he announced in July.

The governor’s special session call includes the consideration of legislation on the following policy areas:

1. Establishing a performance-based regulation to hold the state’s electricity, gas, and water companies accountable for the critical services they provide to customers;
2. Ensuring local officials may administer absentee ballots in a secure and orderly manner during the November 2020 general election;
3. Authorizing school construction projects;
4. Updating the state’s Transfer Act;
5. Aligning Connecticut’s hemp program with federal law and providing opportunities for hemp growers and manufacturers in the state;
6. Updating the state’s environmental justice law to require public notice and community benefit agreements in certain circumstances;
7. Providing greater protection for employees in occupations engaged in construction on certain non-residential building, heavy, or highway works projects in Connecticut;
8. Permitting homeowners’ associations to obtain loans through the Supplemental Collapsing Foundation Loan Program;
9. Permitting some late property tax exemptions to be filed with towns; and
10. Clarifying the ability of state marshals to recover costs for searching records of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The four judicial nominations include Appellate Court Judge Christine E. Keller to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court; and three Superior Court judges – Judge Joan Alexander, Judge Melanie Cradle, and Judge Jose A. Suarez – to fill vacancies on the Appellate Court. Each of the nominations were the subject of public hearings held by the Judiciary Committee in August and then received favorable approvals by the committee.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s proclamation calling the General Assembly into special session for several policy issues
**Download: Governor Lamont’s proclamation calling the General Assembly into special session for judicial nominations