These news briefs are part of The Connecticut Mirror’s 2026 political coverage. For more Connecticut political news, sign up here for The Issue, the CT Mirror’s weekly politics newsletter.
Lamont, Fazio OK millions to lower electric bills
The State Bond Commission — including Gov. Ned Lamont and campaign rival state Sen. Ryan Fazio — voted to approve borrowing up to $145 million on Monday to help lower electric bills.
The bonds will be used to pay down costs from unpaid bills that were allowed to accumulate during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as providing funding for the state’s electric vehicle charging program that had previously been collected through the public benefits charge on customers’ bills.
It was the second time the Bond Commission approved borrowing money to offset those costs. The first time, in August 2025, helped to reduce bills by about $5 to $10 a month. The second round of borrowing was already factored into rate adjustments that took effect Sept. 1.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
What Lamont, Elliott spent on primary
Reports filed on Sept. 10 give a final snapshot of spending by Gov. Ned Lamont and his challenger, Josh Elliott, in the Democratic primary won by the governor.
As of Aug. 31, Lamont’s campaign spent just shy of $10.5 million, with the self-funding governor personally donating $10.2 million to the effort.
Elliott, who participated in the voluntary public financing program, spent $4 million.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
Complaint filed against CCSU president
Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro is under investigation for intimidation and bullying, CT Examiner reported Tuesday.
The complaint stemmed from a specific incident at a staff retreat in August. Toro allegedly screamed at staff members and canceled the retreat after someone called her plans for a newly purchased building unrealistic.
Toro was also the subject of a 2019 complaint that was ultimately dismissed. CT Examiner reports she has previously been criticized for threatening and insulting staff, as well as making them take care of her mother and her dog.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Blue Ribbon Commission crafting problem statements, policy proposals
Subcommittees of the Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability are working on potential changes to special education, school choice, accountability and the Education Cost Sharing, or ECS, formula.
All four subcommittees should be finished with their work by mid-October.
Members of the ECS subcommittee have so far expressed strong interest in tying the state’s main school funding grant to inflation, as legislators tried to do earlier this year. The special education subcommittee has discussed adding a special education weight to ECS and increasing funding for in-district programming.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Foster care prevention grant awarded
Connecticut is among 10 states that will receive federal grant money to reduce the number of children entering foster care.
The grants range from $600,000 to $750,000 for states to create programs that prevent the need for foster care. The total one-time grant funding is $7.3 million spread across states. Connecticut will set up the infrastructure it needs to bill the federal government for more family therapy services, aiming to reduce long wait times.
The announcement comes at a time many states, including Connecticut, are struggling to find placements for children in foster care.
— Ginny Monk, Investigative Reporter
Eversource files lawsuit against Hydro Quebec
Eversource, along with other electric utilities in Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday accusing Hydro-Quebec of failing to deliver power to the New England electric grid during a severe cold snap this past winter.
The lawsuit is not expected to have an impact on Eversource’s customers in Connecticut, who are not a party to the utilities’ agreements to purchase 9.45 terawatt hours of electricity from the Canadian power company.
Much of that power is fed into New England through a new transmission line that powered on in January, just days before a severe cold snap scrambled the region’s electric grid. Hydro Quebec has argued that the cold snap was a “force majeure” that necessitated cutting off exports of power to the U.S. in order to serve customers in Canada.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
New Haven alders signs off on quantum hub development
Supporters of Connecticut’s quantum ambitions got good news this week, as New Haven officials approved a key step in the development of the building that will house much of the effort.
On Tuesday, New Haven’s Board of Alders approved a development agreement between the city and Winstanley Enterprises, the Massachusetts-based developer that will construct a new building to house QuantumCT’s future headquarters. The building will also serve as the home for Unilever’s forthcoming Global Innovation Center.
The deal was approved unanimously, though at least one alder raised a deeper concern about the city’s massive quantum effort, calling for the project to serve all of New Haven.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
PURA again dinged over records request
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority was ordered to release hundreds of pages of emails and other communications this week related to the drafting of energy-related bills during the 2025 legislative session.
The order came from the state’s Freedom of Information Commission based on a complaint from Eversource, which had sought access to the records. The FOIC also admonished PURA legal director Scott Muska over his handling of the records request but stopped short of imposing any fines.
The decision marked the latest blemish against PURA’s handling of records requests under the leadership of former Chair Marissa Gillett, who was separately fined $2,500 by the FOIC last December related to another complaint.
Gillett stepped down from PURA last year, and the authority’s board has since been filled with new members appointed by Gov. Ned Lamont.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
New consumer survey finds CT households struggling
Connecticut households are facing increased financial strain and feel worse off than a year ago, according to a new report from the CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth and Opportunity and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center’s States of Opinion Project.
In a consumer survey released this week, local residents cited increased household expenses, including housing, groceries and gasoline, as contributing to the worsening issues. A majority of respondents said that the legislature wasn’t doing enough to help, with just 22% approving of lawmakers’ handling of economic and job creation issues.
The survey adds to a growing pile of data pointing to state residents’ mounting economic issues, with recent reports from the United Way of Connecticut and CT Voices for Children adding that low-income households are being hit hardest.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
Lamont announces new Shore Line East trains
Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Friday that the Department of Transportation will add four new weekday trains to the state’s Shore Line East route between New Haven and New London.
The new trains will begin running on Mon., Oct. 5. The trains will depart New Haven’s Union Station at 2:55 p.m. and 5:55 p.m., before returning from New London at 4:40 p.m. and 7:28 p.m.
The additions to service come as Shore Line East has struggled to attract riders following the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers set aside an additional $3 million to support the route as part of this year’s budget adjustments.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter