In The Loop – February 4, 2022
In a blink of an eye – session begins!
With baited breath we all await for Feb 9th and the opening of the 2022 Session. Public access to the building will be limited, and those members that want to be in the chamber are welcome, or they can return to their legislative offices in the LOB to listen to the governor’s annual address. While the pomp and circumstance will be missing for the most part, we just might see some drama pop up at least once –or twice!
The Governor plans to address the joint session of the legislature and outline initiatives that mark his last year of his first term. How fast that went!! He’ll be highlighting his accomplishments as well as his second year of a two year budget initiative. We’ve seen half of his budget calculations already, as this week he announced several tax cuts for the middle income working family residents while staying silent on any possible fee, license or other revenue increases.
Election politics say that he won’t be the one to propose raising fees, taxes or other sorts of taxpayer/resident fees/revenue, not with 6 months until the next statewide election in CT. And let’s not forget that the newly focused Blue Dog Caucus can hold firm and work across the aisle to cause chaos and mayhem if someone gets a tax-raising initiative out onto the House floor. In the senate – well no crystal ball there! I just can’t imagine any scenario where resident taxes are approved in the House.