Lamont Calls for Focus on ‘Affordability, Opportunity’

Gov. Ned Lamont wants state lawmakers to address Connecticut’s high cost of living and develop “ladders to success” for residents and businesses.

Speaking Jan. 8 before a joint legislative session on the General Assembly’s opening day, the governor challenged newly sworn-in lawmakers to lower energy, housing, childcare, healthcare, and higher education costs.

“Let’s focus on what we can do to build on the progress we’ve made over the last six years,” he said.

“As always, our North Stars are affordability and opportunity, holding down costs of energy and healthcare and education, allowing you to keep more of what you earn and providing you the tools to let you earn more, buy a home, start a business.”

While he didn’t directly address the looming debate over the state’s fiscal guardrails—responsible for restoring Connecticut’s financial health—Lamont called for continued discipline.

“We have broken the bad habits of the past when we habitually put more and more costs on the taxpayers’ credit card for our children to pay down,” he said.

‘Better Results’

He said the 2017 bipartisan fiscal reforms “freed up hundreds of millions of dollars in our budget to expand access to affordable childcare, affordable healthcare, and expanded education opportunities.”

Lamont also called for an overhaul of state government operations, telling lawmakers that “I’ve never been satisfied with the status quo and you shouldn’t be either.”

“Entrepreneurship is not reserved for the private sector,” he said. “Let’s rethink our current services here in state government as well.

“Speed up regulatory decision making, without lowering standards. And hurry up about it.”

Gov. Ned Lamont

“We have a longer legislative session this cycle, giving us an opportunity to get in the weeds, lift up the hood, not always arguing about more money, but better results—not just more, but better—delivering results that make a difference by reducing costs to you and expanding opportunity for all.”

Lamont directed many of his comments to the General Assembly’s committees—for instance, urging members of the Commerce Committee to “speed up regulatory decision making, without lowering standards. And hurry up about it.”

“America is a fast-moving innovation leader with a patchwork of regulation. Europe, a regulatory leader with very slow innovation. Let’s get that balance right,” he said to General Law Committee members.

Energy Costs

Lamont acknowledged the impact of high energy prices on residents and business energy prices, calling for lawmakers to look beyond “cosmetic changes.”

“Every business thinking about expanding in Connecticut or moving here asks about—no, not incentives—but the reliability and affordability of our electricity,” he said.

“Over the next 10 years, we will need more electricity to meet the increased demand and hold down cost.”

“Over the next 10 years, we will need more electricity to meet the increased demand.”

Lamont

In addition to reaffirming his administration’s commitment to solar, wind, and hydro power, Lamont also said natural gas will supply most of the state’s electricity needs “for the foreseeable future,” with nuclear power expansion also an option.

“Nuclear power already provides most of our carbon-free power,” he said.

“That’s why we’re working with the federal government to find ways to expand nuclear capacity here in Connecticut.”

Healthcare ‘Big Priority’

Lamont also acknowledged the impact of rising healthcare costs, saying they “are consuming more and more of your budget and our state budget.”

“I ran a smallish business that had no negotiating leverage when it came to buying healthcare, so helping our small businesses negotiate better pricing for their workers is a big priority for me,” he said.

In the 2023 and 2024 sessions, the legislature failed to act on groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation addressing the growing crisis in the fully insured small group market.

Lawmakers failed to act on groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation addressing small business employee costs in 2023 and 2024.

Lamont referenced uncertainty with the incoming Trump administration, and potential consequences with federal funding for workforce development, education, and other priorities.

“Over the next month or two, we should have more insights into how the changing relationship with the new administration will affect our budget and our people,” he said.

The governor is expected to provide policy details when he presents his proposed two-year budget to lawmakers in February.

‘Grow the Economy’

CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima called Lamont’s address “very encouraging,” noting the emphasis on affordability, fiscal discipline, economic growth, and streamlining government.

“The governor is aligned with a lot of our overall priorities—opportunity, making the state more affordable, even reimagining the budget process and lifting the hood on the car, as he said, and making the budget more efficient,” DiPentima said.

“The labor shortage is the greatest obstacle to Connecticut’s economic growth prospects and long-term prosperity. That’s why you’ve got to make the state more affordable—so we can grow the workforce.

“Growing our workforce means growing the population—keeping people here, attracting more people to Connecticut.

.@CBIANews' message to policymakers is this: everything you do, every bill you raise, must be looked at with an eye toward affordability. Will it make our state more affordable? Will it lower the cost of living to keep more people, attract more residents?https://t.co/YAXq0o3Mpj

— Chris DiPentima (@ChrisDipentima) January 8, 2025

“That’s how we’re going to fill those open jobs, and that’s how we’re going to grow the economy.”

Chris Davis, who leads CBIA’s advocacy team, said the governor’s remarks aligned with CBIA’s Reimagine Connecticut policy solutions package, which is supported by a bipartisan group of 72 lawmakers.

“Businesses are optimistic about continued economic growth given the predictability and stability created by Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails,” Davis said.

“The governor noted the positive impact of the guardrails—on the budget, driving budget surpluses, saving taxpayer dollars, and freeing up record investments in housing, childcare, and workforce development.”