How will the legislative session operate in 2021?
With t h e c o ro n av i r u s pandemic surging and most Connecticut towns still in lockdown, state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to run the upcoming General Assembly session — which convenes on Jan. 6 and adjourns on June 9 — while ensuring the same levels of public access. Here’s what we know so far:
Where will the swearing-in ceremonies take place?:
Weather permitting, the House swearing-in ceremony will take place outdoors on the Capitol’s north steps overlooking Bushnell Park, where many news conferences and demonstrations were held in 2020.
Lawmakers and House Speaker-elect Matt Ritter will start the day at 10 a.m. in their offices in the Legislative Office Building and take attendance by Zoom, then all 151 members of the House of Representatives will head outdoors for the ceremony. After Ritter’s formal election, legislators will listen to his speech — followed by new House majority leader Jason Rojas of East Hartford and new House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford — from the comfort of their offices.
The smaller, 36-member Senate will also be sworn in outdoors, said Senate President Martin Looney. “I don’t think we’ll be deterred by weather that is not perfect, but if it’s in
the middle of a blizzard, we might have to make other changes,” he said. “But as long as it’s bearable outside, that’s our plan.”
What about Gov. Lamont’s State of the State address?:
In another break from tradition, Gov. Ned Lamont will deliver the State of the State Address from his Capitol office. The CT-N public affairs network will broadcast his speech live. When asked how he planned to address the legislature, Lamont recently told reporters during a virtual news conference that “I think it’ll be sort of like this.”
How will the General Assembly session operate to ensure public access and testimony?:
Incoming House Speaker Ritter envisions a two-pronged approach: The first half of the session will look much like it has since March, with Zoom hearings and social distancing. If enough Connecticut residents are vaccinated by the spring, the second half of the session could return closer to normal for the busier months of April, May and June.
Instead of waiting in long lines to sign up for in-person testimony at the Legislative Office Building, “you can sit in the comfort of your home, watching the football game ... in your sweatpants and testify at 4 o’clock in the morning when your time comes” via Zoom, Ritter said.
An all-virtual session, however, can raise problems in terms of public access; without a computer or phone, the only way to weigh in would be to submit electronic testimony.
Incoming Senate Republican leader Kevin Kelly of Stratford said he wants to make sure that the legislature can “protect the citizens’ First Amendment rights as we go along” and that “the people’s voice doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.”
Will the same number of bills be taken up as in a typical year?:
Probably not. Ritter said having large numbers of bills on a single agenda — as happens during a normal year — won’t work well for a virtual session.
“If you’re running committee meetings via Zoom or a public hearing, and you just want to roll out 42 bills, again on any given day, I’m not sure that is easy to follow and easy to track for anybody, including the committee,” Ritter said. “There’s something about being in person that lends itself to understand where they are and who is left on the speaking list.”
The most important legislation, including the two-year state budget, is typically passed near the end of the session, which for 2021 will be in early June.
Ritter assured colleagues that important work will be conducted during the upcoming session. “We’ve proven we can do that safely and effectively, and there are things that have to get done to get our state back up and running and have the legislature play a role with the executive branch,” he said.
Incoming House Republican leader Candelora said the legislature cannot afford to waste time on hearings on bills that might never pass.
“We don’t need to do 50 bills so that we can put out a press release,” Candelora said. “We should be focusing on the pandemic and all of the collateral issues surrounding the pandemic. Legislators’ egos should take a back seat. ... We are just going to need to dispose of bills before the public hearing process.”