Legislature will be sworn in outdoors

Pandemic forces change in state political procedures

HARTFORD — Faced with the ongoing pandemic, on Jan. 6 the state legislature will be sworn in and the new House speaker elected outdoors for the first time in memory.

Incoming Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford told his colleagues Wednesday in an email that they will start the day at 10 a.m. in their offices in the Legislative Office Building and take attendance by Zoom. Traditionally, each member stands onopeningdayinthepacked Hall of the House one-by-one and says “present” in a long-running ceremony as family members fill the high-ceilinged room from wall to wall.

But this year, the roll call will be conducted in individual offices.

Opening day is particularly important for newly elected members who may have hit the pinnacle of their political careers by reaching the state Capitol. Even though the day is traditionally a time of celebration for families to salute victories in November’s election, this year’s event will be much more low-key.

“We are asking people not to bring family into the building at this time,” Ritter told his colleagues Wednesday.

All 151 members of the House of Representatives will then head outdoors for the swearing-in ceremony on the Capitol’s north steps overlooking Bushnell Park — the site of many speeches and demonstrations through the year. The newlyelected lawmakers can invite family members to the outdoor ceremony, but everyone must wear masks.

After the formal election of Ritter as the new speaker is completed outdoors, the legislators will then head back inside to their warm offices to hear speeches by Ritter, the new House majority leader, Jason Rojas of East Hartford, and the new House Republican leader, Vincent Candelora of North Branford.

In another break from decadeslong tradition, Gov. Ned Lamont will not deliver the State of the State

Address to a joint session from the historic Hall of the House. Instead, that will be donefromhis Capitol office, and arrangements are being made to carry the speech live on the CT-N public affairs network.

When asked how he planned to address the legislature, Lamontrecently told reporters during a virtual news conference that “I think it’ll be sort of like this.”

Lamont’s chief spokesman, Max Reiss, said officials want to avoid the traditional huge crowds of 187 legislators from both chambers, plus staff and family members, in an elbow-to-elbow gathering to hear Lamont’s speech.

“The last thing any of us wants is for the opening day of the legislative session to turn into a super-spreader event,” Reiss said.

Senate President Martin Looney, a New Haven Democrat, said the smaller, 36-member Senate will also be sworn in outdoors in a ceremony that would only be changed due to severe weather.

“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,” Looney said Wednesday. “But as long as it’s bearable outside, that’s our plan.”

Top legislators had considered a wide variety of other venues in Hartford, but they were rejected because of high rental costs or other issues. Those included the state armory, Connecticut Convention Center, the XL Center, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Legislative

Office Building atrium and Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

Deputy House Speaker Robert Godfrey, one of the longest-serving legislators, noted that the swearing-in for Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. was conducted outdoors in January 1991 because Weickerwantedthatportion of the ceremony to be held outdoors. Weickerdelivered a6-minutespeechoutdoors, but he then went inside to deliver the traditional State of the State Address.