Unique session to see one-of-a-kind opening

As the curtain rises Wednesday on a state legislative session that promises to be unique, the continuing disruption of the coronavirus will dominate the proceedings. Even the swearing-in ceremony will be one of a kind, with new and returning lawmakers gathering outside in January to hold a safe event.

And while there are major issues on the agenda, virus-related questions are likely to dominate early discussion. Businesses need help. Families are struggling. And it will be months before enough people are vaccinated to return some semblance of normalcy to legislative proceedings.

Still, other serious matters are likely to lead to lively debate in coming months. Democrats have extended their majorities in each house of the Assembly in the past two election cycles, and their voters are expecting them to make use of that new clout.

With the 2022 governor’s race already visible on the horizon, the time to make major change could be more fleeting than many people assume. Republicans could be better positioned nationally to make gains in the next round of voting with a Democrat in the White House, which could affect Connecticut’s governor’s race. And if recent history is an indication, that contest is likely to be tight.

The most divisive issue of the last legislative term, the question of highway tolls, has been deemed a nonstarter this year. That’s probably for the best, given the farcical depths the Capitol reached in trying to enact them with a minimum of political pain last time around.

But it’s not as though the problems that led to the toll discussion have gone away. The money to keep our transportation system functioning has to come from somewhere, and the consequences of low-quality infrastructure can ripple throughout the economy. Companies don’t want to set up shop in a state with bad traffic and slow trains.

An expansion of gambling is also likely to be a hot-button issue. The prospect of a private company opening a Bridgeport casino not connected to the tribes that already operate gaming in the state seems to have faded. Competition in other states may have saturated the market. But the issue will need to be discussed as legislators seek new revenue streams wherever they can be found.

On that same line, recreational marijuana will be a priority as the state continues to watch potential revenue drive across the border to neighboring states. There is much more to consider than just money, of course, but there’s no question it will be a major consideration.

And following the recent adoption of paid family leave and the coming of a $15 minimum wage, a public health care option could be next on the list for an expanding social safety net in the state. That, too, has proven contentious in the past, especially with the dominant insurance sector, and will again this year.

These issues represent a bare outline of the questions likely to come up in the legislative session. There will be competing stakeholders and many trade-offs. It all starts this week with a unique outdoor ceremony.

With the 2022 governor’s race already visible on the horizon, the time to make major change could be more fleeting than many people assume.