♪ > > This week.

The Wheelhouse community special lawmakers tackle a lot.

> > In just 2 > > war.

Connecticut Public on Frankie Graziano.

This is that Wheelhouse.

It's the show that connects politics to the people.

We got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

Lawmakers met in Hartford last Wednesday and Thursday to address some unfinished business from the last legislative session, including a major piece of housing legislation.

And they also want to know how to respond to ongoing federal funding cuts.

There to cover it.

All was my colleague, McKayla Savage, Connecticut Public's, State government reporter Micaela.

Thank you for being here.

> > Thank you as always for having me.

Frankie, happy to see you.

And I want to know folks are pleased with the work local lawmakers did in the special session.

What would you like to see them do the next time they meet?

Give us a call now to talk about it.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, > > 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, You could also hit us up on our YouTube stream.

A lot to do for lawmakers in today's McKayla.

A lot for you to do.

Thank you for your work.

I want to get out the stopwatch here in time.

You I guess I won't do that.

> > But can you give us an overview of what got done during the two-day special session?

> > Absolutely.

And this was really a team Super grateful for our colleagues on a on the news team for helping tackle these 4 bills that our House and Senate took up and past in just 2 days.

They really did pack in a For more resources in Connecticut for children's behavioral Health.

We sought changes to state law turning immigration enforcement around court houses.

There's a move to allow UConn health to buy the Waterbury hospital.

And the $500 Emergency relief funds that could help human services programs due to quote, federal action or inaction that results in a reduction in resources.

And as you mentioned, Frankie, a new version of this mega, a housing bill to help create more homes across the state in the long term, which I'm going to our housing folks.

it is.

It is indeed a team effort here in Connecticut Public.

shout out to all of our colleagues, including may soon con.

> > And as jet stream Boston out there covering the stories, Chris Polanski did a great job as well.

500 million dollar relief.

And let's go there.

This is why lawmakers convene in the first place right?

> > Yeah, a little Legislative > > And have been talking for leaders.

months and and they've also been talking since last session about how to respond to cuts coming down from the Trump administration and Doege and this fund was, you know, initially you know, thought up as as a response to the one big, beautiful Bill act or HR one that passed in the beginning of July.

So, you know, we're talking about cuts to snap.

You know, people losing different groups of people losing eligibility for SNAP cuts to Medicaid.

And then many more program.

And then you have a big hole and for the states to pick up.

> > And then you have the government shutdown happening amidst all this.

How did that impact these negotiations are at least the work to be done in the ultra short session.

> > Well, if it just kind of changed everything you know.

> > You know, the Lamont administration lawmakers said, you know, we have to respond to this and > > it was started out.

I remember the government shutdown beginning in starting and saying, look, like we have funds to, you know, the next thing that we're worried about feeling whic, which is nutritional assistance for women, infants and children and so they ended up, you know, paying money to continue that program.

And as we know during the limbo of the will, the federal government pay for SNAP benefits for the month of November?

Not and one week limbo or what felt like a long time.

you know, the state of Connecticut decided and will pick up.

That have been pay the benefits so that our residents can get those essential of dollars to buy groceries.

And so that, you know, with the shutdown continuing.

And it's this plan specials, special session and potential future shutdowns over the Affordable Care Act, subsidies or who knows if they want to have this fund available, too, be able to use, you know, before the next legislative session.

> > Some lawmakers don't want that fund.

They feel that particularly with the shutdown being over now, the state needs this funding.

You talk to you talk one on one with a Republican state senator from woke it, Rob Sampson and he said the following.

> > Stay in your lane is what I would say.

We're here to do Connecticut policy, not federal policy.

The Democrat majority on the other side, they see an opportunity to try and leverage the fact that they have a majority in this state and think they can campaign against Trump may be successfully in some areas.

But they're they're fundamentally wrong about what their responsibility and role is as leaders in this state.

> > Stay in your lane.

Sampson says what's ahead for him and the rest of the lawmakers on this roadway of legislative life here.

> > What I didn't mention was now that the shutdown is over is that we have this 500 million dollars.

That's available to spend from our budget reserves.

So, you know, there still the cuts from the one big beautiful Bill act and I think what Senator Sampson was getting across was no hay.

And he told me like a we elected these people to federal office.

They made these decisions.

Why should Connecticut decide that they the programs should continue.

You know, he doesn't represent every single Republican lawmakers.

You know, view on this.

You know, there there are a number of Republican votes in favor of this 500 million dollar.

They'll on.

But I think we can expect a lot more partisan debates next session, especially talking about feeling some of these gaps.

> > And, you know, and especially when it comes to certain entities like Planned Parenthood, which have.

> > You know, a lot more.

And, you know, there's a lot more political time dissent on on the right against Planned Parenthood because of a small amount of the services they provide or abortion care, which is health care.

But > > 88% of what Planned Parenthood does is just preventative care and health care and, you know, they're one of the places in Connecticut that has already been experiencing.

You know, the fallout from the one big beautiful Bill act cuts.

> > Planned Parenthood, of course, the you're talking about reproductive health and health care, particularly at a time where there's a lot of maternity health care deserts, particularly happening now in Connecticut as well.

So very important to follow that up.

Affordable Care Act subsidies.

I also understand came up during the special subs session in terms of health care.

And here's a clip from New Haven State.

Senator Martin Looney about perspective uses for emergency relief funds.

> > That is a very volatile, unpredictable, irresponsible and reckless administration in Washington.

So we don't know what the next flashpoint will be.

We're pleased that at this point it looks like that snap will be funded.

But the Affordable Care Act subsidies will go over a cliff at the end of December.

> > So 500 million dollars.

Maybe there's Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Maybe like you were talking about some some reproductive health care costs.

What are ways that we can see this money spent Micaela and when might Governor Lamont Cole for it, at least.

> > Well, under the bill, there's specific language that lays out that this money.

Is used at the direction of the governor's office and it's tied to specific things that people can live without like home heating assistance, food and nutrition assistance like SNAP and WIC.

Childcare in overtime out Head start which is federally funded.

And housing and health care.

So it's a broad set of topics.

But on.

Hard to know in this moment, what will be a what will fill the holes for seeing what Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff told me was that, you know, it's going to be.

Happening in conversations with the governor.

And, you know, as we see in Washington and things happen pretty quickly > > so, you know, there could be another shutdown in the near future.

Like I said before, Butts.

> > Aside from that, it's it's going to be discussions that the legislative legislative leaders.

> > We'll have with Governor Ned Lamont.

> > Another bill lawmakers passed this session had to do with limiting the authority of federal immigration, Customs enforcement arrests at state court houses.

He talked about this in your brief, a summary earlier of all the things that have happened, they sued Con covered this effort for Connecticut Public.

So while you're here, sort of playing may sue for a second.

If I can ask you to do that, could you just give us a 30,000 foot summary of this proposal?

> > Yeah, yeah.

Our team's been doing an incredible job reporting in that time.

The rollout you know, this increased.

> > Immigration enforcement in our state.

> > And beyond.

And I so shot may soon and any don't sell.

And for their work this past weekend.

You know, we've been seeing an increase in immigration, arrests around Connecticut's court.

So going into the special session since the summer, a lot of folks wanted lawmakers to address these arrests.

> > and we have the state you know, be able to do something more about it in in the special session > > so what they did pass strengthens existing state law to help undocumented immigrants and the bill which Lamont is expected to sign in a ceremony later today outlines that immigration enforcement must have assigned judicial warrant to detain arrest or take someone into custody on courthouse grounds in Connecticut.

Number 2, public agencies in Connecticut can't disclose personal information that's normally available.

You know, think of what your voter registration people can just look that up or unless that person authorizes the information.

So this could apply to information like where someone works, where someone goes to school or where they live in last.

A law enforcement can't wear a face mask or face covering in court unless they have a medical need so that the 30,000 foot view, that's a fantastic that you're like the.

> > The pilot here for this Wheelhouse program here as we try to moved through the special session and we're almost finished before we do, but not that part of it.

And you want to ask Ed, excuse me based on your conversations or even talks yet with lawmakers or stakeholders as you're in, like the atrium of the Capitol or something like that regarding what was covered in the special session.

> > Well, I was focused so much on this relief bill.

You know it.

And in talking to several advocates and think a lot of people.

> > Where?

> > One expressing their gratitude for, you know, that this money was made available.

Just reiterate, we haven't over 4 billion dollar.

Budget Reserve fund.

> > 500 million added that.

So.

And, you know, is a significant amount.

And it came in a bipartisan agreement.

But a lot a lot of advocates are happy to see that.

Some of them said we wish we could to see more and to this and on.

And speaking to a state rep Joleen bill passed, she was talking her and other lawmakers return out how they want some accountability for this money.

They want some weekly check ins with the legislature from Lamont Administration about how the money is being spent if it's being spent because if it goes unspent.

After June, 30th.

That money, any leftover money goes to pay down our pension debt.

Which was, you know, is all part of our very complex budgets caps that we could spend.

Probably 5 shows on there's there's more work to be done.

It was the bottom line.

There's always more work to be done.

And I'm glad that you all are now and over.

never ends right.

At least the holiday season is coming up to give little bit of a break here.

But > > that does happen from time to time as people might not know that when I was following, for instance, some of the funding that came from Hurricane Maria to help some of the evacuees that were in Connecticut.

Some of that money ended up going back into the general fund or was at least about 2 before we sounded the alarm in our reporting.

So it's good that you're following that good that lawmakers like Jillian Gilchrest are falling as well.

Special session when is the next time lawmakers are due to convene?

> > If I have my math, correct, it should be February 4 or we had today to.

Any work left to do following this one.

I mean, they did do a lot of work.

You're in today that they believe they did for bills.

I was wondering whether or not in the land of steady habits, one was going to be enough.

> > Oh, yeah.

There's there's always more work > > I think the big thing is and I'm sure many of the reporters book could weigh in on this in the coming weeks is.

> > The big thing > > is going to be discussions surrounding what are we going to do about these federal cuts?

2 critical programs.

At, you know, from public health, back in March.

I think I think it was March 2.

You know, we've seen cuts to climate and environment initiatives and also many will wide swath of things.

And of course, HR one.

The one big one big beautiful Bill act.

I think we're gonna see a lot of debate surrounding that.

I don't even think it's going to end at the end of next session and thinking the debate is going to be ongoing for a couple of years.

> > And I think the other big thing is we're going I think we're going to see more discussions about our > > state budget cap state budget caps given the huge need for and beat these huge holes in the huge needs.

> > To fill programs not only from the federal government cuts, but also, you know, our nonprofits have been sounding the alarm for a while that they need more funding.

You know, folks in higher education, especially community colleges and K through 12.

> > Are, you are?

> > You know, they always need more money, but you know, it's a tall compounding.

So I think we're going to see even more conversations about that.

And we have this huge budget Reserve fund that a lot of lawmakers want to tap into more.

> > This 2.5 months away, 2 and a half months away.

A lot could happen.

So, you know, I'm sure I'm sure we'll be talking about it and create an app and then.

> > And as talk about what, Lisa, maybe there could be another government shutdown in the offing.

We're hoping that there's not as nobody wants that.

That's something I'm very confident that we could say in journalism and in the world here in America.

But nonetheless, there are are those negotiations.

I'll talk to lease about that before I go anywhere else.

Let's just say fantastic.

Piloting of the Connecticut Public Cain.

> > Through this pain in right, yeah.

You're gonna get the license and it's a very arduous process.

But you got it done.

Nonetheless.

I'm glad host.

I'm glad I'm hosting the show nowadays.

And I'm not doing what you're doing because I used to it.

You do it better than I do.

So we're better off with you doing it.

So good job.

And thank you so much.

Micaela Sav it.

A state government reporter for Connecticut Public.

Thank you so much for doing what you did during the special session and thank you for coming on the show.

> > Thanks for having me as it is.

Frankie.

So happy to have you on after the break.

Reporter Lisa Hagen kept tabs on Connecticut's special session to see how lawmakers would react to what she's covering down in Washington, D.C., now that the federal government shutdown is over.

We'll ask what federal lawmakers are doing next, including work on the next funding resolution.

Before we go to break, let's talk about the Wheelhouse.

Live.

Join our mascot.

Ali, the Octopus and me in Hartford on December 10th for House live.

We're at the Connecticut Public studios to discuss 2025.

Your political satire became too hot for TV we're talking about free speech.

We're talking about democracy and more with late night comedy writer Kate said Lee political science professor Velocity Coop, Republican analyst Liz Grant Woods and UConn Media Law professor Amanda Jane Crawford, get your tickets now at CT Public Dot Org.

Slash ranking CT public.

That org slash Frankie back with Lisa Hagen and more Wheelhouse at this brief break.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

Connecticut's special Legislative Session is over.

A government shutdown is over.

> > It's a November to remember.

> > And this hour we're asking what's next.

Millions of Americans face health, rising health insurance premiums at the end of next month as ACA subsidies, the Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire and there's the threat of another government shutdown later this winter > > nonetheless, we persist and we talked to.

Lisa Hagen to make sense of it all.

She's a federal policy reporter for Connecticut Public and Connecticut Mayor Lisa, so happy to see this morning.

> > Great to see that.

Frankie.

don't jinx it, > > You know, I I just have to though.

> > Because, you know, people, say it.

you know, they might want to just breathe easy and think that it's over.

And I'm that guy that has to just be like, hey, you never know.

I want to pay taxes, things call your local lawmaker, federal lawmaker, whatever it is.

Hey, folks, are you facing rising health care premiums?

What other benefits are you worried about?

Give us a call now to talk about it.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, or hit us up on our YouTube stream shutdown over for now, Lisa.

But in a story posted a Connecticut Public Dot org and CT near Dot Org.

You say the effects may linger.

How so?

> > Yeah, I mean, we just came out.

It's been about a week of a 43 daylong shutdown of the longest wooden us is history.

I mean, I think we can say get about a week out were, you know, we've come out of it.

But, you know, things don't just immediately get better.

It puts a lot of strain on the federal government on programs that are administered by states but are federally funded.

So just one of those things that do you know, you don't just turn a light switch on one day and everything goes back to normal.

But again, I think we were about a week out.

Everyone's starting to get their back pay all these federal workers, whether you are deemed essential or not.

And you know, you you do not get paid or what some people didn't know that area paid at times, but but mostly because these federal workers did not see paychecks for the last 43 days.

And so I think this is the week where everyone's starting to get those those nice paychecks and and I'm sure, really excited to see it hit their bank account.

And so that's that's a really big one that travel you get that didn't that inning, you know, bounce-back immediately either.

But I think as as of right now, it's looking like Thanksgiving travel will be okay, which I know was a huge concern and could have been even bigger pressure plant on ending the shutdown if it had it.

But, you know, we saw especially with snap.

I mean, food banks really took a lot of I heat and pressure on this.

The just not something that you're going to see go away immediately > > this deal to reopen the government was passed with some bipartisan support, but not with yeah votes from votes from any of Connecticut's delegates.

The U.S.

Congress write what reaction they have to this passage.

> > Yeah, all 7 members of Connecticut's delegations, the 5 members in the House, the 2 senators that we have all Democrats did not back to be the deal.

The it's the whole push behind Democrats was to try to extend these enhanced Affordable care act subsidies.

And so they wanted a guaranteed extension of it.

Those are subsidies that go away at the end of the year without any action.

And so because there was no guarantee of a passing, just a promise of a vote in the Senate and not even in the House.

None of Connecticut's delegation got behind it.

And so they felt like it was a bad deal for Democrats.

They had just come off of a lot of really good election wins for them in Connecticut and beyond.

They thought that spoke to peoples, you know that the momentum and the energy that people want one of them to give for the health care fight.

But ultimately enough Democrats, college Republicans and wanted to end it.

again, it did not fulfilled their health care demands.

So there can it continue to try to push that over the next coming weeks and months?

> > Are you following local lawmakers had to address potential cuts by Congress.

We just had Mikael on the > > She's talk about that show.

500 million dollar fund that we we were looking at in the special session.

What ways can lawmakers filling the needs?

Will they be able to or will they at least have a more of a cascading effect happening soon based on what lawmakers do here in Washington, D.C.

> > Yeah, I wasn't the one actually covering it from down in DC but watched all of Connecticut Public in Connecticut near reporters.

Just absolutely do such a fantastic job of covering what was?

Oh, my gosh, so much in just 2 days.

But, you know, I was falling and I was just, you know, a stay to the last segment and its, you know, it's such an interesting, I think test case for how Connecticut Barnes and May handle going forward federal funding cuts that are not just temporary like shutdowns.

And again, talk about this more be could very well be in another one or another similar funding crisis in the next 2 months.

But just in a cause that happened at the federal level, whether it's because of the one big beautiful Bill act or just even.

But because that happened just throughout this past year and so you a lot of the focus of the special session ended up being on E the shutdown.

I mean, it just it coincided timing wise, but these role temporary things that, you know, Connecticut and other states, we're going to get back.

And you know that that funding would would would come back.

So I'm really curious to see how especially as you look at that next session, the full General Assembly session next year.

All they want to tackle permit funding cuts because it in Connecticut and states have not even seen the full extent of what that will look like.

It will take several years for federal funding cuts, too.

I had become what they will become a Medicaid and stapp and everything > > You talked about back pay else.

for federal workers and pay in general for federal workers cut snap.

What are other areas where we would say the need is greatest.

Our families for example, being impacted by cuts to child care aid.

> > Yeah.

So what are the big things that was starting to have like the smallest of ripple effects from the shutdown and they get it done.

Even feel the full extent of this.

A lot of states did not have to worry about as much was head start.

And so these are these federally funded child care programs anywhere.

And 2 different head of buckets of that.

You can have infant to a few year that just early child early head start and then you can have up to 5 years and head start and so it ended up just being me really bad timing for 2 different senators.

Amy D*** Head start centers in Connecticut because not every federal grant cycle starts at the same time and so the one that didn't start on November 1st, which was in the middle of a shutdown.

Warren impacted their federal funding was fine.

They were able to operate okay.

That was not the case for 2 in Connecticut.

And so their funding cycle started on November.

1st and because we're going to shut down, they did not get their funding.

And so the state which also kind of pays into some of these child care programs stepped in and was able to give them their funding early until they're able to get paid back.

So no closures, no disruption to services.

I think I don't know that with the last or 2 shutdowns ago, there was a head start center that had closed down in Bridgeport that was years ago previous shut down.

But that was not the case this time.

And I know that they were try to communicate to families that services will continue.

But the longer it was going to tension ago, the worse of a situation that was so because it ended just a week ago they were able to stay believed by state funding and keep providing childcare to families and in those areas > > we've sort of nervously knotted at the humongous, gigantic, massive elephant that's in this room here that we are looking at here in shortly in the future.

The continuing resolution.

When does that expired?

What are lawmakers saying about?

Another temporary fix or a more permanent funding resolution.

> > Though the deadline is January.

30th.

I know that is not that far from now.

That is a very close to our session as well here in Connecticut.

I was just thinking the same thing.

You would be 5 days away from the next General Assembly session where maybe you have to address this again.

We we we shall see.

> > think it's too early to say what will happen.

I > > get a little into the weeds for a second.

It would not be this continuing continuing resolution.

It just is a short-term fix.

It keeps federal funding at certain levels.

That's what actually for the whole government in this deal that they just past to keep the got to reopen the government.

They did pass full-year funding for 3 different agencies.

And so when we hit that January, 30th deadline, it's a continuing resolution for 9 other agencies.

So very possible if they did not figure out of larger funding deal there would be a partial shutdown, but it would not affect these 3 other agencies, which are the military construction VA FDA, agriculture, legislative branch.

Those would all be okay and run through the fiscal year next year.

So we're looking we would be looking at a partial one.

But right now, lawmakers again, they have 2 months, not very long to do larger I was going to say so in the interim.

Let's just now that I have you here.

Let's kind of figure this out together.

So in the interim.

> > You got 2 months before that.

But obviously you have.

> > Thanksgiving break and then you have a large longer holiday break for lawmakers where they'll adjourn and then come back in January.

So at some point, I would imagine they're going to do some work over the next couple of weeks.

And then they'll adjourn.

They've got some of the Epstein business out of the way it looks like here is they're trying to get some.

Excuse me.

They're trying to get some justice for some survivors of this abuse.

And you you have some of that business taking care of.

But you have the other agencies that will need funding.

And what else are they going to be Imagine they're going to try to hold that vote on ACA subsidies as well.

> > Yes, you you got it exactly right.

They have such a short runway.

I mean, we have until the end of lot of playing referee, David and the Wheelhouse.

And timely with just travel being impeded over the last month or But it yeah, they really don't have much time.

They're off all next week because of the Thanksgiving break.

They are off at the end of December because of Christmas and other holidays in the New Year.

And so and, you know, Congress is not the most timely.

They little bit of procrastinators sub.

Some might say they they push it till the end.

And so it's not that they're not going to be working on this, but they are trying to strike funding deals.

And that is a very difficult thing to do.

As you can see.

And so we're really going to kind of see this creep up, probably bigger in the new year.

And then exactly radiate ACA subsidies deal with those at the end of the year.

The Senate did promise to hold a vote on that by the second week of December.

So we could see the Senate holding that vote fairly soon.

He again, no guaranteed outcome and how that will go has the right now.

It does not look like there's no Republican is on board.

And then even if it did get through no commitment of a vote in the House.

So Congress have a lot to figure out your rate.

They just took votes on the Epstein files bill.

That's kind of off their plate right now.

But they have other work to do.

And that's just going to push funding into the next year and really push up because that deadline.

But they're gonna really hope that they can avoid another shutdown.

> > We tackle nuance on the Wheelhouse of one of the things that I love to do is to talk about the work that lawmakers actually do and the schedule because it's important there's so many breaks here and there holiday breaks, as we saw during the shutdown, this drove folks not a lot lawmakers in the House of Representatives weren't even in Washington, D.C., they're at home or whatever.

During that time.

So it just goes to show you that there's always a lot of work with limited work to do it.

And here in Connecticut, we had 4 bills pass in a truncated special session of today's.

So with all this happening with the holiday season upon us, not a lot of time to get all this business done.

So I'm glad I have you here to sort of bring it through us.

We're talking through our team here as we try to talk about some of the things that lawmakers have to do in short windows and with politics with politics at play here.

> > If that's exactly right.

Yeah, it's just such a short time frame.

And I think as you can see, can a kid and DC handle politics and governing very differently and so I you know, it'll just be it'll be interesting to see that again, this coming other coming funding deadline at the beginning of the year right before that General General Assembly session.

So be really curious to kind of Preston traffic to and see how they yeah, as you how they respond to Congress.

> > There always is the pressure point.

But with Lisa and I had been wondering aloud whether or not air traffic controllers and what was happening with TSA holiday travel would be a big pressure point on the government shutdown, at least now.

We know that the jokes about it and there could be jokes about it.

And Saturday Night Live is going to make those jokes about that.

And we can just kind of breathe easy and know that at least we have 2 months before federal lawmakers have to negotiate the next budget deal here.

Maybe it'll be a temporary solution or the find something more permanent.

You are permanently se Hagan, thank you so much for all the work that you do.

Thank you for coming on the show and thank you for all your work.

We're going to see its 18 year that organ CT public dot org and people want to see your work.

> > Great.

Thank you, Frankie.

> > Thank you.

After a brief break, we close out the show with a big ticket item during the special session.

We worked affordable housing package that Governor Ned Lamont vetoed earlier this year.

Got a question or comment on housing.

Hit us up 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, or leave a comment on our livestream.

You're in the Wheelhouse.

Live on Connecticut Public.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

We spent this hour catching you up on new legislation passed in Connecticut and we're finishing up this week's Wheelhouse by tell you about efforts to address the Affordable housing crisis.

Governor Ned Lamont vetoed a major housing package earlier this year.

Last week lawmakers took up a reworked version of that bill to help us learn more.

There are 2 reporters who followed all the housing debate, including Abigail Bronagh, a housing reporter for Connecticut Public have a great to have you on the show.

Thank you for having me.

And in our midst we have a social media superstar.

Yes, here.

Here we go.

Here's here's our next guest.

I alluded to a clip here it is.

> > The Connecticut little there she is in session, but he says week lawmakers convene with how the special session to approve emergency legislation with emergency.

You ask?

Well, a big part of it is housing legislation.

I'm I'm going to see 10 years housing reporter.

> > Yes, you can follow CT Mirror online and you'll find somebody is going to tell us exactly what the deal is and that emergency we're talking about in that housing Bill Jenny Month, children's issues and housing reporter for the Connecticut mayor.

I think good morning.

Did lawmakers do enough to address the crisis?

That's what we're asking.

Folks.

Are you one of these people worried about affordable housing in your community?

Hit us up in the comments at YouTube dot com slash Connecticut Public or call now 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, It's 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7.

Okay.

Abby, let's go back a full legislative session we had earlier this year.

Lawmakers agreed on a housing proposal.

It in.

But then the governor vetoed it.

Why?

Well, a green.

> > As in the Democrats Republicans all voted against that.

The majority Lamont ultimately vetoed it for a couple reasons.

He said after the fact that he didn't feel like he had.

> > Enough say didn't wasn't enough involved in the process of making this bill.

But one of the sticking points for him was about the fair share policy.

So basically the proposal the bill include a proposal 4 a plan for different municipalities to contribute their fair share of affordable housing.

It took from a previous study done a couple years ago.

That kind of determined how many units of affordable housing each municipality needed to Ed to help ease the housing crisis.

And so in the bill, they said we want to each town to contribute just a portion of the number that was outlined in this study on basically said, I think that's too restrictive, forcing these communities to out a specific number of affordable housing units.

It's asking too much of them.

They aren't fans and I don't like having this many towns upset at > > We talked a lot in this.

And since the summer and there's been a lot of discrepancies over how much Governor Ned Lamont was actually involved in that process.

And I spoke to about it as well on the show.

But nonetheless, before we dive into the special session, what happened recently, Ginny, I think some context might help our listeners.

What's the current situation with the Affordable housing stock in Connecticut?

> > Yes, so the need is quite serious.

And we've seen homelessness increase.

We've seen rents increase.

And a recent study showed that Connecticut has the tightest housing market in the country, which just makes it hard for people to find housing at all.

And so there are a few studies floating around out there that can tip use different methodologies and look toward the future in different ways.

But most of them agree that that need and is over 100,000 units.

> > Over 100,000 units.

Well, that's a that's a tremendous need.

What's in the bill actually passed by lawmakers in the special session.

Abby.

> > So a lot of what made it to the final bill is quite different than what was in the initial one.

Some of its the same.

> > A couple of the big changes, fair share is pretty much gone.

They instead have a plan in place for and is the the regional councils of government to determine on a regional basis what their areas need in terms of affordable housing and they kind of plan to make a rough sketch of what that looks like in encourage towns to contribute.

But there is no no longer a mandate or a requirement which was big thing I wasn't a fan a couple other main change is one > > Republicans particularly have taken some issue with is the retail to housing conversion.

So yeah, in the bill there's now which was not in the original one.

They're allowed to as of right converse certain properties that were previously commercial space for retail space into housing and part of the issue that Republicans have with that is what if, you know, we wind up having housing in undesirable locations are near buildings.

We don't want people children > > The dispensary was what I living.

heard a lot during the special multiple times.

They they you specifically a dispensary as an example.

But if we have > > children growing up in apartment buildings right next to dispensaries.

Basically, is that concern another change to the bill that had some some back and forth was a contest is parking spaces.

There are no there's no longer a requirement to have onsite parking 4 buildings up to 16.

It's sounds like they're doing something in that regard to try to get more units in to address that 100,000 need.

> > So anything you want to add, Jenny, in terms of what was covered as of right is something we've been talking about for years on the show.

Jimmy, you and I even Abby with us anything you want to add in terms of what went through with this bill?

I think it's important to note about 85% of this bill was the same.

Of course, there are some of the key concepts.

The Abbey > > noted that that different and but really a lot of the bill was was the same as what we saw on 502.

> > Calls for affordable housing units.

Jimmy are often met with local resistance.

Here's Republican State Senator Ryan Fazio talking about the housing legislation.

Lawmakers passed last week.

> > The most significant undermining of local control of decision-making for towns and cities in a generation in this state.

> > What does he mean by local control here?

Jeanne?

So over the past several years in Connecticut, towns have made a lot of their own zoning decisions and the power for to make.

That does come from the state, which is something I think a lot of advocates would know.

And we kind of heard this refrain rate for many Republicans and in different forms and over the 2 days of the special session.

And it's true that there are things about towns that will change under the bill.

The parking is a good example.

But I think Democrats would say, look, this gives towns a lot of options rate there.

Portions of Thailand can be exempt from the parking restrictions and towns have the option to create their own growth plans outside of the regional Cox and they can decide whether or not whether they want to participate in measures to change zoning or and train and bus stations are in downtowns.

So I think.

Advocates have this bill, the lawmakers who voted for it would say this gives towns tons of options, tons of local control.

Well, as you noted, Republicans would say it.

It takes it away options.

I think that's the operative word there.

Right options rather than something that is sort of mandatory at the end of the day.

> > Although the Bills strives to create affordable housing units in Connecticut, guys, it doesn't push municipality is doing.

And that's kind of where we're going here with this.

Were there any advocates or lawmaker shaking their fists at the sky about the legislation that sort of using the stick to push these folks.

So yes, > > There were some lawmakers who still wish they could have had 5, 0, 0, 2, They said it was stronger and there's some concern from both lawmakers and advocates that this, in fact, offers towns too much flexibility.

The town's can effectively say that we don't want to do anything and they might not make good faith efforts in their house and growth plans.

And they might not do them at all.

The kind of saw a little bit of that with the 8 dash 30 Jay affordable plans that have been in place and for the past 5 or 6 years.

Most towns did not make that deadline.

They just didn't make those plans as required by state has been issued.

> > So we have a some people The.

like Ryan Fazio in opposition of the bill saying that it gives away too much control and then we have a lot of lawmakers.

Democratic lawmakers that supported it.

Who's part of the advocates or lawmakers?

It said it didn't go far enough to give us a a like a group some lawmakers.

> > Yeah.

So there were some concerns from a CA, the Open Communities Alliance that push for the fair share and Senator Murphy Marks who's the chair of the housing, committee has and had some concerns.

Even Jason Rojas who worked really h*** o* the bill and I think is is happy with with what ultimately happened and said this isn't as strong as the first bill that we passed.

> > Yeah.

Jason Rojas was the one they told to go back to work on the on the proposal after they passed it and they thought they had a buy-in from the governor on that.

We've spoken a lot with Rojas, the governor, everybody we could to try to figure out what was going on there.

And, of course, Jenny and Abby Abbey, where do we look next to in order for this latest effort to create affordable housing units in Connecticut and make it become a reality.

> > Part of the issue is that a lot of 4 double has affordable housing creation really comes down to just the community providers and those are the people who are mostly doing this work and actually making it happen into the main thing that helps facilitate that is funding and and so I'm always just kind of keeping my eye on what developers are doing next.

Nonprofit developers, things like that and these bills like this kind of paved the way to make it easier to get those projects approved.

But always winds up coming down to the kind of on the ground.

People that are doing the work.

You don't see a lot of fully affordable developments that are you totally funded by the government or made 2 be affordable by Lamont.

You're not going to see that.

So it's it's really just about funded.

You may see the administration at a at one of those big ribbon cuttings.

That's not you definitely > > Saying that it is a part of the project.

So we'll continue to follow those as Abbie and Jenny was as well.

I'm sure.

But would you advocate say, really needs to be done to get more people into homes are rental units that won't break the bank.

What is a Martha marks saying what is a Jason Rojas saying what is open communities, a line saying that I get it done.

Lawmakers.

> > rethink sort of those who have said this isn't as strong of the bill would like to see and more mechanisms in place to force towns to act and which some people just don't feel as this president in this bill.

They're also calls for more rental assistance and more affordability in that way.

The bill also establishes the Department of Housing is a statewide public housing authority that can build more one-hundred percent affordable.

Housing.

And I think that that could be pick.

> > And Jenny, there's the specter of the next election happening.

The gubernatorial election that Governor Ned Lamont is formally in now.

Erin Stewart is formally in now.

Ryan Fazio is formally in now.

Josh Elliott to name a few there.

How is that can impact a lamont's reelection campaign?

And I guess how will it impact the future of affordable housing legislation?

> > Yeah.

So that's one of the things I'm really interested to see in 2026.

It was recent polling that showed housing is one of the top 2 issues that residence that was facing the state of Connecticut.

So clearly this is important to communicate residents to voters.

And we've already seen, you know, part of Josh Elliott's campaign as he and offers a primary challenge to Lamont.

Is that the money is not liberal enough.

He's not going far enough in him.

Part of that was the housing bill.

And then on the other end, we just heard Ryan Fazio is and critique of the bell.

So you have some people saying it's not liberal enough.

Some folks saying it's far too much state control and sort want there in the middle trying to explain his affordable housing policies > > it shows you a lot about where the wind blows on affordable housing in Connecticut and where Le Monde is leaning.

As far as that goes as well.

from Connecticut Public, this is the Wheelhouse you've been listen to recap of the 2025 legislative session in Connecticut.

Thanks to CT Mirror Reporter Jenny Month.

Thanks, Frank.

And Connecticut Public, housing reporter Abbi Braun for their work covering affordable housing legislation.

> > Happy to be here.

> > Thank you so much, Abbey.

As we end the show this week, I direct you to see the public dot org slash Frankie.

There you can buy tickets to our December 10 Wheelhouse.

Live discussion on free speech in democracy.

We're talking with a late night comedy writer for Stephen Colbert and more.

That's Kate said Lee, who's going to be joining us?

Of course, we're going last coup LISC Iran awaits and Amanda, Jay Crawford is going to be a fabulous night.

We're gonna throw some Ali, the octopus.

Plus, she's out to the crowd is going to be a good time or info and tickets available at CT Public Dot Org.

Slash Frankie, I hope to see you on December 10th in Hartford.

Today's Wheelhouse was produced by Chloe when it was edited by Patrick Scale.

Our technical producer is doing race special.

Thanks, Tess terrible Meagan Fitzgerald, Connecticut Public, visuals team Sam Hockaday, making all those gasoline graphics that you saw today and our operations team download the Wheelhouse anytime on your favorite podcast app.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

Thanks for listening.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪