State News

New Connecticut Traffic Laws Take Effect October 1

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut drivers are facing several new or strengthened traffic laws beginning October 1, 2026, with changes covering left-lane driving, distracted driving, highway work zones, school buses, vehicle exhaust systems and travel restrictions during emergencies. One of the most noticeable changes involves use of the far-left lane on major highways. Beginning October 1, drivers on divided limited-access highways with more than two lanes traveling in the same direction are generally prohibited from remaining in the extreme left lane unless they are passing another vehicle. The law includes exceptions for drivers preparing to use a left-side exit, following the direction of a police officer, emergency vehicles, highway maintenance or construction operations and situations where traffic congestion makes use of the…

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BIPARTISAN S.O.S. CONGRESS ON UNCHECKED AI DEVELOPMENT

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS BIPARTISAN S.O.S. TO CONGRESS ON UNCHECKED AI DEVELOPMENT (Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 25 attorneys general in an urgent, bipartisan S.O.S. to Congress, calling for immediate action to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). In a letter sent to Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Tong and the coalition warn that reports of recent incidents demonstrate that unchecked AI development endangers Americans and threatens our financial system, critical infrastructure, and national security. The coalition urges Congress to quickly pass substantive legislation to regulate the AI industry to ensure that development occurs at an intentional pace, incorporates safety and transparency…

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Connecticut Leaders Critique Trump on Carbon Rollback

GOVERNOR LAMONT, ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, ACTING COMMISSIONER CIMINO CRITICIZE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REPEAL OF CARBON POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR POWER PLANTS (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino are criticizing the Trump administration’s announcement today that it finalized its repeal of carbon pollution standards for power plants. First proposed last summer, this rollback by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will eliminate federal greenhouse gas standards for existing coal and new gas generation. The decision will leave hundreds of millions of Americans exposed to carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants—leading to higher costs, dirtier air, and worse health outcomes. The final repeal is being announced alongside a…

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CT Enacts New Privacy Laws for Consumers and Businesses

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ADVISES CONNECTICUT CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES OF RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO NEW AND UPDATED PRIVACY LAWS (Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today advises Connecticut consumers that beginning October 1, 2026, they will enjoy additional privacy rights under newly-enacted laws related to artificial intelligence, Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), genetic data privacy, surveillance pricing, and data brokers, as well as through recent amendments to the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (“CTDPA”). Connecticut enacted Public Act 26-64 (“SB4”) in May of this year to amend the CTDPA, as well as to introduce new laws that, amongst other things, set forth additional requirements for businesses and rights for consumers related to data privacy. New rights and requirements under SB4 include:…

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AG Tong Blocks Trump Administration Cuts to AmeriCorps

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two governors today announced an agreement to stop the Trump administration from dismantling AmeriCorps again without warning. The settlement resolves a multistate lawsuit brought in response to the administration’s repeated attempts to gut the nation’s volunteer service programs. Previously, as a result of the lawsuit, the Trump administration was forced to reinstate nearly $400 million in terminated AmeriCorps programs and agreed to release over $184 million in funds to service programs in Connecticut and across the country. This settlement protects the funding and participants of those programs for Fiscal Year 2026 as well. “Gutting AmeriCorps was a shortsighted, irrational attack on communities across…

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CT Attorney General Tong Announces $17.1B Settlement

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES $17.1 BILLION SETTLEMENT WITH META, FORCES SWEEPING CHILD-SAFETY REFORMS ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK Largest State Settlement with Single Defendant in History Connecticut to Receive up to $265.4 Million (Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong today announced a landmark $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. that will enforce sweeping new safety reforms to protect American children on Instagram and Facebook. The agreement resolves claims by 51 attorneys general that the company designed Instagram with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental harms, and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms, among other things. This settlement is a monumental victory for the protection of America’s children and will fundamentally transform…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, FTC ANNOUNCE $4 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH MANCHESTER CITY NISSAN

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $4 million settlement with Manchester City Nissan and its owners and managers, resolving allegations that the business double-charged customers for “certified pre-owned” vehicles and collected unnecessary fees without consumer authorization. In January 2024, Connecticut and the FTC sued Chase Nissan LLC, which did business as Manchester City Nissan, along with its owners and managers over alleged unlawful conduct at the dealership. “Manchester City Nissan systematically ripped-off Connecticut customers through needless, unauthorized junk fees. We sued in coordination with the Federal Trade Commission, and today’s settlement will now send millions of dollars back to customers. Car costs are through the roof right now, and Connecticut families deserve…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ISSUES STATEMENT AS TRIAL AGAINST META BEGINS OVER ALLEGED HARM TO CHILDREN

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong issued a statement as Connecticut and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general began presenting their case against Meta in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In the lawsuit filed in October 2023, 29 states, including Connecticut, allege Meta deliberately designed its platforms to exploit young users’ vulnerabilities, foster compulsive use, and maximize the amount of time young people spend on Facebook and Instagram. The attorneys general also allege Meta knew about harms to young users but deceived users, parents, and the public about those risks. The lawsuit further alleges Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent in violation of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SECURES ORDER PROTECTING FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR HOMELESSNESS SERVICES

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong announced a new court order protecting federal homelessness funding after Connecticut and a multistate coalition, for a second time, defeated the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) attempt to cap funding for permanent housing. For more than two decades, HUD has embraced a commitment to permanent housing programs and the Housing First model, which prioritizes rapid placement in permanent housing without requiring people to first meet conditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the current federal administration has rejected that commitment and undermined the Continuum of Care (CoC) program. “For the second time now, we sued and we won to stop Trump’s drastic, cruel…

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