State News

GOVERNOR LAMONT’S 2026 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

Connecticut State Capitol, Hall of the House of Representatives February 4, 2026 Ned Lamont used his 2026 State of the State address at the Connecticut State Capitol to highlight Connecticut’s fiscal stability, economic growth, and efforts to shield residents from federal funding cuts while keeping the state budget balanced. He emphasized that Connecticut has passed seven consecutive on-time, balanced budgets, built a $4 billion rainy day fund, reduced pension debt by more than $10 billion, and maintained a strong economy with rising business growth and low unemployment. Lamont asked lawmakers to extend the state’s emergency reserve fund to backfill potential federal reductions and proposed a roughly $400 energy rebate for families to offset high heating costs. The governor outlined priorities…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS MULTISTATE COALITION CONDEMNING DOJ THREATS AGAINST MINNESOTA

(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in denouncing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) latest attempt to coerce the State of Minnesota. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the coalition condemned the Trump administration’s effort to exploit the situation in Minnesota to pressure state leaders into turning over sensitive resident data and dismantling longstanding public safety policies. The attorneys general warn that these threats likely conflict with ongoing litigation and court-ordered protections.   “The Trump Administration killed and smeared innocent American citizens and is continuing to terrorize Minnesota. Their reckless occupation is not immigration enforcement, and Bondi’s invasive demands have no basis in…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT SUBMITS SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN TO USE EMERGENCY STATE RESPONSE RESERVE TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY FOR CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration has submitted a supplemental plan to the bipartisan leaders of the Connecticut General Assembly to use funding from the recently created Emergency State Response Reserve in response to federal funding reductions and delays made by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to essential health and human services supports that the residents of Connecticut depend on for some of their most basic needs. This supplemental plan totals $18.7 million and will be used to support items necessary for food and nutrition assistance, Medicaid assistance, youth mental health services in schools, and children’s wraparound services, including healthcare and childcare. “Recent funding gaps on the federal level are continuing to cause nationwide challenges for health and…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG AND CONSUMER COUNSEL COLEMAN SECURE CONSUMER PROTECTION COMMITMENTS IN PROPOSED CHARTER/COX MERGER SETTLEMENT

HARTFORD, CT – Today, Attorney General Tong and Consumer Counsel Coleman announced the filing of a comprehensive settlement that secures major consumer protections as Charter Communications seeks to move forward with acquiring Cox Communications and its Connecticut operations. The agreement, now before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) for approval, delivers more transparent pricing, stronger service reliability and outage reporting, resolves key customer protection issues, and provides for a $3 million investment in digital access and literacy in Charter’s expanded service territory, with a focus on distressed municipalities. Charter and Cox both provide cable, wireline and wireless voice, and internet services through Connecticut. Charter has sought approval from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to acquire Cox. The settlement requires PURA…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT WITH AMBULANCE BILLING VENDOR FOR FAILING TO SAFEGUARD SENSITIVE PATIENT MEDICAL INFORMATION

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today announced that Connecticut and Massachusetts have reached a $515,000 settlement with Comstar, LLC, a Massachusetts-based ambulance billing vendor, for failing to safeguard sensitive patient information during a March 2022 data breach that potentially affected the Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account numbers, and medical assessment information of approximately 326,426 Massachusetts residents and 22,829 Connecticut residents. In March 2022, an outside actor accessed, encrypted, and held for ransom certain files and servers maintained by Comstar. In May 2022, Comstar began mailing data breach notices to consumers on behalf of the various entities for which it conducts billing. “Comstar failed to implement basic, necessary security…

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Senate Democrats Introduce Resolution to Overturn VA Rule Limiting Abortion Counseling and Care for Veterans

Senators roll out Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Trump VA’s new policy ending abortion care and counseling for veterans [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Committee Democrats today introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Trump Administration’s new rule ending abortion counseling entirely and abortion care for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health. “The Trump VA’s new policy’s primary purpose is to prevent women who are victims of rape or incest or whose health is at risk from receiving abortion care. We cannot let the Trump Administration deprive women veterans of essential health care…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT EXTENDS SEVERE COLD WEATHER PROTOCOL THROUGH FEBRUARY 5

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that due to an updated weather forecast indicating that this stretch of brutally frigid temperatures Connecticut is experiencing will remain for at least another ten days, he is ordering the duration of the state’s currently enacted Severe Cold Weather Protocol to remain in effect until noon on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The protocol was initially enacted on Friday, January 23, 2026, and had been originally set to expire on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. However, the updated forecast now indicates that bitterly cold weather will remain even longer, with well below normal temperatures persisting into the middle of next week. Overnight temperatures over the next ten days will largely dip into the single…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUPPORTS MINNESOTA CHALLENGE TO MILITARIZED AND ILLEGAL DEPLOYMENTS

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong today, joining a coalition of 20 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s extraordinary campaign of lawlessness during its deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol to the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Over the course of just a few weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent more than 3,000 federal agents into the area. These agents have fatally shot one resident, Renee Good, seriously wounded others, attacked peaceful protestors, and systematically conducted unconstitutional stops and arrests. In the brief, the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to order an immediate…

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ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG DEMANDS ACTION FROM XAI OVER GROK’S CREATION OF NONCONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTENT

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today led a bipartisan group of 35 attorneys general demanding that xAI, the company that owns both the X social media platform and the AI chatbot Grok, take additional action to prevent its AI chatbot, Grok, from generating nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material. Over the past weeks, Grok has made this content publicly available at the click of a button, driving harassment and exploitation that deprives people of control over how their bodies and likenesses are portrayed. “xAI has enabled a torrent of vile sexualized content, including abusive and disgusting nonconsensual fake sexual images of women and children. Elon Musk and xAI unleashed this monster, and it’s on them to…

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GOVERNOR LAMONT ADVISES MOTORISTS TO AVOID TRAVEL SUNDAY DUE TO MAJOR WINTER STORM

Motorists Reminded To Avoid Crowding Snowplows and Take Extra Precautions During Hazardous Weather Conditions WATCH: Governor Lamont’s 12PM news briefing today (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is strongly encouraging motorists to avoid travel on Connecticut roads on Sunday, January 25, 2026, due to a major winter storm that is anticipated to impact the state throughout the day and leading into the following morning. Anyone who must travel is urged to drive cautiously and allow snow removal crews the space needed to safely clear the roads. Governor Lamont and the state’s emergency management and transportation teams are closely monitoring weather forecasts ahead of the storm. The latest forecast indicates a significant amount of snow will impact the entire state that could…

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