Connecticut’s state legislative session begins February 9, and will run through May 4. It’s a “short session”—a year in which deadlines are tight and items with broad support and consensus tend to take priority.
As with last year’s session, we anticipate that the 2022 session will be held virtually due to ongoing concerns regarding COVID. While another virtual session presents definite advocacy challenges, we are hopeful that virtual hearings will increase public access to the process and make it easier for people who might not normally be able to attend hearings in Hartford to engage with legislators. No matter what comes, you can count on our team to create opportunities for you to connect with your state senator and representative.
Below are Save the Sound’s priorities for this session. From now through early May, we’ll keep you updated as opportunities arise to talk with your legislators about what matters most to you (if you don’t already get our email action alerts, sign up here).
Thank you, as always, for your commitment to a healthy environment and strong communities.
Save the Sound 2022 CT Legislative Agenda
Climate:
Connecticut’s latest inventory of greenhouse gas emissions indicates that, despite the growing urgency of the climate crisis, the state is not on track to meet its emissions reduction obligations. We need to do better and we need keep the state accountable for taking the necessary action to ensure we are meeting the climate challenge head on. To that end, we are urging the General Assembly to:
- Update the CT Global Warming Solutions Act to reflect the urgency of the Climate Crisis by:
- Requiring state agencies and regulatory bodies to evaluate the climate impacts of their actions and to mitigate adverse impacts
- Clarifying the ability of citizens to enforce the GWSA
- Establishing broad regulatory authority for state agencies to adopt regulations to address climate change
- Revising greenhouse gas emissions targets, including codifying Governor Lamont’s executive order of 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2040
- Increase solar energy generation by raising program caps, including on the Shared Clean Energy Facilities program
- Adopt California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule to reduce emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles
- Allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell vehicles directly to consumers
- Increase state fleet electric vehicle procurement requirements
- End natural gas expansion policies
Budget:
- Ensure CT’s critical environmental programs are fully funded, and leverage federal funds
Long Island Sound:
- Reduce plastic waste to protect Long Island Sound fish and wildlife
Defending Laws:
- Strengthen Environmental Justice Law by strengthening the ability of DEEP to reject permits in state-identified environmental justice communities, increase meaningful public notice and participation, expand definition of environmental justice, and clean-up contaminated sites
- Defend CT’s environmental laws against rollbacks