Good morning and welcome back to the Tip Sheet, a weekly newsletter from Tom Dudchik’s Capitol Report written by Mike Cerulli.

This week, we’ll take a look at an impending announcement from Governor Ned Lamont on Senate Bill No. 8 and House Bill No. 5002.

The governor is expected to make an announcement on both bills this morning.

Let’s dive in…

Zero hour for H.B. 5002 and S.B. 8

Governor Ned Lamont will announce his decisions on two hotly-debated pieces of legislation later this morning, according to multiple sources familiar with his plans. A veto of legislation to provide unemployment benefits to striking workers has long been expected and will be formally executed by the governor this week. Action on a landmark housing bill is also expected, though a veto would not be the final word in protracted drama surrounding that legislation.

For months, the governor has vowed to veto Senate Bill No. 8, which would provide unemployment insurance to workers who elect to strike for more than two weeks. Lamont torpedoed similar legislation during last year’s session of the General Assembly, and his opposition to the concept of providing unemployment benefits for striking workers has remained steadfast.

Lamont has also been explicit in his concerns about House Bill No. 5002, a major housing bill with provisions that have drawn the ire of suburban communities – including many of the lawmakers who constitute a growing and influential faction of Connecticut’s Democratic coalition.

The list of concerns harbored by the opponents of the bill are lengthy. Measures to eliminate minimum parking requirements and fast-track the conversion of certain commercial properties into residential ones were particularly objectionable to many suburban lawmakers and local elected officials. The establishment of a town-by-town list of affordable housing targets has also riled local leaders who interpret the proposed compendium as a way to use certain state grants as a cudgel to override local zoning boards.

Behind the scenes, negotiations between Lamont and the Democratic leadership of both chambers have followed a familiar script. Rifts between the House and Senate Democrats have delayed a resolution, leaving many to believe the governor will issue a veto this morning and call for a special session in the coming weeks to recraft the legislation with critics’ complaints in mind.

In recent weeks, both the governor and the House Democrats, led by Speaker Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas, appeared open to an agreement that would have seen the governor sign the housing bill with a handshake understanding that the legislature would come back into session sometime this summer to make amendments. The Senate Democratic caucus, led by President pro tempore Martin Looney and Majority Leader Bob Duff, didn’t appear to be onboard with the timing of that plan. In private talks and a pointed public statement, Senate Democratic leadership seemed to push for a special session to take place later in the year.

“If an agreement can be reached, we will address the changes when the General Assembly reconvenes in a special session later this year,” a written statement issued earlier this month by Looney and Duff said.

In that same statement, Looney and Duff suggested that if the legislature did come back into session to make changes to the housing bill, “The Senate Democrats have other ideas on adding provisions to the bill to strengthen the legislation.”

Divisions between the House, Senate, and Governor Lamont are nothing new. In many ways, the disagreements over the timing of a special session to address the housing bill can be viewed as an extension of the intraparty tensions that have long existed between Lamont, a proud moderate, and the more progressive leadership of the Senate Democrats.

If this morning’s announcement yields two vetoes, it could exacerbate those rifts between Lamont and the progressive wing of the party – even if there is an implicit understanding that he will sign an amended version of the housing legislation. 

Looney noncommittal on Lamont in ‘26

Adding another wrinkle to the relationship between Lamont and his legislative colleagues, Senate President Martin Looney offered a noncommittal answer when asked about the governor’s plans for re-election in 2026.

“Would you want to see him run for a third term?” News 8’s Dennis House asked Looney during an interview on This Week in Connecticut with Dennis House.

“I would leave that decision to the governor,” Looney replied. “I want to wait for him to make his decision.”

Looney predicted that if Lamont is on the ballot next year, he will win.

House pressed again.

“Do you hope he’s on the ballot?”

“I won’t go any further than just to say I predict he will win if he’s on the ballot,” Looney said.

Looney’s answer was slightly different from the one House Speaker Matt Ritter offered when he was asked a similar question.

Like Looney, Ritter largely deferred to the governor on the question of whether or not he should seek a third term. But he did offer a kind assessment of Lamont's tenure and a qualifier that Looney did not.

“If he runs for re-election, does he have my support? Yes.”

Anop ties the knot

The Yankee Institute’s Tim Anop and Anna Kwochka were married this past weekend.

Anop is a familiar face around the Capitol. The University of New Haven alum joined the Yankee Institute in 2023 after a stint with the state Republican party. Kwochka is a nurse 

Congratulations, Tim and Anna!

Drop us a line with any personal announcements, shout-outs, or career moves that you’d like to see featured in the Tip Sheet.

We’ll be back next week with another edition of the Tip Sheet!