Lawmakers contend with a full plate of issues as the clocks ticks down on the legislative session

May 26-- May 26--From a higher minimum wage to new restrictions on guns, state lawmakers have passed a number of key bills this year.

But with time running out quickly -- the 2019 legislative session ends at midnight on June 5 -- there's more work to be done. Important proposals, including the state budget, remain in play.

Below is guide to what's been approved and what remains to be done in the final, frenzied days at the state Capitol:

The state budget

Passing a two-year $20 billion budget is one of the legislature's top priorities. But it's a step that traditionally comes very late in the session. Or sometimes even well after it ends: In 2017, a budget wasn't approved until late October.

This year, Gov. Ned Lamont and fellow Democrats are headed toward a major clash over tax policy as they negotiate the details of a state tax and spending plan. Sixty-three legislators sent a letter to Lamont calling for a tax increase on the investment income of the state's wealthiest residents -- an idea the governor has repeatedly rejected.

Lamont's budget relies heavily on expanding the sales tax to include additional items and services without raising the 6.35 percent rate.

Tolls

Tolls are a key part of Lamont's legislative agenda. The governor and supporters say the state could collect $700 million to $800 million by placing electronic tolls along Interstates 84, 91 and 95 in addition to Route 15. About 30 percent to 40 percent of that revenue will come from out-of-state motorists, Lamont said, and the money would be used to fund road and bridge repairs.

Republicans in the legislature are unanimously opposed to tolls. They have a plan that would require the state to borrow money to pay for highway maintenance and repairs.

Earlier this month, Lamont said the toll issue might not be resolved until a special session of the legislature later this summer.

Minimum wage

The two chambers of the General Assembly spent a combined total of more than 20 hours debating a bill that would raise the state's hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2023. The measure passed over strong opposition from Republican lawmakers. Lamont backs the proposal and pledged to sign the legislation into law.

The bill would gradually increase the minimum wage, going to $11 per hour in October, and rising by $1 per year for each of the next four years.

In a concession to the business community and municipalities who hire teenagers for the summer, the legislation includes a provision for a "training wage" of $10.10 per hour for workers aged 16 and 17 who work less than 90 days per year.

Gun control

The Senate and the House of Representatives both gave their endorsement to a package of three gun control bills. The most emotional debate was on a bill known as Ethan's Law, in memory of Guilford teenager Ethan Song who accidentally shot and killed himself with an unsecured firearm in January 2018.

The bill would require gun owners to safely store firearms in homes where a minor is present or face possible jail time. Current law only applies to firearms that are loaded. The gun Ethan Song shot himself with belonged to a friend's father. It was unloaded and had a trigger lock, but was stored with the keys to the lock and ammunition.

Lawmakers also approved two other gun control measures. One would ban so-called "ghost guns" that can be assembled at home after purchasing parts over the internet. Lawmakers failed to pass the ghost-gun bill last year, but this year, supporters had enough votes to push the measure over the finish line.

The third gun bill that cleared the Senate would ban the storage of unlocked guns in unattended motor vehicles. Currently, guns are sometimes left in the glove compartment and even left on the front seat in plain view, legislators said. Under the bill, a pistol or revolver would need to be locked in a safe inside the car, placed in a locked trunk or in a locked glove box.

The governor said he will sign all three measures.

Recreational marijuana

With recreational marijuana already legal just over the state border in Massachusetts, Connecticut lawmakers appeared poised to fasttrack legislation paving the way for cannabis legalization here as well.

Three bills were crafted. One would create the legal framework for marijuana sales, and includes incentives for businesses from communities hard hit by the war on drugs. Another would expunge the criminal records of low-level drug offenders, and a third would establish a tax scheme for marijuana sales.

But by mid-May, momentum stalled. Rep. Josh Elliott, a Hamden Democrat and one of the leading proponents of the legalization effort, said prospects of the three bills winning approval this year are slim, although Senate President Martin Looney, another supporter, said the issue could be dealt with in a special session.

Paid family and medical leave

The paid family and medical leave bill was designated Senate Bill 1, a symbolic gesture reflecting its importance to Senate Democrats.

The bill, which passed the Senate last week, would establish a program to pay workers for up to 12 weeks' leave for medical issues or to care for a newborn or family member. It would be financed by a half-percent payroll tax.

Lamont supports the concept but is opposed to a provision in the bill that leaves the door open for the state to administer the program. Lamont is seeking a commitment to give the private sector a chance to bid on managing the benefit.

With Lamont's threat to veto the measure and solid opposition from Republicans, its fate in the House of Representatives is unclear.

Vaccines

Lawmakers spent significant time weighing a proposal to remove the religious exemption for the state's vaccination mandate. But the controversial measure is unlikely to move forward this year.

In the midst of the nation's worst outbreak of measles in decades, legislators were concerned by an uptick in religious waivers and new data that showed pockets of vulnerability, although the state's overall vaccination rate remains high.

There was strong support from both House Democratic leaders and Lamont to eliminate the religious exemption. But House Majority Leader said there were too many complex questions, such as how to deal with children already enrolled in school who had received the vaccine waivers, to be worked out this year.

Instead, lawmakers directed state public health officials to study the matter and report back before the 2020 session begins in February.

Daniela Altimari can be reached at [email protected].

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