At the 2026 Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Economic Summit, Governor Ned Lamont struck a tone of cautious optimism, warning state lawmakers against reverting to “the old ways” of spending despite strong economic indicators. The Governor and a bipartisan panel of legislators outlined key economic priorities for the upcoming session, focusing on affordability, workforce support, and maintaining fiscal discipline.
Lamont’s Cautious Stance: Guardrails and Core Needs
Governor Lamont emphasized the need to maintain the state’s strict fiscal guardrails, which have led to seven consecutive balanced budgets. He expressed concern over proposed tax cuts and new spending from both parties, estimated at around $1 billion each.
“Right now, there’s a certain sense… that ‘Whew, we’ve rounded the bend, we can get back to the old ways,’” Lamont said. “We’ve got to be very careful.” He pointed to volatile capital gains revenue as a past pitfall, vowing, “we’re not going to let that happen again.”
He argued that this fiscal discipline allows the state to address “core needs,” with a sharp focus on reducing skyrocketing healthcare costs. He cited a move to a generic drug expected to save $50-$100 million annually and hinted at steering state employees toward higher-value hospitals.
Lamont also proposed a one-time energy rebate to help residents with high heating bills, suggesting an amount like $400 per family to avoid creating long-term budget holes. Additionally, he reaffirmed his push to eliminate burdensome occupational licensing fees, questioning why a plumber needs annual recertification.
Lawmakers’ Bipartisan Priorities
Following Lamont, a panel of bipartisan lawmakers shared their legislative focuses:
Sen. Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) highlighted reducing healthcare costs, expanding R&D tax credits, ensuring energy affordability, and securing long-term funding for micro-transit programs that connect workers to jobs.
Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) supported licensing fee reductions, association health plans for small businesses, opposing blanket labor mandates, expanding career awareness in trades, and fostering balanced AI regulation.
Rep. Tami Zawistowski (R-East Granby) emphasized lowering insurance costs, strengthening aerospace and manufacturing workforce pipelines, and expanding career-focused education and school-to-business partnerships.
Rep. Jack Fazzino (D-Meriden) stressed making Connecticut more affordable by addressing utilities, housing, and childcare costs, streamlining permitting, and ensuring proper implementation of new programs like the state’s childcare endowment fund.
A Unified Call for Engagement
A recurring theme was the critical need for business owners and stakeholders to engage directly with the legislative process. “The only way we’re going to know [a bill’s impact] is if you tell us,” Zawistowski stated.
As the session begins next Wednesday, the stage is set for debates on how to balance fiscal restraint with targeted investments to sustain Connecticut’s economic momentum and tackle the high cost of living.
