by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie
HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont congratulated the state legislature for a job well done Thursday, about 12 hours after the final gavel came down ending the 2026 session.
In a 40-minute press conference, Lamont spent about a half hour answering questions about numerous topics, including potential vetoes, health care, President Donald Trump and the 2026 elections.
Most of the conversation, though, centered on the budget with Lamont citing increased school aid and support to municipalities as among the session’s biggest accomplishments.
“We came together, took the best ideas and came together with a budget that has strong bipartisan support,” he said. “We had some back and forth because I wanted to make sure the promises we made were sustainable. I feel like we’re in a pretty good place for ‘27 and the foreseeable future.”
Lamont also pointed to the legislation beginning to regulate artificial intelligence as a legislative win. That bill too had bipartisan support in both legislative chambers. Among other things it requires AI disclosures and mandates flags when AI algorithms pick up on potentially dangerous interactions such as conversations about self harm.
“We put in place some guardrails to give you some protections, especially when it comes to kids,” he said.
Among the missed opportunities, Lamont expressed disappointment about the bell-to-bell cell phone ban passing the House but dying in the Senate. He said the state would be working with local school boards to put clear guidelines in place.
“I’ve been hearing from other governors, you get the phones out of the schools, not only do kids talk to each other more, but also more books get taken out of the library,” he said.
He added that he expected the bill would pass next year and lamented that the Senate had not taken it up this session.
“At 5 in the morning, they were debating in the state Senate whether it was a good idea to be able to convert your pistol into a machine gun,” he said.
That comment could be interpreted as a jab at state Sen. Ryan Fazio, the Greenwich Republican who is one of three candidates currently running campaigns for governor. Fazio voted against the legislation Lamont referenced, a ban on the sale of “convertible” pistols that can be modified to fire full auto. Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, another Republican candidate for governor, testified against the bill at a public hearing.
CTNewsJunkie reached out to the Fazio and Stewart campaigns, and the gubernatorial campaigns of former Republican New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey and Democratic state Rep. Josh Elliott, who is running a primary challenge against Lamont for the party nomination.
Fazio, in response, said he had an obligation to uphold state residents’ constitutional rights, which he said could be done while also promoting public safety.
“He’s focused on undermining the rights of law-abiding citizens instead of finding practical ways to support law enforcement, take illegal guns off the street and keep us safe,” Fazio said. “I will defend law-abiding citizens and go after criminals. The governor is protecting criminals and going after law abiding citizens.”
Fazio also criticized the recent session, which he called horrible.
“Connecticut is putting ideology over practicality under this governor,” he said. “The state is becoming more unaffordable due to the policies of this governor passed during this session, … and the only recourse to make Connecticut more affordable for all will be at the ballot box in November.
McCaughey agreed. In a statement she called the state’s $28 billion budget a scam and said it doled out millions of dollars on programs and nonprofits most people would not support.
“When I’m governor, I will use a line item veto to wrest control from the Hartford spendaholics and push to eliminate the state income tax,” she said.
She agreed with Fazio on the gun bill, calling it a tragic assault on the right to bear arms. She also complained about bills on homeschooling and vaccinations and said as governor she would go to court to overturn those laws.
Stewart, meanwhile, called Lamont disconnected from reality.
Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart Credit: Contributed / Erin Stewart campaign Facebook photo
“Are utility bills lower?” she asked in a statement. “Are taxes lower? Are schools any better?”
She said Connecticut was locked in a spiral of high cost and low opportunity.
“But hey, if you live in Ned Lamont’s world, everything’s swell,” she said.
The Elliott campaign did not immediately reply to email and social media requests for comment.