These news briefs were originally written for CT Politics, The Connecticut Mirror’s weekly newsletter providing updates on the 2025 legislative session. To sign up for CT Politics, click here.
Tong seeks dismissal of utility lawsuit
Attorney General William Tong asked a judge last week to
dismiss a lawsuit against state regulators that was filed earlier this year by Eversource, United Illuminating and their related utilities.
In a motion filed in Superior Court on March 28, Tong said the utilities failed to exhaust their options before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority before filing their lawsuit, which he also argued was barred by sovereign immunity.
In the lawsuit, the utilities argued that PURA, led by Chairwoman Marissa Gillett, had violated the law in hundreds of cases by allowing decisions to be made without a full vote of the commissioners.
In a brief supporting his motion, Tong rebutted those arguments, saying that the utilities wanted to “micromanage” PURA’s proceedings.
A judge has yet to make any rulings on the utility’s initial complaint or Tong’s motion to dismiss.
— John Moritz, Environment and Energy Reporter
Homeownership programs
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that the state Department of Housing is using $30 million to launch three programs aimed at incentivizing homeownership.
The Connecticut Home Improvement Program will use $8.5 million to offer low-interest loans to homeowners so they can make their homes more energy efficient. Projects can include improvements such as roof repair and remediation of environmental health hazards such as septic systems and air quality.
The Time To Own — Rehabilitation Program will use $10 million to aid new homeowners who get help purchasing their first home through the state’s Time To Own program in making repairs and improvements to their homes such as replacing a well, replacing a roof or improving the electrical system.
The Homeownership Construction Program will offer grants of up to $150,000 to smaller developers and nonprofits to build or rehabilitate affordable homes. The project will get $11.5 million total, and $2 million of that will be reserved for the city of Hartford. The city is providing matching funds.
“Homeownership is key to stable, healthy communities where people want to live and raise a family,” Lamont said in a press release. “We are creating these programs to help current and future homeowners with the costs of making necessary home improvement projects, including those that make homes more energy efficient.”
The programs are part of a larger effort by the Lamont administration to improve homeownership rates across the state.
— Ginny Monk, Children’s Issues and Housing Reporter
Library funding cuts
The federal government this week told the Connecticut State Library that it would end a $2.2 million grant that helped pay for library services and programs ranging from children’s summer reading programs to library support for veterans.
Connecticut had yet to receive about 56% of the funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, which was initially awarded to cover the current fiscal year ending in September, the state library said in a Friday news release about the grant’s termination.
“We are deeply dismayed by this decision, which has immediate negative impact on every Connecticut resident and the library services they count on,” said State Librarian Deborah Schander.
The termination is the latest in federal funding cuts that the Trump administration has made in an effort to downsize government. The cuts have been spread across federal agencies and have resulted in job cuts and losses to programs and services.
Federal grants support a slew of library services across Connecticut including professional development for librarians, funds for schools and libraries to improve internet access, statewide delivery of books and other library items and the statewide library catalog and eBook platform, which allow Connecticut residents to see if books are available in print or electronically from libraries across the state. They also pay for access to the CT Library for Accessible Books, which offers audiobooks and braille books to patrons.
— Ginny Monk, Housing & Children’s Issues Reporter ...read more read less
