Latest news with #VincentCandelora
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CT energy bill snarled by debate on consumer savings and regulatory power. What that means for you.
Energy legislation intended to cut consumer electric bills was stalled again Monday by ongoing disagreement over how much power the state's chief utility regulator would be allowed to wield. And as the debate over regulatory power dragged through another day, the savings consumers were promised they could find in their electric bills continued to shrink. Agreement on both power and savings remained elusive Monday evening as legislators continued to debate both questions while racing toward the General Assembly's Wednesday adjournment deadline. But it appeared legislative proposals that just weeks ago would have sliced as much as $800 million from the public benefits portion of consumer electric bills had been reduced to $180 million each for customers of Eversource and United Illuminating. The numbers are likely to change before the state Senate and House vote. For an average Eversource customer, a drop from $800 million to $180 million in public benefit costs means a monthly drop in the average customer bill from about $20 to about $5 a month, a company spokesman said. The savings could be greater for the far fewer United Illuminating customers. Customers of both utilities pay about $1 billion a year in public benefit costs, which are state mandated programs to develop carbon free electric generation, promote conservation and help pay the electric bills of customers unable to do so. Defeat of proposals to move a higher proportion of public benefit costs off electric bills by bonding them or paying for them with general taxation is seen as a victory for environmental and conservation advocates. 'It amounts to a less significant reduction,' House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said. 'It is something but it is not as much as I would like to have seen. The political fight over how much control Public Utility Regulatory Authority Chairman Marissa Gillett has over electric regulation has been simmering for more than a year. But it has flared up as lawmakers struggle to deliver on comprehensive energy legislation they promised when record heart and market forces conspired to send rates soaring last summer. Under Gillett, PURA has been in an extended fight with state utilities. Eversource and United Illuminating assert in lawsuits and regulatory filings that PURA has shown an anti-utility bias under Gillett and has issued legally questionable regulatory decisions resulting in repeated reductions in their credit ratings. The two electric utilities have sued PURA, claiming that Gillett has squeezed fellow commissioners out of the decision making process and is effectively breaking the law by making unilateral decisions. Candelora, backed by House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, inserted language in the energy bill that would require all commissioners to vote to appoint hearing officers, to vote on all questions before the authority and to make all votes available for public inspection. Gillett advocates in PURA, the legislature and elsewhere have tried — but so far failed — to change Candelora's language in ways that some lawyers have said would not only preserve her power to direct decisions, but retroactively neutralize the utility suit. On Monday, language had been inserted in the latest legislative draft that appeared to be another effort to undermine Candelora's proposals. 'There is a sentence in there that is appointing her as the administrator and the way that language is written it would de facto make her the presiding officer on all the cases,' Candelora said. 'So I have had to push back on that. I am waiting to hear back.I don't believe PURA was ever intended to have one person presiding over it.' 'This bill is not going to run in the house if it is not fixed,' Candelora said. Ritter has agreed, saying the legislation would not be sent to the House without Candlora's support.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats optimistic on state budget as Republicans focus on PURA
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The clock is ticking toward the end of the state legislative session. On Friday lawmakers gave an update on the state's next two-year budget during news briefings. Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter said the budget is being 'drafted.' Gov. Lamont: Budget on the '1-yard line' It's expected to be voted on early next week after much back-and-forth. 'I don't know Monday, maybe Tuesday,' Ritter said. 'On the spending side it looks like we've reconciled all the numbers according to those 25-line items and figured it out.' Meanwhile, House Republican leaders talked about their 'ambitious agenda' Friday, saying they won't back down on Senate Bill 4, which is focused on energy bill costs and the makeup of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). 'I think if it doesn't address the structure of PURA,' Republican Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said. 'To make sure it is operating in a transparent way, with a body of five making decisions, yes I would block that bill.' Lawmakers will reconvene this weekend. The legislative session ends on June 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Connecticut House votes to advance gun manufacturers liability bill
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut House of Representatives voted Wednesday to advance a new piece of gun legislation that could open firearms makers and retailers up to more lawsuits. New Haven man sentenced to 2 years in prison for gun trafficking The bill goes all the way back to 2012, when families of victims in the Sandy Hook shooting sued the manufacturer of the rifle that was used in the shooting, arguing that the way the manufacturer marketed the rifle led to it winding up in the hands of the young, unstable man who perpetrated the shooting. That lawsuit faced several road blocks, including a federal law that shields gun manufacturers from many types of legal liability. The bill today opens those manufacturers up to legal liability under Connecticut law. The bill states that they must exercise so-called 'reasonable control' over their sales practices and opens the door for more civil lawsuits of the type that the Sandy Hook families brought. Most Democrats support this bill, and most Republicans oppose. 'What this bill does is it essentially requires firearms makers and sellers to implement these reasonable controls over their sales and marketing and if they don't, then there'd be a cause of action under Connecticut law,' State Rep. Steve Stafstrom (D) on the judiciary committee said. 'I think generally the concern is, this is probably a trial lawyer's dream,' State Rep. Vincent Candelora (R), the House minority leader, said. 'I don't think it does anything to make Connecticut residents safer from gun violence. It certainly will make lawyers a lot richer.' The bill is now heading to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Connecticut, 21 other states to sue White House budget office over federal grant freeze
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut and 21 other states will seek legal action against the White House budget office over its directive to freeze nearly all federal assistance, Attorney General William Tong announced Tuesday afternoon. Late Monday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo directing federal agencies to temporarily pause 'all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.' Trump administration freezes nearly all federal loans and grants Matthew Vaeth, OMB's acting director, said in the memo that the temporary pause will give Trump's administration time to determine the 'best uses of the funding' for agency programs that are consistent with the law and Trump's 'priorities.' According to the memo, the pause goes into effect at 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday. OMB may grant exceptions for certain awards on a case-by-case basis, the memo states. During Tuesday's press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the memo would not impact Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, welfare and other assistance to individuals. She defended the freeze and said Trump's executive orders aimed at overhauling the federal workforce last week served as notice. Trump administration defends federal funding freeze House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding issued a joint statement on Tuesday in response to the Connecticut Democrats' news conference. It's no surprise that Connecticut Democrats, showcasing their penchant for theatrics over substance, are raising alarm over President Trump's common-sense efforts to ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and align with his executive actions. After all, these are the same individuals who believe taxpayers should foot the bill for placing tampons in boys' bathrooms in our schools. Let's be clear: the President's federal funding pause is far from the doomsday scenario Democrats are peddling. Their earlier claims are nothing more than an attempt to gaslight Connecticut residents. If Attorney General Tong and his Democratic allies invested half as much effort into lowering costs for electric ratepayers and middle class families as they do defending criminal illegal aliens and librarians promoting sexualized content in schools, Connecticut families would be far better off. House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
