It’s budget day at the state capitol - and all signs point to a lean budget proposal from Gov. Ned Lamont. That’s even though he’s talked about having “the wind at our back” in an economic sense, with the state having benefited from higher than expected tax revenues, coming from high income earners doing well on Wall St.

State Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney sees it a bit differently. The state’s second most powerful Democrat sees a disconnect between the stock market and the reality of most peoples’ lives in Connecticut, and he wants to raise taxes on the wealthy to help struggling cities, towns, and residents.

How much in taxes, and who pays? Those are the questions I asked Looney in our budget preview conversation earlier this week. We also discuss Lamont’s hard line against tax increases, as well as a few ways lawmakers might look to raise revenue this year - legal marijuana and sports betting. 

And, we address something that came up in Mark Pazniokas’ Mirror story about the relationship between Lamont and legislators - how a Governor who hasn’t had to deal with dealmaking for the better part of year will work with the General Assembly.

It&rsquo;s budget day at the state capitol - and <a href="https://ctmirror.org/2021/02/08/lawmakers-expect-lean-budget-from-lamont-but-how-lean-will-it-be/">all signs point to a lean budget proposal from Gov. Ned Lamont.</a> That&rsquo;s even though he&rsquo;s talked about having &ldquo;the wind at our back&rdquo; in an economic sense, with the state having benefited from higher than expected tax revenues, coming from high income earners doing well on Wall St.
State Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney sees it a bit differently. The state&rsquo;s second most powerful Democrat sees a disconnect between the stock market and the reality of most peoples&rsquo; lives in Connecticut, and he wants to raise taxes on the wealthy to help struggling cities, towns, and residents.
<a href="https://ctmirror.org/2021/01/26/senate-leader-pitches-new-state-property-tax-on-high-value-homes/">How much in taxes, and who pays?</a> Those are the questions I asked Looney in our budget preview conversation earlier this week. We also discuss Lamont&rsquo;s hard line against tax increases, as well as a few ways lawmakers might look to raise revenue this year - legal marijuana and sports betting.&nbsp;
And, we address something that came up in <a href="https://ctmirror.org/2021/02/03/">Mark Pazniokas&rsquo; Mirror story about the relationship between Lamont and legislators</a> - how a Governor who hasn&rsquo;t had to deal with dealmaking for the better part of year will work with the General Assembly.

Welcome to Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast, hosted by John Dankosky. Our goal is to foster meaningful conversations with newsmakers and the journalists who cover them. We're planning to dig into Connecticut's biggest stories in policy and politics. Let's get started.

Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast

Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast, hosted by John Dankosky, aims to foster meaningful conversations with newsmakers and the journalists who cover them. Each episode, we dig into Connecticut's biggest stories in policy and politics.

Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast, hosted by John Dankosky, aims to foster meaningful conversations with newsmakers and the journalists who cover them. Each episode, we dig into Connecticut's biggest stories in policy and politics.