CONNECTICUT – Several new laws in Connecticut are taking effect in 2025, from expanded paid sick days to minimum wage increases.

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Here’s a look at some of them that could impact your life:

Connecticut’s minimum wage is increasing from $15.69 per hour to $16.35 per hour.

CT Gov. Ned Lamont signed Public Act 19-4 back in 2019, which implemented five incremental increases in the minimum wage between 2019 and 2023, followed by future adjustments tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index.

Back in May, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation “strengthening the state’s laws regarding paid sick days protections by expanding them to ensure that more workers are covered and have access to them.”

The state’s existing laws require employers with over 50 employees that are mostly in specific retail and service occupations to provide their employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually. Effective Jan. 1, the laws will apply to workers of nearly every occupation.

“Our existing paid sick days laws include important protections for certain workers, however there are broad categories left unprotected, and this update will expand this coverage to help ensure that people do not have to choose between going to work sick and sacrificing a day’s wage,” Lamont said.

On Election Day, Connecticut voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution that could make it easier to cast ballots by mail or through drop boxes in future elections.

The amendment lifts long-standing restrictions that only allowed people in the state to vote by absentee ballot if they were going to be out of town, are sick or disabled, or couldn’t get to a polling location because of religious restrictions.

Effective Jan. 1, the act prohibits anyone from knowingly making another individual liable for “coerced debt” (i.e., generally, certain credit card debt incurred by a domestic violence victim who was coerced into incurring it).

“Specifically, if a victim gives a claimant certain information and documentation that a debt is coerced debt, the claimant must pause all collection activities on the debt for at least 60 days, review the victim’s submission and other available information it has, and then continue or end its collection based on the review,” the bill said.

PA 24-52—sSB 13 “expands the student loan payment tax credit for qualified employers that make eligible student loan payments on a qualified employee’s behalf.” 

Our NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking gusty winds that will move through the state overnight and into the day on Thursday.

Some wind gusts could top 45 miles per hour, causing difficult driving conditions.

The National Weather Service said some wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph.

There’s a wind advisory in effect throughout southern New England until 10 p.m. Thursday.

The strongest winds are expected midday Thursday around 11 a.m. and may cause some weaker tree limbs to fall, or even result in a few isolated power outages.

We aren’t expecting widespread power outages or tree damage with this system, and the wind will continue to usher in cool air.

After starting the week with near-record high temperatures, these gusty winds will usher in temps in the 30s.

The wind will stay steady on Friday, but weaker than Thursday. Still, combined with the air temperature, the feels-like conditions will fall into the single digits and 10s by Friday morning.

You can get the latest forecast anytime here.

The new year brought new bundles of joy for some Connecticut families.  

Irmaris and Dibamny Robles, of New Haven, welcomed their daughter, Rebecca, at 12:53 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Yale New haven Hospital and Bridgeport Hospital

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Rebecca was born at Yale New Haven Hospital, weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces.

This is the couple’s fourth child – and she joins her three sisters.

Judith Marrero, of Bridgeport, welcomed her baby girl, Phoniex, at 2:33 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Phoniex was the first baby of the year born at Bridgeport Hospital.

She weighs 8 pounds, 3 ounces and is 22 inches long.

She joins siblings 5-year-old Nikolai and 4-year-old Blanca.

Andrjana and Nikola Milosavljevic welcomed their newborn son at Hartford Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Aleksej was born at 5 a.m., arriving two days early and weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

“He is already awake like a big man,” his mom,  Andrjana, said.

The couple said it wasn’t quite the normal New Year’s Eve party they are used to, but that was OK.

“We are blessed, what we can say? We don’t have a new year in the way we want because we were a little bit busy, but absolutely blessed,” dad, Nikola, said.

Aleksej is one of four New Year’s day babies to be born at Hartford Hospital. His mom said it was special, like a New Year’s miracle.

Aleksej has a big brother at home waiting for him.