Connecticut
CT House approves climate change bill after failing on mandate on electric cars
Unable to pass mandates for electric cars, the state House of Representatives approved substitute steps Wednesday night in a high-priority bill on climate change that provides incentives for alternative energy like solar power and electric heat pumps.
After more than 4 1/2 hours of debate, the House voted 94-56 shortly before 9 p.m. for the measure.
Democrats hailed the multi-faceted bill for taking steps like expanding solar canopies in parking lots and creating a task force to study electric transmission that would include off-shore wind. The 23-page bill offers incentives like tax credits and business fee waivers, among others.
“I think in terms of acknowledging that we are in a climate crisis, which is going to be one of the controversial parts of this bill, is foundational to what we’re doing,” said Rep. Christine Palm, the vice chairwoman of the environment committee who is not seeking re-election. “Because at this point, to deny that’s true is just preposterous.”
But the political debate continues across the country among national politicians over the extent and solutions for climate change, even though others say that the science is clear.
“I think the most important takeaway is that this bill manages to satisfy environmentalists,” Palm told reporters. “And I want to put particular emphasis on young people, 70% of whom in Connecticut are very worried about the future, and the business community, 84% of whom acknowledged that going green or sustainable practice helps attract and retain talent. So these two groups are often thought of as anathema to one another, but this bill just proves that and I’m excited to run it.”
The debate in the state House of Representatives started at 4:06 p.m. and continued into Wednesday night on an issue that some legislators had predicted could last six to eight hours.
Known as House Bill 5004, the measure is a high priority of the House Democratic caucus, which holds the majority in the chamber.
But Rep. Patrick Callahan of New Fairfield, the ranking House Republican on the environment committee, raised questions.
“There’s a lot of incentives for people to switch to green. Who’s going to pay for them?” Callahan asked. “You’re going to give a lot of subsidies for people for expensive [electric] heat pumps, and then the ratepayers are going to pay for those incentives. … They’re an incredible draw on the grid. One of the biggest expenses is you’re going to have an upgrade to the grid. … A lot of this is putting the cart before the horse.”
Callahan added, “Eleven years ago, the big push was for natural gas, and that didn’t succeed” after falling short of the stated goals.
House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said Republicans are concerned about the costs for the average consumer in Connecticut in an issue with international implications.
“The state of Connecticut has very little market share in any of this stuff,” Candelora said. “I’m not sure that we will have any impact, and we should be looking globally. When we see places in China and India, building as many coal plants as the [United States] is closing, we are merely chasing our tail and moving the chairs around on the Titanic. I think this issue is much bigger than the state of Connecticut.”
Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford raised questions about the climate change bill. Here, he strides past lobbyists on the second floor of the Capitol in 2022.
Electric cars
House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Hartford Democrat, acknowledged that it was difficult to pass a controversial bill that would have mandated that Connecticut adopt the California emissions standards and mandate that all new car sales in Connecticut starting in 2035 would be all-electric or plug-in hybrid. Republicans raised multiple questions earlier this year, saying that Democrats were moving too quickly without enough public input and no legislative hearings at the time.
“We faced a real tough time in our caucus trying to pass a bill that was a mandate, right?” Ritter said to reporters Wednesday at the state Capitol in Hartford. “We saw that that was a tough debate internally, right? And we’ve got two choices, right? You can go down the same path and hope it gets a different result. But I think it shows there’s gotta be some flexibility and adjustments. I think this bill is the most important environmental bill or one of the two most environmental bills in the session.”
On the electric cars, Ritter added, “I’m disappointed we couldn’t get that done. I’m disappointed the President [Joe Biden] felt we couldn’t get it done in the same timeline. But it shows the country has work to do. And so instead of us trying to force that bill through, which would’ve been ugly, let’s make the investments necessary so that when we bring that bill back, people say, “Yeah, I see charging stations in my neighborhood now. I see how it’s gonna work. I see rebates, real offers or tax incentives for me to buy these vehicles.’ People don’t see it right now.”
Debate
During Wednesday’s lengthy debate, Palm noted that the bill fosters training in green jobs, helps municipalities, encourages water and air healthy, and supports energy-saving grid enhancements. She was questioned in detail by Callahan, who said the bill would cost about $750,000.
“How did you arrive at the term climate crisis and what is the definition of climate crisis?” Callahan asked. “The definition I did not see in the bill. … What percentage of the climate crisis is attributable to man?”
Palm responded that there is consensus in the scientific community about the increase in greenhouse gases.
“Net-zero does not mean zero emissions,” Palm said. “It is offset.”
Installing a projected 300,000 electric heat pumps in the future, Callahan said, would use the same amount of electricity as powering 40 small towns.
“It would put us at risk for rolling blackouts in Connecticut,” Callahan said on the House floor. “We’re pulling the rug out from all those people years ago that we tried to convince to go to natural gas. … It seems we’re chasing another fad that is a heavy draw on the grid. I just don’t see the overall win there.”
Callahan asked about the need for nuclear power, but Democrats said that nuclear energy was not addressed in the bill.
“This bill was very carefully written to avoid ratepayer impact,” Palm said. “There is nothing in this bill that says that people cannot have gas heat, cannot have fossil fuels. We are all experiencing double digit rates at the gas pump last week, for example. … This bill does not mandate that anybody stop using gas or oil.”
Lori Brown, a longtime lobbyist as executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, said, “This legislation has been a long time in the making with the dedicated leadership of Representative Christine Palm and will help put our state back on the path toward our climate goals.”
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
When a house has been loved for generations, its walls tend to hold stories. In the case of one family residence in Darien, Connecticut, that sentiment was taken quite literally. On the casement between the living room and kitchen are ticks that denote decades of growth, a quiet record of childhoods unfolding in real time. Several of those measurements belong to the home’s newest steward—the original owners’ daughter—who was ready to put her own mark on the property.
Eager to see what she could make of the 1930s structure, she and her husband tapped British-born designer Becca Casey of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors to breathe new life—and old soul—into the interior. For Casey, being entrusted with that kind of emotional patina was a privilege she didn’t take lightly. “The greatest challenge was ensuring that the new extension had synergy with the original house while bringing together the couple’s different tastes and honoring the home’s history,” Casey says of the 2,400-square-foot space.
That delicate balance shows up everywhere, from tailored silhouettes and clean lines for him to pattern and color for her. Nowhere is that nuance more evident than in the property’s oldest room, a long, beam-lined living space that once sat largely unused. Casey swathed it in an atmospheric mural, transforming it into a multi-zone haven centered on the fireplace, with moments of repose throughout where the family can gather to play a game or enjoy a book.
Around the home, Casey’s eye for nuance is unmistakable. She wields color, pattern, and shape with equal aplomb, expertly marrying form with function in a way that’s both timeless and fresh. A hidden television disappears behind drapery-lined cabinetry, the inner skeleton of an armchair is displayed like a work of art, a vintage dining table reveals a plaque from the husband’s hometown (a serendipitous discovery that made the piece instantly meaningful). In the end, reviving the dwelling wasn’t about reinvention for Casey—it was about the possibility that a new chapter can bring. The result is a space that, according to Casey, feels “quietly refined and effortlessly lived-in”—an elegant meeting point between memory and modern family life.
FAST FACTS:
Designer: Becca Casey, Becca Interiors
Location: Darien, Connecticut
The Space: A 1930s colonial with six bedrooms, across 2,400 square feet.
LIVING ROOM
Bare windows and a transportive wallpaper nod to the pastoral landscape.
The living room is the oldest space in the house, so Casey wanted to honor its bones while streamlining the layout for modern functionality. Custom Dmitriy & Co. sofas—linen on the top, patterned French mattress tufting at the base—typify the union between “his” and “her” tastes.
Sconce: Woven Shop. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Chair: custom.
Table: custom, Becca Interiors. Chairs: Pottery Barn.
A traditional English roll armchair was tucked into a corner at the request of the husband, whose wish list included a spot to read. Aiming for a “layered floor plan,” with distinct areas for the family’s many needs, Casey added a game table as a visual anchor with a direct sight line to the main entryway of the home.
DEN
An original stone fireplace anchors the family-ready space.
Pendant: Woka. Coffee table: LF Collection. Sconce: Hector Finch.
Coffee table: LF Collection. Rug: Woodard Weave. Chik blinds: Joss Graham.
Drenched in French Gray paint by Farrow & Ball and grounded by the original stone fireplace, the den is carefully choreographed to support togetherness, with a custom sectional and hidden TV.
DINING ROOM
The sun-drenched space looks out to the backyard pond.
Paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: Maison Louis Drucker. Table: antique. Tablecloths: Zara Home, Cabana Home. Pedants: Lightology.
Part of the new addition, the serene dining room is flooded with light, thanks to expansive floor to (almost) ceiling windows. Layered textiles keep the antique table—a happy find, originally made in the husband’s hometown—geared toward casual meals.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Salvaged beams mimic the look of the originals in the living room.
Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Bedding: The Company Store. Dresser: English Farmhouse Furniture.
Inspired by Belgian interiors, the elevated placement of the fireplace isn’t just a design flex—it’s an experiential choice that puts the flames right at eye level when lounging in bed. Beside it, two vintage English armchairs stun with their exposed interior, a Becca Interiors signature touch.
PRIMARY BATH
Natural materials were chosen for their ability to patina over time.
Mirror: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Arto. Wall paint: Slipper Statin, Farrow & Ball. Sconces: O’lampia.
In the primary bathroom, wellness comes through atmosphere rather than gadgets. A Drummonds soaking tub is positioned for prime pond views, with a gray-green base (Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball) that reinforces the room’s soothing palette.
WORKSTATION
Smart features make family management a cinch.
Roman shade: Hunter Douglas. Desk paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Chair: Soho Home. Rug: Merribrook Collection. Flushmount: RW Guild.
To make the most of a hall nook, Casey crafted a compact desk where the wife, a teacher, can grade papers. Labeled drawers store art supplies, while a floor-to-ceiling cabinet (at side) acts as a hub for deliveries.
About the Designer
Becca Casey is the Principal Director and founder of Becca Interiors. Raised in the countryside of Southwest England, her earliest influences were rooted in history, nature, and the quiet beauty of rural life. These foundations continue to shape her design philosophy today, one that blends heritage with modern sensibility while honoring craftsmanship and the beauty of daily life at home.
The Hartford community is grappling with two police shootings that happened within eight days of each other. Both started off as mental health calls about someone in distress.
People came together to remember one of the men killed at a vigil on Wednesday evening.
With hands joined, a prayer for peace and comfort was spoken for the family of Everard Walker. He was having a mental health crisis when a family member called 211 on Feb.19.
Two mental health professionals from the state-operated Capitol Regional Mental Health Center requested Hartford police come with them to Walker’s apartment on Capitol Avenue.
A scuffle ensued, and police said it looked like Walker was going to stab an officer. The brief fight ended with an officer shooting and killing Walker.
The family is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
“All I will have now is a tombstone and the voicemails he left on my phone that I listen over and over again at night just so I can fall asleep,” Menan Walker, one of Walker’s daughters, said.
City councilman Josh Michtom (WF) is asking whether police could have acted differently.
“To me, the really concerning thing is why the police were there at all, why they went into that apartment in the way that they did, in the numbers that they did,” he said.
The president of Hartford’s police union, James Rutkauski, asked the community to hold their judgment and wait for a full investigation by the Inspector General’s office to be completed.
A different tone was taken in a statement released about another police shooting on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.
Rutkauski said the union fully supports the officer who fired at 55-year-old Steven Jones, who was holding a knife during a mental health crisis.
In part, the union’s statement says that Jones “deliberately advanced on the officer in a manner that created an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. This was a 100% justified use of deadly force.”
The Inspector General’s office will determine if the officer was justified following an investigation.
The officer who shot Jones was the fourth to arrive on the scene. Three others tried to get him to drop the knife, even using a taser, before the shooting.
“It just feels like beyond the conduct of any one officer, we have this problem, which is that we send cops for every problem,” Michtom said. “I don’t know how you can de-escalate at the point of a gun.”
Jones died from his injuries on Tuesday.
The union’s statement went on to say that officers should not be society’s default for mental health professionals. The statement said in part, “We ask for renewed commitment from our legislators to remove police from being the vanguard of what should be a mental health professional response.”
The officers involved in both shootings are on administrative leave.
Marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting and attended by Governor Ned Lamont, state legislators, Waterbury officials, and community leaders, UConn Health celebrated the acquisition of Waterbury Hospital which as of today is now the UConn Health Waterbury Hospital.
“This is a defining moment for healthcare in Connecticut,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health Community Network. “We now have the opportunity to take the award -winning academic quality and service of UConn Health and share it with the wonderful employees, doctors and community of Waterbury.”
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont described the initiative as a forward-looking investment in the future of healthcare access across Connecticut.
“Connecticut is leading with innovation,” said Connecticut Governor Lamont. “The UConn Health Community Network reflects a proactive approach to strengthening community-based care by connecting it directly to the capabilities of our state’s public academic medical center. What begins in Waterbury today, represents a new model designed to expand opportunity, access, and excellence for communities statewide.”
In addition to UConn Health Waterbury Hospital, the Network includes UConn Health Community Network Medical Group and UConn Health Waterbury Health at Home. The model preserves each member’s local identity and will grow thoughtfully over time to improve quality, expand access, and reduce the total cost of care.
“This reflects a bold step forward in how we think about healthcare in Connecticut,” said John Driscoll, Chair of the UConn Health Board of Directors. “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new approach to community-based care. We move forward with clarity of purpose and shared commitment to serve our communities better together.”
Comptroller Sean Scanlon highlighted the significance of the model for the long-term evolution of healthcare delivery in Connecticut.
“This partnership represents thoughtful leadership at a pivotal time for healthcare,” said Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon. “By aligning community hospitals with academic medicine, Connecticut is building a modern framework that positions our healthcare system to meet the needs of patients today and into the future.”
“Hosting this celebration on our campus is deeply meaningful for our staff, physicians and the families we serve,” said Deborah Weymouth, President of UConn Health Waterbury Hospital. “Waterbury’s legacy of care continues, and we are tremendously proud to have a strong partner who is deeply committed to our community and help lead this next chapter for healthcare.”
Welcome UConn Health Waterbury Hospital!
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