♪ > > This week on the wheelhouse 2025 legislative session is What might > > and what's going to have to wait until next year.

> > Connecticut public on Frankie Graziano this is wheelhouse.

Show that connects politics.

The people we got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

Happy 2025.

Happy New Year.

Happy Legislative Session in Connecticut's finally here, lawmakers getting back to work already.

They vowed to address the state's housing crisis.

Funding for mental health resources in schools and more.

That's going to be a lot to get done.

Let's give they actually do that.

What can actually fast and what won't?

It will make some predictions, whatever will get together and try to figure it all out.

And joined by Susan Raff chief political reporter for WSB News Channel 3.

Welcome.

> > Good Morning.

And Happy New Year to both of Happy have > > Also with Vaughn, who Dama senior reporter at Wsh you may be with us on zoom, but he also may join us in the next segment.

Sorry about that.

Finally, glossy associate professor of politics and government at the University of Hartford, law.

Great to have you on the show.

Thank you.

And happy New Year to you.

And how about those the toy line?

How about those Let's look at the end.

You know, you were in Honolulu today in the spirit the road through the NFC playoffs goes through Detroit absent.

I'm sure that excites blog and young.

The law's.

Well, John Henry Smith.

But before we go any further, my friends ball, my friend Susan, are part of a power House panel that will be with me at Hartford next Wednesday.

It's the return of the wheelhouse.

Live.

> > The panel plus some surprise guests.

Oh, my God.

You want to know they are Joy.

Love surprises.

Yeah.

Like surprises.

We got You're going to be here to find out.

You got to buy a ticket.

Tickets are available now at CT Public Dot Org.

Slash Frankie, that CT Public Dot Org slash Frankie.

I didn't make up that Vanity URL.

I promise you back to today and the opening of the session.

Let us know what you hope lawmakers will focus on during this year's legislative session.

Please give us a call.

8, 8, 7, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, before we dive into all of it.

Big news this a sad news of passing of a pillar of American society here of former President Jimmy Carter, funeral services started this week.

I'm going to remember Jimmy as the simple peanut farmer from Georgia.

can remember law, you know, this was a president who for me was really one of the first presidents knew anything about growing up.

You know, in Detroit and in the 70's and > > I think what's amazing obviously has this great story after he, you know, ends his presidency in the work he did as a humanitarian, the work he did to help spread democracy around the world.

I think you're one of the things I really enjoyed about this moment was the reassessment of just his presidency began.

People have drawn that line between the presidency in the post presidency.

And I think what we saw this week over the last couple of weeks was that he also did some really good things.

This President United States as well, which I think were highlighted during these past couple weeks.

The humility, the humility to talk about that post.

presidential run is compared to the one term that.

> > Jimmy Carter had, which was something that I'm sure is it's connecting to many people and particularly during these polarized times says, and I would imagine that's something that a lot of people find adoration with.

> > Yeah, I think he was an extraordinary man.

And I think that he's big importance was the fact that he wasn't looking for the limelight, you know, and he's done a lot since his presidency and he was someone who really believed in helping people in was not interested in making headlines.

You know, and waves.

And I think we're all gonna miss him.

I will.

For people, right.

Building houses right?

> > That's something that we think is a small thing.

We usually think tie it to some kind of mission group or religion or something like that.

But this is somebody who just like many other people decided to heed the call for service.

And Bill people homes and right now in Connecticut, I connect this to what we're going through because there is a housing crisis in Connecticut.

There is one nation wide as well.

The Connecticut housing conference held their latest event in October.

Governor Ned Lamont said that.

> > Housing is priority number one for his administration.

Any expect some optimism as well?

Let's break down some of the more successful initiatives he put into place or at least once that they say that are successful.

What he thinks is.

> > I don't know.

You know, they took a stab at it in the last legislative session and they created some more incentives for cities and towns to do more with housing.

But you cannot force them to do that.

And so I think that becomes a real challenge and not just housing in general but affordable housing.

Let's face it.

A lot of young people are wanting to move into this state were who we live in the state and they can't afford $2,2500 a month in rent.

So I think that's a serious issue in Connecticut.

And I think they're definitely going to take another stab at that this year.

What they accomplish remains to be > > And agree with Susan, not only is it a big issue in Connecticut's the biggest you all America and it's also a growing problem even across the board when Justin Trudeau step down, one of the factors involved in that, of course, was the rising cost of housing in Canada as well.

And I think, you know, certainly there's the issue of affordability and Connecticut is an incredibly expensive state.

I happen to be a renter myself and I'm amazed at just how much rent has gone up where I live also especially for people who would be moving what they would be paying for.

If I was still in the middle in the Midwest would essentially be in the house and a fairly sizable house for what people are paying 4 apartments here in Connecticut.

So there's that affordability issue and a lot of people will be squeezed out, especially young people, even elderly people who maybe want to switch from being a homeowner because the kids are now grown.

But they find it difficult to actually find affordable housing based on the fact that they also have limited incomes, divorced people run into this problem as well in terms of finding, you know, housing.

So there's a real crisis in the state and then Susan is also talked about this other question of access to affordability, affordable housing, especially for people maybe coming from central cities.

We would like to move into the suburbs and the suburban communities have been quite resistant to building any kind of affordable housing, which, you know, brings us into issues around equity and access to opportunity where jobs may be and people are not having the opportunity write a talk is for Connecticut and most states has to be not just for attracting young people.

> > And providing affordable housing, but also for the older community.

A lot of older Americans want to move into cities.

Frankie knows this about Torrington the Yankee peddler there.

The old hotel in the city now has bought it and I've never had a drink there.

> > I wish I could say that I once and someone came up with a very good idea instead of just trying again, it's good hotel, a tell.

It's been a.

> > Mediocre hotel anyway.

> > Robbie Persky know one of the people that tried to bring it back at one point.

> > The point is why not maybe take a shot at maybe doing like a, you know, 55 in community where people can have apartments or live downtown and create more diverse housing and affordable housing to get people out of their homes, which maybe they can take care of or Ford.

> > These are things are going actually pretty well in downtown Torrington as a might surprise people.

But it it like you said, we're widening the achievement gap for widening the income gap here.

And know we're talking about how expensive it is in Connecticut Madgen how expensive it would be to rent in Boston or York City.

And that's why people and up coming here.

But either way there, there seems to be a lot that the administration is bragging about and saying that is going well.

What about time to own?

They're saying that that is one one particular program that's working against.

They recently reopened it with additional funding.

What can you tell me about It is successful.

And I think that it is helping more people own their own homes.

> > I've done a bunch of stories about that and it gives people an incentive depending on how long they live in the homes.

They get a deposit, down payment.

They don't have to pay that back as long as they stay at home.

And it's hugely successful.

The big issue is there's not a lot of inventory, especially in places like West Hartford, in other communities.

So as soon as those home side go on the market there off the market, they are sold immediately.

So it is usually successful.

It does help people get into their first home.

But we just need more inventory, right?

And I think in many ways there is a link between the lack of inventory in the rising cost.

mean, you know, a lot of apartment complexes that are in place right now.

> > Openings don't remain that long.

I mean, people are always looking for someplace to live, which means the the owners can raise the rent because it's such a high demand.

Connecticut has the obvious issue around affordability, but it also has a big issue as well around, you know, having them enough housing stock in the state that actually could perhaps bring down the price and make it more affordable and also give people options in terms of how right.

I'm told right now that we're going to be able to somebody up via satellite, maybe just right now from Southern Connecticut.

Here he is.

> > on dama, how you do it have on.

> > I'm doing good.

How you I'm doing well.

Can you help a jump in here on the housing?

> > Crisis to do you see these initiatives that Governor Lamont has put together and the administration Salaita must get a Bruno's in there as well.

We should give her some credit as well.

What about chipping away at the housing crisis?

Do you see that happening?

> > Well, that the Q A tube in a it's it's not a drastic change.

problem with with house and especially in this part of the state is that zoning regulations of the of of Obstacle to have it in a more housing because basically a lot of the suburban towns around here, multiple family housing is discouraged.

> > I said.

A different name at Salem most get up.

Bruno.

I want to make sure I pronounced that correctly.

Zoning Central to the fight for more affordable housing option.

Susan housing advocates gearing up for a fight around one law, specifically.

I think it's the same fight that we keep seeing the last few 30 G which allows developers to appeal local zoning decisions and build affordable housing projects in towns that do not already have a significant amount of affordable housing.

Why it is 8.30, G continue to come up here in the sessions.

> > Well, I think there's a lot of pushback.

In fact, I recently hosted a housing for the Department of Housing at the Convention Center.

And we heard from developers and state lawmakers and you know, the affordable issue keeps raising its ugly head in a sense because we just can't seem to break through with that.

> > But there are developers in this state who are making progress, but they do find a lot of pushback from cities and towns.

So just don't want a lot of dense housing.

So until that kind of works its way out, I think we're going to still be in the same situation.

> > Here's one opponent of 8.30, G it's Ryan Fazio, Republican State Center from Greenwich.

He posted to social media regarding the laws here.

That clip.

> > This is state Senator Ryan Fazio coming to an 8.30 on 8.30 Let's resolve to repeal and replace state statute.

8.30, G which totally Rob's or towns and cities over the rights to make development and zoning decisions for themselves, including allowing developers in some cases to build 100 unit developments in single-family zone neighborhoods.

We can improve housing availability and affordability in our state while also protecting local control and putting local communities in the driver's seat.

> > Can you pull all can you afford improve affordability and stock is?

Well, I guess, without tackling a 30 and I > > Can you be a lawmaker in guess.

Fairfield County and and not gets Not I mean, obviously the local politics in the reality is that many communities across the state have engaged an exclusionary rather, inclusionary zoning.

And so this is a problem and it's a problem that's deeply rooted in the long history of residential segregation that is existed in our state and certainly, you know, the arguments that a lot of communities make in law.

clearly exactly.

And they argue is that a lot of communities make about why they don't want to build more housing affordable housing.

That would also be housing that could potentially be integrated housing as well.

You know, the resistance is really strong.

And so I think, you know, this is something that the state will have to put some muscle behind if they want to see some change.

And, you know, groups like the Open Community Alliance, which I'm actually on on the board of that works for open housing, fair housing options in many communities.

I think that work is just important to continue to do.

I do worry about whether we'll have a partner at the federal level, perhaps pushing some of these issues coming out of housing and urban development.

And so there are real challenges here.

And I wish the governor and other lawmakers would take really, I think a bold and courageous stand to really push for access to affordable housing in inclusionary, zoning in our state is a story we pointed to a couple of times here because it really I think paints a picture of the crisis that we're currently in the beginning of 2024. was Connecticut insider that published article on a report that found that Connecticut's racial and economic segregation obviously among the worst in the country.

But continually deepening has that put pressure on local lawmakers to make changes.

> > Well, the problem, the problem is income plays a big in on where people end up living that also has something to do with the initial this policy that we have in our state.

I have tried I know that, Jason, has has been pushing quite bit.

Can you hear me?

I can hear you all.

I can hear you.

My colleagues can hear you, but I'll just still at know role has pushing more housing, but the problem is it has a lot to do with income for that, that that months where people live in Connecticut.

> > He's saying that income is determinant of where people live in Connecticut.

Jason Rojas, obviously trying to make a stand to try to change > > Right.

I think that's true.

things.

But, you know, that's not a new thing in Connecticut and coming from another state 30 years ago, I came from New York I notice that, you know, the cities are predominantly poor and economically challenged in the cities are predominantly or the suburbs are are whiter and more affluent.

And so how do you blend that?

You know, it's very apparent, very visible.

I think when you come into Connecticut and I would hope that we could do more with that because really, I mean, Hartford to me seems to get poor and poor.

It just doesn't homeownership.

People have moved out and they've tried to build buildings like Hartford.

21 to try to get people in.

But there you go with the rent, a situation, you know, $2500 a month.

People start to move out.

So you're really pushed out a lot of home ownership.

And until we can address that, and you know, not all of these departments that they want to build our little shoe boxes were talking about townhouses.

So, you know, we're not talking about public housing in the middle of simsbury.

You know, this is responsible building, but there's just such pushback.

I think from it.

But what we've time and time seen again in Hartford.

It is one thing to have affordable.

> > place to live.

That's affordable.

But the stock there and we talk about infrastructure before the show.

A lot.

The infrastructure and in Hartford has been particularly in the north the north and south the parts of the state the city has just been her and is for all these years by Many times and net call with somebody we covered last year on the wheel house that fought to improved this housing stock for years in Connecticut, alongside many of the local folks that lived here.

But it's just been something that people haven't been able to turn around.

But I want to jump in front of Susan to frame it to you this way.

We talked about what the administration saying that they're doing that is working.

A lot of this is around trying to get young people here.

So they said that they did a lot.

Last session were in recent years.

They tried to get work live right passed last year.

That didn't pass 8.30 G is something they haven't been able to turn around.

We get that.

But that could maybe help with affordable housing is the state focused helping the people who need it the most of the just trying to get young people live here.

What you think?

Well, the state obviously needs young people to live here.

So I don't fault them for trying to do this.

But I think part of what the question you're asking, you know, presents an opportunity.

One of the things the government may do in his noon address is to really talk about the need for economic growth in economic development in the state.

I would argue that housing access to quality education job opportunities.

All of these Lincoln.

So if we treat these as sort of separate kinds of issues and separate spears that I think we we missed the boat I is to higher education.

A lot of kids come from out of state who attend university.

It would be great if a lot of those kids found a way to stay in Connecticut and take that talent to help with the, you know, economic growth and development kind of jobs being created in the state.

And so for me, access to affordable housing quality education, all of these things are linked job opportunities that I think that's the way the state needs approach these things a really think about them.

> > And I think also childcare paid sick leave, paid family leave, which are things that the Governor Democrats and Republicans have somewhat supported.

And I think you're going to hear the governor talking about that today because if you give people the opportunity to take care of their families to have paid sick time to, I think they've given out almost a billion dollars in benefits for paid family leave those are important initiatives.

I think for a lot of people to make Connecticut more attractive and families may want to move here because that supports their family.

> > So maybe we should be looking more indirectly at housing put.

Is there anything that it may be a measure that you think gets brought up this year's who may be that work?

Live ride comes back with what you think.

> > You know what you on the spot?

I think the big issue for a lot of people is going to be energy costs.

Yeah, I really do.

I think that what people saw over the summer, certainly we had a very hot summer, but it's such a complicated topic to figure out, you know, and Eversource did something very unusual of this week.

They asked members of the media to come to their headquarters in Berlin to kind of spell out.

And they're really doing what's called, I guess you know, getting the court of public opinion what you know, and say their cash flow is short and they're going to need some investments.

And if not, they're going to have to cut back.

So I think that lawmakers are in a difficult situation.

They're going to have to first figure out how they're going to bring costs down.

But they also have to figure out how they're going to increase supply.

We're pushing people towards electric vehicles.

We want people to have heat pumps in our homes.

So the demand for electricity is only going to increase dramatically.

And so we have to come to a place where we can figure out how to increase that supply.

And also bring those costs down because Connecticut has some of the highest costs in the country.

> > Have on.

You want to jump in on what you think we could see on housing your energy?

Yeah, it's been a lot of pushback.

Utilities on on pure there's also a push to expand the board of the membership of u > > have another Republican on that on that Ward I'm wondering how that's going to play out because so the government has been very supportive.

All of the regulation all the utilities in Connecticut.

But they've been pushing back They've been pushing quite aggressively.

and also the fact that they've been restricted from increasing their rates.

the with quest to steep rate increases.

And there's been pushback from Pew on that.

I'm wondering how that's going to play out.

That's going to be a big issue session.

believe.

> > We'll continue our conversation after a short break.

Thanks for staying with us.

Reminder to our listen.

And there's join join the conversation.

Tell us what changes you would like to see in 2025, it is 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, And then I want to ask you, if you've got plans for January 15th, what a day that's going to be.

Because we got your plans for January.

15th join us for the wheelhouse live in Hartford.

I'll be talking to a power House panel.

Seasonable are going to be there and some surprise guest is going to be refreshments, Ali.

The octopus is going to be there.

Maybe we'll be able to catch Ali, octopus.

And there could be lots of great conversation to COVID tickets available now at Public Dot Org slash Frankie CT Public Dot Org slash Frankie.

See after a quick break.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the wheelhouse from Connecticut public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano Connecticut's 2025 Legislative Session kicks off today this hour making some predictions.

What's going to pass?

What won't with me Bongo dominant senior political reporter for Wsh you.

Well, last week who associate professor of politics and government at the University of Hartford.

You see him right next to me in the Honolulu and Susan Raff chief political reporter, 4 WFSB in News Channel 3, you are ready for the next legislative session.

You look better than on the on the opening Day.

But you're in your black hot pink for the for the first Glad you're like because at first I felt like I should wear blue because you've been, you know, adorning Hammond and > > Because he's a Lions fan and there's been a lot of misery for the Detroit Lions for so long that now there's a lot to be happy.

> > Another worry about playing the San Francisco Forty-niners is here in the > > I am excited about the opening of session.

You know, it's a special day.

It's full of tradition.

And and it's really kind of a reunion for everyone who's been away in hope that they come back together and it's like a wedding almost.

But the honeymoon will eventually wear off as they have to get ready to pass an important legislation and put together a balanced budget for the next 2 years.

Connecticut also has a huge rainy-day fund.

The Reserve which has 4 and a half billion dollars in it.

So that's fantastic.

Right however, there are some who want to use that money for important programs.

You could argue, but that would go against the fiscal guardrails.

Those were measures put in place to control spending.

So that's going to be a big talker this year.

Plus, the ARPA money also has gone away.

It's been allotted for so the money that those agencies counted for not there.

Now, that's a good primer for where we're going to go with this conversation is want to make sure that people have the opportunity to join in if they like 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, Maybe you have a comment.

> > About the fiscal guardrails maybe got a comment about energy costs.

I know people care very much about the environment.

I'm going to pose this question Bong.

forgot to tell people the number 888-720-9677, is the number.

88, 70, 9, 6, 7, 7, If you'd like to call us.

And Don, you recently spoke with Joe Delong, CEO of the Connecticut Council of the Municipalities or is that the Connecticut Conference of municipalities?

I believe he said that only 36% of local education budgets in Connecticut have come from the state since fiscal guardrails were adopted, a lower percentage than our neighboring states.

Apple.

> > Yes, he says of neighboring states have between 41 and 45% of the local school budget coming from state.

> > And as a matter of fact, mayor Justin Elicker, New Haven says that about 500 million dollars 500 billion dollars more a year.

To try and bring up the poor.

school district's this cities and the poor school districts in the state.

there's a lot of pressure to try and get in team some our reserve fund some of the surplus money to try get that done.

So we'll see how that will play out.

But the the team try adjust the guardrails so that no money can be and a lot of social programs and education is right up there.

> > When Susan indicated her excitement for the session.

One thing I thought about was first of all, how good of a reporter Susan is, how good a reporter at Bong is and how good of a reporter passes marked as the oldest because generally when I would go to Hartford, I'm somebody that comes in when the vote happened.

When I know I'm gonna get the sound because I'm thinking maybe I can go do something else.

Whatever these guys are dedicated, they're always there.

They know what's happening to talk to then Susan was fairly often drive somewhere else to maybe not on somebody's door to talk to them as well.

So I don't too much pressure asking you the following question.

I feel like I could do it because I know you're going to answer it.

You're going to fiscal card.

Read one on one for us.

Why's it?

So challenging for the state to change them or rather why's it so important for them to continue to be in place, at least in Governor Ned Lamont's, mind?

> > Well, you know, keep in mind, these were guardrails put in place by Republicans and Democrats when they kept Governor Dannel Malloy at the time out of the the negotiations when they worked on a budget put those guardrails in place to control spending and that has worked tremendously for Connecticut has helped us pay off millions and millions of dollars in pension debt.

Now those pension debt for state workers that we had pretty much kicked the can down the road for many, many years and had pay that off when we pay down debt.

We have high interest rates on bonding, et cetera, et cetera.

So it's really worked in our advantage makes our investment portfolio look better.

100%.

But you know, and the governor to Republicans don't want to see the fiscal guardrails change.

They don't want more spending.

Governor Lamont has said that he thinks the guardrail should stay in place.

But yesterday, House Speaker Matt Ritter said he understands that.

But, you know, instead of putting 1.6 billion into the state pension could found, can't we put in 1.3 and use that 300 million to subsidize childcare.

So that's going to a tough argument.

I think this legislative session, especially for the fact that education and all of these important priorities are looking for money.

> > Why it may be a priority or at least is pushing up not even looking at what have what's happening at the federal level.

That's a whole nother can of lure warms.

But at least previous in the federal level.

We saw that there was a lot of COVID relief dollars that stood up not just education in Connecticut, but Connecticut's overall budget in the last few years.

Those dollars have been spent are accounted for.

So.

> > How's that can impact?

right.

Well, education has depended on that money and some would say, well, you know, you can't depend on that forever.

And continue that demand to be funded every year with that same amount of money.

So that's going to be an issue, I think for a lot of the state agencies because yes, that arpa money has already been spent or accounted for.

> > I think this is going to be bigger conversation at the Capitol that I think many of us probably are even really tapping into.

I think there are lots of progressives in the Democratic caucus in Lots moderates in the caucus who are looking at these last 4 years where that money came from Washington that it really allowed the state to do some of the things that Susan just described in terms of paying off some dead and some other things because it allowed that to to occur.

So I think the critical question is now people are going to come forth and say we're going to make those critical investments right around bringing down energy costs.

For example, helping families pay for energy helping with, you know, housing construction, then those fiscal guardrails, for example, are an obstacle to doing some of that stuff.

I think there also is the legitimate argument that nonprofits, which we've shifted a lot of responsibility for providing the social services too, who receive some funding from the state, whether they've been short shifted over the years with regard to how much funding they should be getting the duties, critical kinds of services.

So I think this is going to be a really critical conversation because this year the governor has put us would doubt that he's just not interested in doing that.

I was struck by speech he gave the CIA where he talked about, you know, people need to grow the pie rather than think about how to divide the pie.

My problem with that, of course, is that we grow the pie, but we don't divide that whale done.

So we've seen the concentration of wealth occur in our society.

And so growing the pie without thinking about how we divide it up to me is insufficient.

And he's not the kind of conversation.

The leader of a state like Connecticut that has such a huge gap and inequality inside of the state.

So it isn't just a question of how do we make, how do we grow?

We do need to grow pie, but we also need to have a conversation because it years where there is that where we're in deficit in there isn't money.

It's easier to say, OK?

> > We don't have the money for these programs.

But when money is there, that's another story exam been.

> > Well, you know, it's interesting that we the fiscal guardrails, negotiate that it was the good divide in the legislature was pretty close Senate was fifty-fifty of the time pride must change.

Now the Democrats have super majorities in both chambers and it's interesting to see it.

They'll be able to use that to their advantage now because so a lot of the push to to adjust the fiscal guardrails is coming from Democrats.

Republicans are all.

All in support of Lamont > > so we'll see how that plays out.

If you know, because Lamont.

> > It doesn't seem as Lamont go any kinds of adjustments.

We got weeks ago in didn't sound like it was moving So we'll see about And to add to it bonds point, I think it was in 2018 that the fiscal guardrails came into play and you're absolutely right.

In fact, in election in November.

> > Democrats picked up more seats and have a stronger majority in the House and Senate than they've had in almost 50 years.

So we have a much different dynamic will they decide to adjust the fiscal guardrails.

That remains to be seen.

But it's certainly going to be a challenge in a fight, perhaps.

> > Tom, from Manchester is on the line.

We often hear from Tom and we love to talk to Tom.

Go ahead.

8, 7, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, was the number you called.

And we're happy to hear from you this morning.

Time with your morning doing happy belated New year to you and your guests.

Com.

> > With calling person color just concerned with from Trump administration with the push back on the I never the hiring in going after academies of not using raises, you know, factor, which I think an important fact to be included, because I think that maybe just pushed back on that recently.

you there were.

That shipment coming in there and there are persons of feel top military for the homeless person.

But I think with diversity, it's not taking away from anything or being too, will put the matter of just learning from other cultures and keep an open mind on things.

And I can anybody's.

Couture be a key time.

I appreciate And I think it doing with > > The race isn't out there and watching guests were hate groups, too, were concerned when they heard keep him in a good way.

> > Twenty-twenty three's in eye, one 20 was a person of color He worked for all of us are nation and we had pull together as Americans and not be divided President Trump.

And I want to become like an autocrat.

One way for all of us.

I think he's you know, really top of United.

So, Kate, thank you.

Thank you so much.

In time it Tom, seen these fires may be as well because they've happened in my town and in his town to talk about Anne C one, 31.

> > These these hate fires that we see.

They're also very anti Semitic as well.

These fires that we've seen that have been dispersed.

But he's talking about something that I saw on the threat of the week this week.

That's on social media was somebody was talking about how McDonald's is perhaps not supporting diverse and initiatives anymore.

As we're seeing a lot of people, I guess, get ready for the upcoming Trump administration here.

And that threat said.

> > But up up not loving it.

Mcdonald's, they were I think Donald is that a lot of problem.

The right at the and part of it is that, you know, this whole of food debate, right?

And so there's a lot of variety out there and people are not eating as much McDonald's.

They have their own problems and then they have a supporting giving free food to, you know, Pei, the IDF and Israel and that them.

So they have a lot of issues.

But but this important braces for we talk about the diversity component, write the law because then we'll bring it back to education and this dismantling of not just dei, but we're going to see federal agencies and pretty much the culture that we've seen.

> > Come together in the last.

I can't I heard this the other day.

It's 5 years since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis.

It's almost 5 years and we've seen the country kind of coalesce together a little bit in the last 5 years in a way that we haven't seen in many years.

And that's part of what we're going hear just I think, you know, and shared times concerned the caller concerned about where we're at right now is the country and where we're headed the direction we're headed in.

> > In many ways, I mean, I know a lot of analysts, especially on Democratic Party side, have, you know, reduce this, you know, this election to economics and saying that economic matter is we're really what was most serious concern to voters head.

I disagree.

I'm not saying that I I just don't matter.

But I think issues around culture and the fact that for the last 60 years we have been on this trajectory towards trying to become and inclusive democracy.

And I think there are a lot of Americans who are unsettled by uncomfortable with this sort change that I think, you know, has undergone the last 60 years.

And it's not just a long race.

It's also along gender.

It's also a long sexual orientation.

And I think we're at a really critical moment about what kind of America we going to become and going backward.

lot of there are a lot of people would like to go backward rather than forward and let look at me cutting off lackluster day here on the show tot from Manchester and and belong here.

Among only because I think we can have a longer conversation after this break.

You're listening to the wheel.

Hassan Connecticut, public.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Is the wheelhouse from Connecticut, public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

> > Local lawmakers rolling up their sleeves today and heading back to work over the next 5 months.

They're gonna discuss the most pressing issues facing Connecticut residents or at least talk about the budget.

So what bills will be presented, what bills will actually pass the finish line.

We Bongo Damas, senior political reporter for Wsh you who you see your screen there.

Bond.

law seek who associate professor of politics and government Susan Raff WFSB news channel.

Three's chief political reporter.

If you've got a question for our panel, join the conversation.

8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, long.

I cut you off before we went to break.

Jump in here.

We're talking about diversity.

We're also talking about education at the federal level.

> > on the D I just like to note that the state is not pulling back on the as a matter of the 2 new General William Tong is leading the in trying put up some defense against some of the expected Trump administration initiatives might not to.

But that might be trying to roll back some of this especially on immigration and other issues.

and William Tong is not only leading the charge.

He's also going out into the community and trying to educate immigrants what the state is trying to do to protect them.

And so we'll see how that plays out.

did Connecticut.

Is one of the states that's a that's tried to push back a lot of these policies that might be coming from Washington.

> > And just real quickly, Frank, I think also what's important is that we are in a blue state, but I think the attacks dei, especially in Republican controlled states will be will be critical and severe.

But I think what's also interesting is that, you know, this the road in the state can play and that's really great to hear.

The state will continue its commitment.

But I think the private sector becomes an interesting question.

We've already seeing companies like Walmart and others who have retreated from the dei efforts.

And so it will be interesting see how this plays out across the country and also how it plays out in the private sector.

> > Right.

I think there are a lot of unknowns with the incoming Trump administration and what effect that will have when it comes to Connecticut and particularly federal funding.

You know, Connecticut not only gives driver's licenses to work identification to undocumented immigrants.

But it also has sanctuary cities.

And will that jeopardized, for example, transportation money, any kind of projects education could be another factor.

I had the opportunity sit down outgoing Commissioner Secretary Miguel Cardona, Meriden native, who really spent his life in education has real concerns about some of the talk about getting rid of the Department of Education and privatizing a lot of schools, which could disenfranchise or really leave a lot of kids marginalized and kids who are of special needs.

They may not get the services that they need.

So I think there are a lot of unknown is even the governor is concerned about what could be coming down the road.

One of his big concerns is health care.

That's something that's also going to be talked about this > > And one of the big concerns session.

from our caller from Woodbury right now from dog is about housing.

Go ahead, Doug.

Nice talking this morning.

Happy New Year.

> > Happy New Year to thank you.

I was wondering if the state could incentivize some of the smaller suburban towns to have a not multiple unit of local low-income housing, affordable housing.

But they incentivize the town to build smaller homes.

So that young families are no people could come into the town and then eventually move into the bigger homes in that particular suburb and then the other way, the to the other end of the spectrum like me is the we're trying to make thing about song our house and moving to smaller house in the town.

But is really not that much available.

So unlikely and end up leaving.

> > Doug, what about And I live in Woodbury.

I live in Woodbury.

Yes, right.

We talked about that because it's it's a big issue, not just for younger people, but also people who want to sell their homes.

There are incentives and initiatives to build townhouses.

That seems to be a little more palatable.

I think for a lot of towns as opposed to big housing developments.

But yes, those are things that the state has to look at.

And I think if they don't, they're going to lose people coming into the state.

And as you mentioned, people like yourself who would like to stay in Connecticut, perhaps but not in the house that you're in.

And, you know, part of this conversation, also the language we use that thing language like low income housing as opposed to affordable housing can really make a difference.

> > In terms of how people interpret, I think there is a stigma attached.

Obviously to low-income anything but low-income housing, a stigma not only in terms of racing issues around crime and other sort of thing.

So I think as we the language we use and what we attempt to build in these communities affordable is something quite different.

And I think it's important that that kind of language we use be something that we really consider have on.

> > the thing you have to sitting here is that in many of these communities, they don't want to people more young people because that means.

> > The education budget will to Absolutely have to build most news in the South.

Look for that.

Another thing we have to deal with affects the education budgets of these towns to have more young of families.

> > Thank you have bought it is so nice talk to you this morning.

> > Can we get back into the there's going to be a dismantling of a Lisa de for you talk about the private sector.

You say Walmart.

We talked in the last segment about McDonald's education.

I think this is with I want to go, Susan, because you were talking about your conversation that you had with Miguel Cardona, and we saw the last time we had Betsy De Vos running the Department of it case.

Now it's going to be Linda McMahon.

No chance in h***.

Indictment boards charter schools.

And, you know, for-profit education.

> > And that's a slippery s****.

It it really because you want choice.

Everybody wants choice.

But at what cost?

And if you have for-profit schools, you know that the interest is about making money and who suffers because of that.

But there's a lot.

There are a lot of unknowns.

You know, I know Linda McMahon, if you remember back when Governor Jodi Rell was governor, she appointed her the state Board of Education.

It was a very short stand because she couldn't fundraise at the time share.

Her main goal was to run for Senate and when she couldn't fundraise, she resigned.

So she was only on the board for a very short period of time.

But she at want to get too in the weeds.

She doesn't have a lot of education experience.

She did a lot with the SBA, the small Business Administration President Trump in the first administration, but I think that the at the end of the day, people are going to be very concerned about getting rid of the Department of Education.

Has we see it for potentially losing funding?

Because are respectful somebody is right.

transgender person for good Dylan to make man's experience and the small business administration.

> > She didn't make a lot of waves.

I don't I don't know if she'll be the lightning rod that boss of us > > we'll we'll wait and see what happens.

But she is pretty much kept a low profile so far.

> > I think that's because there has in hot water.

But I'll just add that it stop up.

But I will say this, though, there people coming into this administration.

We don't talk a lot about project 2025 the way we did before the election.

> > But I think there is a blueprint for what people who are shaping up this administration would like to do with public education in this country.

They are very they are very hostile to public education.

They're very hostile to education unions.

There they are.

They want to rewrite curriculum.

They want to remove certain kinds of books.

They want to radically transform education in our country in a way that will not be palatable to a large segment of the country.

I think that's something to take serious.

Whether Linda McMahon will be someone who will stepping in and try to block some of these efforts.

And want to jump 20 seconds.

You we do have a lot of time.

Go ahead.

> > Yeah, I believe a good 2025.

Wants to abolish the Department of Education.

Exactly.

> > Just in the final 30 seconds we have left.

I want to point this out really quickly.

We're also going to see universal absentee access come up because they have to put it into law here.

Could you just talk about that really quick?

> > I mean, you know, could voters you know, approved giving the legislature the power to come up with, you know, some sort of the system around no excuse absentee voting, which is just a tremendous step forward for the state of Connecticut where in many other states we see them going backward, Connecticut over the last decade.

Plus, he's been a state that has really expanded access and opportunity for people to participate in the democracy.

Very successful.

But I think they're going work at cutting back of the time frame when people can have access early voting.

Seems a little long.

This maybe something we can pick.

Up next, we we get it.

> > that's a great teams.

But first of all, it's a Most senior political reporter for Wsa to thank you for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me.

You also been hearing the law seek who associate professor of politics and Government University of Hartford.

Thank you for joining Thank you, Susan Raff chief political reporter for WFSB News stay tuned for her coverage of the session.

Can't wait a reminder as law just eloquently pointed out, you want to kick off your new year in style.

Consider joining us for the wheelhouse live in Hartford on the evening of January.

15th as my friend monitor in a jet at the Connecticut says don't have a blue and you wary spice up your January by going to the wheelhouse live.

I love that.

Thank you for that Mata tickets are available now at CD Public Dot Org Slash Frankie CT Public Dot Org Slash Frankie hope to see you there.

Thank you so much.

Today show produced by Robin.

Do an Aiken Chloe win and also magdalen and next, it's Gerald, thank you to Dylan Racing our team for putting this together.

Have a good day.