Connecticut

Democrats control the governor’s office, the Senate 25-11, and the House 102-49. Governor Ned Lamont is running for a third term. The 2026 legislative session ended with a bipartisan budget, a gun bill that drew national opposition, and a federal lawsuit that turned Connecticut into a test case for sanctuary protections.

The question is whether a small blue state can hold its ground when the DOJ sues it and the gun lobby targets it.

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The federal government is suing Connecticut over immigration

On April 14, 2026, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Connecticut and the City of New Haven over their sanctuary policies. The suit targets the state’s Trust Act and New Haven’s “Welcoming City” order, arguing both violate the Supremacy Clause by blocking federal immigration enforcement.

Connecticut’s Trust Act was originally passed unanimously in 2013. The legislature updated it in a November 2025 special session. Under the current law, ICE must present a judicial warrant to detain or arrest someone on courthouse grounds. Public agencies cannot disclose where someone goes to school, works, or lives.

After the lawsuit, Connecticut Democrats introduced additional bills further restricting ICE operations. The state is not backing down. The DOJ case will determine whether states can set limits on federal immigration enforcement inside their borders.

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Connecticut just banned the guns that become machine guns

HB 5043 bans the sale of pistols that can be converted into machine guns using a common household tool. The bill targets guns with a “cruciform trigger bar,” primarily Glocks that can be modified with illegal switches to fire automatically.

The bill passed the House 86-64, with all Republicans and 15 Democrats voting no. The Senate passed it 22-11 in the early morning hours of May 6. The NRA called it an “unconstitutional pistol ban rammed through in dead of night.” The National Association for Gun Rights launched a public veto campaign. Connecticut gun dealers reported the bill was driving up sales before it even took effect.

Chamber	Vote	Opposition
House	86-64	All Republicans + 15 Democrats
Senate	22-11	Passed in early morning hours, May 6

Connecticut already has some of the strongest gun laws in the country. This bill closes a specific gap: weapons designed to be legal but engineered to become illegal with one cheap part.

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Making fossil fuel companies pay for the damage

The legislature’s Environment Committee advanced HB 5156, a “Climate Superfund” bill modeled after the federal Superfund program. Any fossil fuel company that released more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases would be required to pay for climate adaptation in Connecticut.

1 billion metric tons the emissions threshold that triggers a company’s obligation to pay

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would collect payments and deposit them into a dedicated fund for flood protection and heat wave response. Qualifying companies would be placed on a public registry and sent cost recovery demands.

Connecticut is one of several states pushing this approach. The Sierra Club and Connecticut environmental organizations are urging federal leaders to protect state-level climate accountability efforts from preemption. If the bill becomes law, it would create a template other states can follow.

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Schools got their first real funding increase in 13 years

The legislature passed a bipartisan budget giving towns and cities $270 million in new education and municipal aid. The Senate voted 30-6. The House voted 127-21. It was the first increase in 13 years.

The $270 million breaks down to roughly $170 million in school funding and $100 million in municipal aid. Governor Lamont, a fiscal moderate, initially opposed exceeding spending caps and wanted legislators to pay for the increase by cutting elsewhere. Democrats were divided internally. Minority Republicans had rare leverage and helped shape the final deal.

Component	Amount
School funding	~$170 million
Municipal aid	~$100 million
Total new investment	$270 million
Remaining ECS gap	~$800 million

The $270 million helps. It does not close the gap. The ECS formula still has not been updated to reflect what it actually costs to educate students in 2026. Districts that were underfunded for a decade got a raise, not a fix.

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The 2026 governor’s race will decide who defends these policies

Governor Lamont is running for a third term. At the Democratic State Convention on May 16, he defeated State Representative Josh Elliott for the party endorsement 1,468 to 501. Elliott cleared the 15% threshold and will force an August 11 primary.

On the Republican side, State Senator Ryan Fazio won the GOP endorsement with 92% of delegate votes. Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, previously seen as the frontrunner, suspended her campaign the day before the convention. Reports surfaced of alleged misuse of a city credit card for over $200,000 in personal expenses.

Every policy on this page requires a governor who will sign bills and fight lawsuits. The next governor inherits a DOJ lawsuit on day one. That person’s willingness to fight it determines whether the Trust Act survives.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. The August 11 primary is the next election. Verify your status at myvote.ct.gov. Connecticut allows same-day voter registration, but confirming early avoids lines and problems.

2. Know your rights if ICE comes to your door. Under the Trust Act, local police cannot carry out federal immigration enforcement. ICE must show a judicial warrant for courthouse arrests. You do not have to open the door. You do not have to answer questions. The Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance has resources at ctimmigrant.org.

3. Contact your state legislators about the climate superfund. HB 5156 advanced out of committee but needs floor support. Call your state senator and representative and ask them to vote yes. Find your legislators at cga.ct.gov.

4. Ask your school board about the funding increase. Every district got at least 4% more state money. Ask your local board where that money is going, whether it is reaching classrooms, and what the district still needs. School board meetings are public and listed on your town’s website.

5. Show up at candidate forums. Lamont, Elliott, and Fazio will all be making their cases before August 11. Ask them directly: will you defend the Trust Act in court? Will you sign the climate superfund bill? Will you protect the school funding increase? Their answers on stage are harder to walk back than press releases.