By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–Governor Ned Lamont spoke at the Westport Library today, touching on issues ranging from cuts in federal funding to alternative energy sources to the future of the William F. Cribari Bridge.

He covered healthcare costs, energy, transportation and the importance of protecting open space while also ensuring that the state is an affordable place to live.

“We’ve got to work very hard to make sure we know what this state’s going to look like in 10 years, and also make sure it’s a state where our kids can afford to start a family and start a life,” he said.

Attended by 150 in the library’s Trefz Forum, the talk was the fourth installment of the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce’s “Your State, Your Business” series.

“I was impressed that he seemed to be on top of everything that came up,” longtime Westport resident Harold Bailey said after the hourlong talk and question-and-answer period.

Previous talks in the series that kicked off in March have been given by the state Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas and Attorney General William Tong.

Lamont, a Democrat running in November for a third term as governor, talked about fiscal achievements since his first election in 2018. Eight years ago, for instance, the state pension fund was 35% funded; that has since risen to 65%, he said.

“I know that’s sort of a complicated concept, but it means we’re getting our act together,” he said. “It means that it no longer is eating up more and more of our budget.”

Addressing traditionally high electricity costs, he advocated an increase in nuclear power – the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford provides almost half of the state’s needs – as well as wind and solar power. A key example he mentioned was the Revolution Wind turbine project 15 miles off Rhode Island, which opened recently despite two attempts to stop it by President Trump.

He said the state has been able to help residents weather federal cuts in assistance. But Connecticut now faces a potential $1 billion cut to state Medicaid in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, the federal spending plan, threatening healthcare for tens of thousands, he said.

“We were able to step up and backfill (previous reductions), but I can’t do that forever,” he said. “These are big pieces. “

When he took questions from the audience, Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member Jennifer Johnson, District 9, suggested consolidating various transit districts in southwest Connecticut, an argument she made in the RTM’s April 7 meeting when she proposed that the Westport and Norwalk transit districts consolidate.

Lamont agreed that merging districts could lead to efficiencies.

“Can we do better if we consolidate those districts? Yes, and we’re working on it,” he said. 

RTM member Kristin Schneeman, District 9, asked about the Cribari Bridge, which the state Department of Transportation plans to either replace or renovate to resolve deficiencies. Schneeman asked Lamont’s assurance that the state “won’t allow Westport’s neighborhoods to become a fourth lane of I-95.”

Lamont said he would meet with First Selectman Kevin Christie and state Transportation Commissioner Garrett T. Eucalitto on the matter.

“We’ll work with you to get that right, I promise you that,” he said. 

Ken Valenti

^{_{A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.}}