Marquee issues like the budget, gambling expansion, a public option for health insurance and the legalization of marijuana will remain off stage as Gov. Ned Lamont and lawmakers mark the start of a session unlike any other. The Senate plans to convene at 10 a.m. on blacktop on the south side of the Capitol, seated in a socially distanced oval meant to approximate the seating in the Senate, a 36-member body that generally refers to itself as “The Circle.” One group is protesting the continued COVID restrictions. Another objects to a proposal repealing religious exemptions for school vaccinations. The third is expected to demonstrate in support of President Donald J. Trump on the day when the Congress is scheduled to formally accept the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The outdoor votes Wednesday will be limited. The House plans to formally elect Ritter by a voice vote on the driveway, then watch him be sworn in by his father, Thomas D. Ritter, who was speaker for six years in the 1990s. Ritter said he then expects to deliver the briefest acceptance speech ever offered by a new speaker. The Senate hopes to elect Looney and adopt its rules by voice votes outdoors. Lawmaking in 2021 will be a hybrid process, with hearings and committee meetings conducted via Zoom. Lawmakers’ access to the House and Senate chambers during debates and roll call votes on legislation will be limited.
This legislature will run on Zoom. But still dress warmly on opening day.