This legislative session, lawmakers in Connecticut are hoping to move the needle on a key part of tackling the climate crisis: resiliency.
The measures come at a crucial point. This week, President Donald Trump began the process to take the U.S. out of the Paris Climate agreement. Earlier in January, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that 2024 was the globe’s hottest year ever recorded.
“We're not immune from extreme weather here in our state,” Senate Majority leader Bob Duff said Wednesday. “We have to make sure that we do planning.”
Gov. Ned Lamont and Senate leadership announced two bills this week focused on preparing cities and towns for future impacts of climate change.
Climate resiliency goes beyond major events like floods, or wildfires – it also includes planning for more chronic issues like poor air quality, high heat and rising sea levels.
Why now, more than ever
Last year, summer storms in southwest Connecticut killed three people, and the rain also washed out roads, homes and businesses. In the days afterward, state officials said the unexpected severity of the storm made it more difficult for emergency crews to prepare. In the fall, a drought led to wildfires in central Connecticut, which killed a firefighter and took over a month to contain.
Research shows that sudden, intense rainfall and severe drought are tied to the warming atmosphere from greenhouse gas pollution, which primarily comes from burning fossil fuels.
“Climate change is real, and these extreme weather events are costing us more and more every day,” Lamont said.
The summer flooding alone cost hundreds of millions in damage, and Connecticut required federal help in the recovery.
The early plans
Speaking Tuesday, Lamont said the state is playing “catch up” on resilience efforts, and outlined his bill to ensure that residents, businesses and the environment can bounce back from increasing extreme weather events – and not just depend on emergency relief to recover.
“I want to give you all the tools you need to protect yourself in these changing times,” Lamont said.
Included in Lamont’s proposal are:
- A requirement for new homeowners in a FEMA-designated flood zone to get flood insurance
- Notifications for homeowners and renters about flood risks, the latter of which is not included in current state law.
- Reduced development in high-risk floodplains, and better incorporating climate risk into planning, among other measures.
While the details of the governor’s proposal were not immediately released, Lamont’s office said the Democrat will deliver his budget address on Feb. 5, and file the bill at that time.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are also pitching their own climate resiliency efforts this year.
In Senate Bill 9, which leadership announced this week, Democratic lawmakers hope to create resiliency improvement districts.
Those “can be a critical tool for towns to invest in their infrastructures, especially towns that are really susceptible to extreme heat and chronic flooding,” Senate President Martin Looney said.
The bill will also include vulnerability assessments to help towns and cities pinpoint which areas may be more at risk of climate hazards, and mitigation planning for rising sea levels along the shoreline.
Looney said Wednesday that these measures were included in the governor's bill, Senate Bill 11, last year. But that effort didn’t get a vote in either legislative chamber.
“We intend to move it all the way through the process this year,” Looney said.
Lamont said the issue of resiliency “ought to be near the top of every lawmaker’s priorities.”
“For the sake of the people of Connecticut I want to work with the legislature this session on enacting a comprehensive resiliency bill,” Lamont said.
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