Connecticut Politics Week in Review: With coronavirus metrics improving, Gov. Ned Lamont signals vaccinations for those 65-plus are coming soon

With Connecticut’s coronavirus numbers continuing a steady decline and reaching levels that were not seen since before Thanksgiving, the state is planning to move into the next phase of its vaccination rollout, beginning with adults who are 65 and older. Frontline essential workers and those with underlying health conditions are also expected to be included in the next, large group.

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The big story

COVID-19 numbers trending down and vaccine expansion coming: As the state’s coronavirus metrics continue to move in the right direction with the test positivity rate and COVID-19 hospitalizations on the decline, Gov. Ned Lamont signaled the state will soon expand who is eligible to receive coronavirus vaccinations. The governor said on Wednesday that those 65 and older might begin making appointments “within 10 days or so” depending on the flow of vaccine to the state from the federal government. So far, vaccines have been limited to health care workers, nursing home residents and those who are 75 and older. The state has been making steady progress in vaccinations since the first shots were given in December; about half of the state’s 75-plus population has received at least one dose. The number of doses Connecticut receives each week has increased slightly to about 55,000 from 47,000 last month. Lamont has said the major limit on vaccinations is the supply, rather than the infrastructure needed to distribute the doses. Officials with Hartford HealthCare said they have secured mass vaccination sites across the state but have not opened them yet due to a lack of supply. The hospital system is administering between 4,000-5,000 vaccinations a week but has capacity to do about 5,000 shots a day if supply was available.

Five things you may have missed

Drivers can now renew their licenses online: The state Department of Motor Vehicles is taking a big step into the 21st century by allowing drivers to now renew their licenses online. A pilot program was rolled out late last year and more than 20,000 drivers have already taken part. Going forward, drivers whose licenses are nearing expiration will receive a letter in the mail with instructions on how to renew online. On the campaign trail in 2018, Lamont had promised to move more state government functions online to make it easier on individuals and businesses. “You walk into DMV as a Democrat, you leave as a Republican,” Lamont, a Democrat, said then. The program is voluntary, and people who wish to renew their license in person at a DMV or AAA office can still do so. Licenses that are renewed online will keep the same photograph.

More than 6,500 have left GOP in Connecticut: An analysis of Connecticut voter registration data shows a nearly 300% increase in the number of people who left the Republican Party from Election Day through the start of February compared to the same period in 2016-17. Of the more than 6,500 voters who left the Republican Party in Connecticut since Election Day, roughly 4,000 did so after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. “I would say this is going on across the board right now,” said Jonathan Wharton, an associate professor of political science at Southern Connecticut State University, adding that West Coast states including Oregon have also seen GOP voter rolls shrink. While it’s impossible to know the reason each voter switched, Republicans have become increasingly fractured over President Donald Trump, with some GOP House members supporting his impeachment on charges he incited the rioters who stormed the Capitol.

Lawsuit alleges abuse of mentally ill at supermax prison: A disability rights group charges in a new federal lawsuit that the isolation and shackling of incarcerated people at the maximum-security Northern Correctional Institution is a violation of their civil rights. The complaint, filed against the state Department of Correction by Disability Rights Connecticut, says those measures amount to physical and psychological abuse. “This inhuman treatment of persons with mental illness is physically painful, intentionally humiliating, and causes long-term psychological damage,” the lawsuit reads. Located in Somers, Northern opened in 1995 as the state’s first supermax prison. Its population has fallen dramatically in recent years as Connecticut’s overall prison census has dipped to record lows. At his confirmation hearing last week, correction Commissioner Angel Quiros said he intends to close two prisons within the year; Northern is widely considered to be one of the likely candidates.

Package store owners fighting liquor reforms: Owners of small package stores from across the state logged onto a virtual public hearing Thursday to voice their opposition to a package of legislation that would change the state’s liquor landscape by allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores and beer to be offered at big-box retailers like Walmart and Target. The owners said they were particularly concerned about allowing wine to be sold at supermarkets, saying wine makes up majority of their sales in some cases. “That would put us under,” said Joe Kiah, owner of Village Wine and Spirits in Niantic. Rep. Michael D’Agostino, a Hamden Democrat who co-chairs the committee that oversees alcohol, helped write the bill and favors the changes. He says consumers are looking for more options and convenience and that package store owners shouldn’t be afraid of more competition, calling them “greedy” for opposing the changes.

FAFSA could become graduation requirement: In an effort to boost college enrollment among low-income and minority students, Lamont will propose legislation that would make completion of federal student financial aid forms a high school graduation requirement, among other measures. The governor previewed the legislative proposal Thursday along with other measures that include an automatic admission program at the state’s four regional universities for students who meet select criteria.” K-12 by itself is not enough, not in this incredibly competitive world and the sophistication of the jobs that are out there right now,” Lamont said. The proposed changes come as colleges across the country are dealing with declined enrollment due to the pandemic. Officials said making the FAFSA a graduation requirement was an important step because some high school students don’t realize they qualify for financial aid for college and unnecessarily pay thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Odds and ends

East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc won’t seek reelection after a decade in office, she announced Thursday. In a letter to the East Hartford Democratic Town Committee, Leclerc cited the attention required to help guide the town through the coronavirus pandemic. “it would be unfair to those that elected me to spend one minute distracted from the task of managing this crisis and leading the town through the resulting consequences,” she wrote. … Stephen Colbert poked fun at Connecticut lawmakers Thursday night, speaking out against a proposed bill that would make pizza the official state food. The bill was introduced by New Haven lawmakers Rep. Patricia Dillon and Sen. Gary Winfield. “Come off it Connecticut,” he said on his “Late Show” program. “This is a little thirsty. You have zero cuisine of your own, so you — who sit right next to New York and New Jersey — are trying to steal pizza as your official food? Why? Because you have one town that makes good pizza. Stay in your lane.” … Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is asking state regulators to mandate Eversource provide customers with credits on their bills for its “failure to protect public safety and communicate effectively” during Tropical Storm Isaias in August. The storm toppled trees and left some homes and businesses without power for more than a week. The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is conducting an ongoing investigation into the utility’s response to the storm. … Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has been named co-chair of a program aimed at creating high-speed rail between Manhattan and Boston with a stop in Connecticut’s capital city. North Atlantic Rail, a three-year-old program, proposes a $105 billion investment that would ultimately allow for travel between New York and New Haven in 65 minutes and between New York and Boston in an hour and 40 minutes. While the project has a huge price tag, supporters say President Joe Biden is a fan of rail and it could be part of a larger infrastructure plan by his administration. … Dennis House, who recently returned to the air on WTNH-TV after a decadeslong career as an anchor and reporter at WFSB-TV, will launch a new public affairs program Sunday: “This week in Connecticut with Dennis House.” The show will aim at 10 a.m. and be followed by the existing “Capitol Report” program at 10:30 a.m.

Russell Blair can be reached at rblair@courant.com.