New poll shows Lamont with strong lead
Join us for CRN’s Big Fall Event on Oct.15
News and notes from the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state
- On Wednesday of this week, Quinnipiac released a new poll on the race for Governor.
- The poll showed that Governor Lamont is holding a commanding lead over his Republican opponent, State Senator Ryan Fazio.
- Mark Pazniokas of the CT Mirror has a good look at the poll, and the Fazio campaign challenging the Lamont campaign to 6 debates.
- You can go here to read that story.
Join us for CRN’s Big Fall Event
- Speaking of Lamont and Fazio, we have invited them both to join us at our annual Big Fall event October 15, 2026, at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center’s Autorino room.
- Please join us for this important event!
- It will be a great day for Connecticut’s retail industry – retailers from across the state getting together – we hope you’ll join us for the networking, camaraderie, and a look at what’s ahead for the industry in 2027.
- Registration is open, and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Most of all, we’d like to see you there with us.
- Check out our dynamic quick video here.
- There will be a delicious buffet breakfast, and there’s free parking across the street from the Bushnell; registration opens at 8:30 AM, and the program at 9:00 AM.
News and Notes from the State Capitol
- Facing a potential sentence Thursday of more than a decade in prison for bribery and extortion committed as a high-ranking state official, a defiant Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis informed his lawyer that he has fled to Greece, beyond the easy reach of U.S. law enforcement. CT Mirror’s Mark Pazniokas has the details here; WFSB has the story here, and WTNH here.
- State Comptroller Sean Scanlon says he has stopped state pension payments for Diamantis, who failed to show for his federal sentencing hearing Thursday. Details reported by CTNewsJunkie here.
- With a pair of new laws intended to protect residents’ privacy and information from the use of artificial intelligence, Attorney General William Tong addressed the major provisions of two related bills going into effect Oct. 1. CTNewsJunkie has the details here.
- Gov. Lamont put down a marker with more than 40,000 unionized state employees this week, reaching an “understanding” to extend valuable retirement benefits for at least one year in the next gubernatorial term. CT Mirror’s Keith Phaneuf has the details here.
- Amid a surge in the national debate about the dangers of artificial intelligence, Comptroller Sean Scanlon on Wednesday announced regulations governing the use of AI technology by health insurance companies that administer benefits for the state employee health plan — rules he wants lawmakers to extend more broadly in 2027. CT Mirror reports on the regulations here.
- WFSB and CT Insider will host the first gubernatorial debate between the two candidates on October 22 at 7:00 PM, broadcast live on WFSB. More on those plans here.
News and notes from around the state
- Connecticut’s five-month stretch of job gains ended in August with a loss of 300 payroll positions, although private-sector employment reached a record high, according to the state Department of Labor. Hartford Business Journal has the numbers here.
- Connecticut businesses reported solid profits and sales growth last year, but say rising costs and a shrinking labor force weigh heavily on their outlook for the state economy, according to an annual survey released Thursday. Hartford Business Journal has the data from CBIA here.
- Three Connecticut schools were ranked among the top small colleges in the U.S. by Forbes magazine. The Norwich Bulletin has details here, highlighting the selections of Wesleyan University, Trinity College and Connecticut College.
- Riders on the state’s Shore Line East rail service will soon see more frequent trains, according to Gov. Lamont. The additional trains are intended to close gaps in the weekday schedule and provide more convenient travel options, according to state officials, as CTNewsJunkie reports here.
- Leaders of Connecticut’s public college system ignored warnings and repeatedly failed to appropriately respond to sexual harassment allegations involving its former interim chancellor, according to newly released findings of an independent review. CT Post has that news here.
- The president of Central Connecticut State University is under investigation for allegedly bullying, humiliating, and intimidating members of her leadership team as well as other employees and students who disagreed with her, according to a complaint filed by the leader of the university’s administrators union. CT Post reports on that news here.
- Two Connecticut Lottery players claimed six-figure cash prizes one day apart, according to CT Lottery. The details here reported by CT Post.