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Surrounded by highways, New Britain drivers could face hefty tolls everywhere they turn now that Governor Ned Lamont has broken his pledge for trucks-only tolls. The city is uniquely surrounded by limited access state highways. Two, I-84 and Route 9 have already been targeted by the Department of Transportation for tolls. Lamont’s plan could add Route 72 in his dash for cash.

New Britain voters go to the polls in a week to elect a new state senator.

That was fast. Natalie Wagner’s appointment to a top position in the Lamont administration was announced with fanfare a month ago, but last week a terse email marked her unexplained departure from her new job as deputy secretary at the Office of Policy and Management.

Wagner served in the Malloy administration at OPM, leaving for the private sector. She joined the newly formed Malloy administration, departing from the Hartford law firm Shipman and Goodwin. That firm has recently hired former attorney general George Jepsen and Joette Katz, whose eight years at the Department of Children and Families inflicted a string of brutal failures on the state’s most vulnerable children.

Wagner’s sudden absence from OPM leaves a vacancy as Governor Ned Lamont prepares to reveal his first budget proposal next week.

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart has reacted on Twitter to the story first reported early Wednesday morning on Daily Ructions of her father’s appalling Tuesday night Facebook comments. Timothy Stewart characterized a photograph of female Democratic legislators as “Bitches in heat!” Erin Stewart has said she is “embarrassed” and “mortified” by the incident.

Timothy Steward is the head of the New Britain Chamber of Commerce, which will have a serious decision to make today.

Timothy Stewart, the former mayor of New Britain and father of the current mayor, shared a misogynist thought on social media on female Democratic members of Congress at Tuesday night’s state of the union address. The Republican took to Facebook to label the photograph “Bitches in heat!”

Mayor Erin Stewart complained about the prominence of white men in Connecticut Republican politics during her 2018 campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor. This may be the attitude that inspired her criticism.

Timothy Stewart heads the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce. Its members may want to confer among themselves about the face they present to the community. Erin Stewart’s third term as mayor ends in November.

Governor Ned Lamont must think Republican legislators don’t celebrate love. The Greenwich Democrat has invited Republican legislators to meet with him at the Governor’s Residence on February 14th from 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. No guests are allowed.

The Valentine’s Day evening invite will make it a challenge for some Republicans to get home or to some romantic setting to celebrate the annual festival of chocolate and roses. The new governor and his budget team may want to use the occasion to whisper budget numbers in Republican ears to prepare them for what’s ahead.

Here’s the invitation from Lamont aide Chris Soto:

Dear Legislators,

On behalf of Governor Ned Lamont, I’m reaching out to invite you to a cocktail reception next Thursday at the residence in Hartford. This is an informal meet & greet for the Republican Caucus to get to know the Governor as we work together to move our state forward. Unfortunately, no additional guests are allowed and we ask that you RSVP by Friday.

We hope you will join us on Thursday, February 14^th, at 990 Prospect Avenue from 5:30-7:00pm. Parking is available on the street. Please RSVP to Amanda.Klay@ct.gov

We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

Best,

Chris

State Representative Brandon McGee (D-Hartford) paid his overdue car taxes Monday. The Hartford Democrat announced his candidacy for mayor last week and was quickly hobbled by the revelation, reported by The Courant, that he owed more than $1,000 in local motor vehicle taxes on two BMWs.

It appears that by failing to pay his car tax McGee was driving his 2013 BMW without the benefit of having it registered for the past two months. Connecticut does not allow a car to be registered if there are unpaid local taxes associated with it. McGee’s registration expired on December 4, 2018, according to Hartford officials.

State Representative Brandon McGee’s campaign for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Hartford stalled in its first four days. Cars–again.

The four term state representative and his BMWs have caused him considerable embarrassment. Four years ago, McGee was caught parking in a handicap spot at a Hartford Dunkin’ Donuts. The story was widely circulated, as was McGee’s whiny response.

On Thursday, The Courant reported McGee, who has two other jobs in addition to his one in the House, has not paid local property taxes on his current BMW in 2016, 2017, and 2018. McGee referred to the back taxes as an “oversight.” The arrearage amounts to more than $1,300, according to the Courant report.

The taxes are related to a 2010 BMW that McGee says he no longer owns and a 2013 BMW that he currently drives. One of the points McGee may want to try to clarify is how he was able to register the 2013 German luxury car if taxes on the 2010 model were due. Local tax collectors spend many hours dealing with hurried payments from taxpayers with overdue car tax balances who want to register new cars.

McGee’s campaign pileup will have alarmed the forces at education behemoth CREC (where the candidate has one of his three jobs) as plotters look for ways to oust incumbent Luke Bronin. The resilient McGee, they are learning, may not be their best vehicle.

This ought to cause some debate. State Representative Geoff Luxenberg (D-Manchester) has returned to the legislature after a couple of terms away. Luxenberg has filed a bill to declare Connecticut a sanctuary state. The purpose of the legislation is “[t]o establish Connecticut as a sanctuary state where immigrants are protected and able to live, work and pursue happiness without fear.”

The proposal, designated House Bill 5863, has been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary. The committee can decide whether to have the proposal drafted into a detailed proposal and hold a public hearing on it. It can incorporate it into other bills that include similar subject matter or it can decide to do nothing.

It’s a curious way to make the announcement, but three Democrats have circulated a “To Whom It May Concern” missive to let Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney (D-New Haven) know they will not be supporting his legislation to force local public schools to surrender their autonomy to regional consolidated districts.