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.

State Representative Brandon McGee will begin his campaign for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Hartford on Monday afternoon. McGee, serving his fourth term in the House, will return to the apartment house he grew up in to make his announcement. The setting will add to McGee’s emphasis on his local roots, a contrast with incumbent Luke Bronin’s ties to tony Greenwich.

Crowd size at the announcement will provide an early indicator of activist support for McGee. Bronin began his campaign last week with an announcement in front of City Hall before a small gathering of supporters.

State Senator Alexandra Bergstein does not want a freewheeling exchange of opinions at her community forums. The wealthy Greenwich Democrat has rules of deportment. At least seven of them, including banning signs. Signs? They are just not done in her tony precincts.

Bergstein, who invested hundreds of thousands of her own dollars to defeat Republican incumbent Scott Frantz last fall, may be wary of spontaneity. My source: Bergstein’s rattled response to a question at the end of a radio debate late in the campaign that pierced the polite atmosphere.

Mayor Luke Bronin will kickoff his campaign for a second term this week. An announcement is expected Tuesday in front of City Hall. Bronin has been making calls to invite town committee members and other Democratic leaders to the event—with mixed results. More than one tranche of local activist has felt neglected by the ambitious mayor’s persistent interest in higher office.

Bronin’s distractions from Hartford’s pressing business opens a wide lane for resilient young state Representative Brandon McGee. McGee won an upset primary victory for his Hartford-Windsor seat in 2012, tying on two recounts and winning a court-ordered second primary. McGee made short work of a 2018 challenger in a primary contest. Expect McGee to benefit from some savvy professional advice as he charts the way forward against Bronin and his base of affluent Greenwich donors.

State Senator Marilyn Moore will announce her run for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Bridgeport today at Mount Aery Baptist Church. Mount Aery is the church Moore attends and is located in a neighborhood in which she has deep roots.

Moore is in her third term representing the 22nd Senate District. Her announcement will follow a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. at Mount Aery.

Moore will face incumbent Joe Ganim. The Moore challenge will test Ganim’s grip on the Bridgeport Democratic organization, which Ganim stunned in 2015 when he tipped over incumbent Bill Finch in a summer primary. Ganim’s 2018 bid for governor may have encouraged Moore. He won only Bridgeport in the Democratic primary against Ned Lamont—and that by just 1,300 votes.

The Hartford YWCA is marking Martin Luther King Jr, Day with an appeal for emergency shelter essentials. The YWCA runs operates Soromundi Commons, a regional housing initiative assisting the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless. Winter in Connecticut can be an especially demanding time for shelters.

The program is looking for toiletries including toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, lotion, makeup and feminine products. They also need. twin bedding, towels, pillows. kitchenware and socks.

You can drop off donations at the YWCA lobby at 135 Broad Street in Hartford between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Parking is free and adjacent to the building.