Lamont focuses State of the State speech on the economy [Video]

The Connecticut General Assembly is back on the job, with Gov. Ned Lamont’s State of the State speech helping launch the new session, which runs through early June.

Lamont focused on economic issues:

“As always, our north stars are affordability and opportunity, holding down costs of energy and healthcare and education, allowing you to keep more of what you earn and providing you the tools to let you earn more, buy a home, start a business.”

Lamont says the state has had “more business startups than ever before,” but Republicans wish he would be more business-friendly.

“At times he recognizes that we actually need people in here to create businesses so that people have places to work,” says state Rep. David Rutigliano (R-Trumbull). “And then, he’ll do things like this ever-increasing minimum wage, which is now the third-highest in the country (at $16.35 per hour), which actually stifles employment.”

In his speech, Lamont said the …