Lamont Hires Popular TV News Correspondent For His Office

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont shook up his administration and brought on new personnel after his first legislative session.

NBC Connecticut Chief Political Correspondent Max Reiss will join the administration as director of communications. He will replace Maribel La Luz who will become the senior advisor for external affairs in the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Former longtime state senator Jonathan Harris will move full time from the Office of Policy and Management to the governor's office as a senior advisor. He will be working on legislative, policy and communication functions in the governor's office. Colleen Flanagan Johnson will return to Cigna. She told Lamont at the beginning of her tenure that her time in the governor's office would be limited.

Harris' role had changed in April where he helped advise the administration on legislative items.

Paul Mounds will continue in his role as the state chief operating officer, but will also take on a role as deputy chief of staff in the governor's office.

"Following my first legislative session, I conducted a holistic review to evaluate my office structure and needs relative to my goals," Lamont said in a statement. "Both Jonathan and Paul’s expertise and historical knowledge of state government are natural fits in these new roles."
Related: Here Are All The Life-Changing Bills, Taxes Approved In CT

La Luz's private sector business-to-business experience will come in handy for DECD's outreach and advocacy efforts, Lamont said.

Lamont accomplished some of his legislative goals in the first session, including passing a budget on time with no increases in income or sales rates. Other major bills that passed include a minimum wage raise, paid family and medical leave program.

The family and medical leave program his a snafu after it was passed by the State Senate, but Lamont said he would veto the bill over bureaucracy concerns. Some legislators said there wasn't clear communication over the bill between the governor's office and the legislature before it passed. In the end the bill was amended to address some of Lamont's concerns.

Lamont's legislative priority of electronic tolling never made it to a vote and its prospects of getting a vote in a special session appear dim. Republicans have been steadfast in their opposition to tolls in any form. Lamont campaigned on tolling only heavy trucks, but changed the message when he entered office and said it wouldn't bring in nearly enough money to solve the state's transportation woes and could face legal challenges from the trucking industry, which has happened in Rhode Island.

Lamont penned an open letter to state legislators asking them to have courage and to make the tough vote.

Lamont's original budget proposal included taxing a large array of services at the same rate as goods, including home renovations and legal fees along with a sales tax on trade-in vehicles. In the end it was pared down to include parking, prepared meals, dry cleaning and digital goods such as movie downloads. There were also tax increases for alcohol and a new tax on single-use plastic shopping bags that will eventually transform into an outright ban.