Legalization of recreational marijuana and sports betting, which would help balance the state budget but may change the character of the state known as the Land of Steady Habits, did not pass during the Connecticut General Assembly session completed last week. 

The lawmakers did agree on several measures reforming the way police and courts operate.

Marijuana Issue "complex"

The Judiciary Committee narrowly gave a favorable report on a bill legalizing recreational marijuana, but the measure was never called on the Senate or House floor.

Committee Co-Chair Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, said in an email that legalization "is a complex issue consisting of many different components and we just didn't have enough time to develop legislation that would address all the issues," such as where the stores would be located and how much could be sold at one time.

Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, and Rep. Joe de la Cruz, D-Groton, indicated the opposition from religious leaders and church groups around the state had an impact on legalization efforts stalling. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, floated the idea of voters deciding in the form of a constitutional amendment. A recent poll from the Hartford Courant and Sacred Heart University found 59 percent of respondents in favor of legalization.

Sports betting

A special session of the legislature could be called to deal with some major unfinished business, including tolls and gaming issues, including casino expansion and sports betting.

While Democrats largely support the governor's plan for the reinstatement of tolls on state highways to finance transportation improvements, Republicans are vehemently opposed.

After Lamont's office failed to reach a gaming agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, news broke in the final days of the regular session that Bridgeport officials and the tribes had negotiated a deal, which Lamont nixed at the last minute. The deal reportedly called for a public-private partnership that would develop a $100 million casino and $250 million worth of other projects.

Under the deal, the tribes, who remain intent on building an East Windsor casino, would have been granted the exclusive right to online sports betting.

Police and court accountability

Measures that reform the way police and courts operate were approved, however, including:

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[naviga:li]A police accountability bill prohibits officers from shooting at a fleeing vehicle unless the officer or another person is in imminent danger, requires notification if another jurisdiction is entered during a pursuit; requires release of body and dashboard camera recordings within 96 hours of a use of force incident; and requires prosecutors to release a preliminary report within five days of a use of force incident. The bill also creates a task force to study Connecticut's use of force laws.[/naviga:li]

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Act Increasing Fairness and Transparency in the Criminal Justice System requires the state to compile and publish annually a report of demographic data about people accused or convicted of a crime, and about prosecutors' actions on charging, plea deals, diversionary programs, and sentencing.[/naviga:li][naviga:li]Court operations measures provide for the closure of the Bristol courthouse; continued funding of a foreclosure mediation program through 2023; the placement of trained Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners in all state hospitals; funding to finalize the transfer of juvenile detention programs to the Judicial Branch; increased funding for toxicology testing of people under supervision; and an agreement for the Judicial Branch and Division of Public Defenders to share the costs of attorneys appointed in certain juvenile cases.  [/naviga:li][naviga:li]The "Time's Up" Act expands statutes of limitations for victims of sexual assault in civil and criminal court proceedings and mandates workplace training on sexual harassment. The law also establishes

a task force that will make recommendations about possibly increasing the length of time victims of sexual assault have to file a lawsuit.[/naviga:li][/naviga:ul]

 State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, said a bill that expands coverage for police and firefighters with post traumatic stress disorder is "one of the most important bills we could pass this session."

Staff Writers Lindsay Boyle, Karen Florin, Brian Hallenbeck, Erica Moser and Joe Wojtas contributed to this report.