Hartford — In a 134-7 vote late Monday afternoon, state representatives agreed on a package to reduce energy prices for Connecticut residents during a special legislative session.

Then just after 9 p.m. Monday night, the state Senate voted 33-0 in favor of the bill.

Republicans have been pushing for a special session to address home heating assistance for months, but Democratic leadership balked at holding a special session during the height of election season. On Monday, state Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, the House Minority Leader, and Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, the Senate Minority Leader, argued that the bill passed Monday wasn’t substantive enough.

“What we’re doing today are a couple of what I’m going to call ‘Republican initiatives,’” Kelly said Monday while flanked by around a dozen other Republicans, including state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, and state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme. “It was about a year ago, we were going to gas stations to fight the Governor’s intent to impose a gas tax…we proposed last legislative session a gas tax holiday…that was ultimately adopted. We think that should continue.”

“We don’t need to sunset it, it needs to go through to the end of the fiscal year,” Kelly added. “There’s no reason to ask taxpayers to fork up more money when we’re sitting on $2.8 billion of surplus funds in the current budget.”

Monday’s session focused on multifaceted legislation that would, among other measures, allocate $30 million for home heating assistance, extend and ultimately phase out the state’s gas tax holiday, extend free bus ridership until the spring, and allot $75 million in pandemic ‘hero pay’ for essential workers. The gas tax holiday, which was going to end on Dec. 1, is now set to end on May 1, and starting in January will be reduced by five cents a month until the 25-cent tax is again included in the price. It will cost the state $90 million. Free bus far will save riders $10.8 million.

For the pandemic worker bonus fund, about 155,000 participants who have been deemed eligible will receive up to $1,000 in a one-time bonus payment — the bonus amount is determined by income. For example, everyone who makes fewer than $50,000 will receive $1,000, and that number will gradually decrease until those earning approximately between $100,000 and $149,000 will only receive $100.

Most of the $30 million for the state’s heating oil assistance programs will be for the Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program that legislators are concerned won’t cover rising home heating costs. The $30 million represents a contingency plan and is in addition to the already allocated $97 million in federal and state monies.

“On the heels of Eversource and United Illuminating filing rate increases increasing electricity bills by up to 40%, and with already-high numbers of individuals seeking aid continuing to increase amid financial challenges for many, this allocation is vital in helping countless Connecticut families stay warm without sacrificing other important needs,” Senate Democratic spokesperson Kevin Coughlin said in a statement.

State Social Services Commissioner Deidre Gifford explained to lawmakers during a hearing in late August that funding from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federal program that assists low-income households with home energy bills, is down this year because there are no more pandemic relief dollars.

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which is funded by the federal LIHEAP block grant, is meant to lower energy costs for state households who make at or below 60% of the state median income of $76,465 for a family of four. It received $82 million in 2019 — before the pandemic — and between $88 and $140 million in successive years until 2022. Average families usually receive $100-$600 in LIHEAP funding. Almost 52,000 households applied for CEAP this year.

State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, spoke to how Republicans originally pushed for more LIHEAP money months ago.

“We’re here to address the hurt that our residents are feeling with regard to their struggle to heat their homes,” she said, adding that she regrets that back in August a Republican proposal to fully fund the LIHEAP program at its 2021 level was denied as Democrats blocked a vote on the proposed amendment on procedural grounds.

Cheeseman also argued an oft-repeated Republican talking point since the gas tax holiday was introduced — that the holiday should be extended to diesel as well.

“As we look at the gas tax (holiday)…again it was an idea that came from my side of the aisle, and we fortunately came together to suspend that as we saw record gasoline prices,” she said. “The price of the gas you’re pumping into your car may have gone down, but your other costs have continued to escalate. As the price of diesel continues to increase even though gasoline is going down, all those costs are passed down to us, the consumers.”

Republicans offered a few failed amendments, including one to extend the gas tax holiday in full through the end of June, that were defeated along party lines.

Democrats repeatedly said Monday that they feel the election was a “referendum” on the state’s fiscal policies.

“We just kind of litigated this whole issue; the voters had a chance to weigh in,” House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said during a news conference ahead of Monday’s special session. “The amendment today was, ‘Well, let’s do the whole thing until June 30.’ Well, that was the platform somebody ran on and got 42% of the vote,” Ritter continued, referring to Republican Bob Stefanowski, who lost to Lamont on Nov. 8.

Ritter argued that November’s election results showed voters saying to Democrats, “’We like that you’re providing middle-class tax relief, but you’re doing it in a sustainable way that’s not sacrificing the STF (Special Transportation Fund) or the general fund for future generations. It’s sustainable policies that benefit people. That’s the difference between reckless amendments you can’t pay for.”

“By extending the gas tax holiday and free bus fares through next year, we help people save money on transportation costs,” state Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, said in a statement issued Monday evening. “Additionally, today, we take action to fulfill our promise to so many who worked hard to keep the state running during the worst of the pandemic and shore up support for those needing help with energy costs this winter."

During a news conference before Monday’s special session, Lamont announced $3 million additional funds that will be going to Operation Fuel, which provides energy assistance for middle-class households and currently has a budget of $4.5 million, from UI. Lamont indicated that Eversource would be offering $10 million to energy assistance efforts as well.

He announced that UI and Eversource have filed with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in a bid to receive power contract earnings sooner rather than later, including the state’s contract with Millstone Nuclear Power Station, and to immediately invest that money in energy savings for customers.

s.spinella@theday.com