HARTFORD — The 2017 session of the Connecticut General Assembly has officially started.
Both the House of Representatives and Senate convened shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday and members later accepted the oath of office. Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy is expected to address a joint session of the General Assembly around noon.
This year's session runs until June. It is expected to be marked once again by a difficult budget year. The state's main spending account is projected to be approximately $1.3 billion in deficit, beginning July 1. The general fund is roughly $18 billion.
Several incumbent state lawmakers are not taking the oath of office Wednesday because they've accepted other jobs in state government. Ultimately, special elections will have to be held to fill those seats.