It's a sign of the times. Where else are you going to see a giant toll troll outside a State Capitol? It's got to be Connecticut and it's got to be in protest of the state tolls.

The day before the vote, the giant toll troll was in full view for all to see at the State Capital in Hartford. According to the Republican American, there were two groups that took responsibility for protests around the state: the conservative Yankee Institute for Public Policy and No Tolls CT, who organized the protests that included the inflatable troll character a day ahead of expected votes on tolling bills.

Many anti-toll advocates are expecting the tolling bills to start to get voted on in the Transportation Committee, where Democrats have a 23-13 majority. In addition to the House and Senate bills, Gov. Ned Lamont also has a tolling bill pending before the committee.

Neil Tolhurst is an anti-toll protester from New Hartford, and here's what he told the Republican American:

Every year in the past that this has come up we have been able to defeat it. The public opposition is strong every year. It is strong again this year. I came out to keep the momentum going of the public opinion that is against this bad idea of putting electronic driving taxes on our highways all over the state.

As you know, the two democratic bills and the governor's bill in the Transportation Committee are all proposing to put electronic and video tolls on many of the highways here in Connecticut, including I-84, I-91, I-95, and part of Route 15 that includes the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways.

If those three bills weren't enough, the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee could also propose it own tolling legislation this session, so it looks like the State Capitol might not be the only place you'll see the toll troll this spring.

Here's the story as covered by WTNH, News 8:

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