Governor Ned Lamont has proposed funding to give U.S. military veterans free access to Connecticut’s public bus systems, including CTtransit and CTfastrak. The budget plan also includes a 50 percent fare discount for K-12 students, part of a $3.5 million investment now before the legislature’s Appropriations Committee. If approved, the Department of Veterans Affairs would issue the free passes, aimed at improving access to jobs, health care, and schools statewide.