Area Reps Say Budget is Bad for Connecticut

From the Connecticut General Assembly:

HARTFORD – State Representatives Jan Giegler (R-138) and Rich Smith (R-108) voted against the Democrat-negotiated state budget because it did not make true structural changes to how Connecticut raises and spends tax money, and shifts those burdens onto taxpayers and local municipalities.

During a special session on Friday, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a $19.76 billion state budget, mostly along party lines and without a single Republican vote, that supporters claim makes structural changes to the system, balances the budget, eliminates substantial debt in the next biennium and does not include tax increases. Opponents point out that instead of true structural changes this budget relies on the usual gimmicks, one-time revenue sources and fund sweeps, and decimates social services for the mentally and physical disabled and other needy Connecticut citizens.

“I could not support this budget because it did not address the long-term solutions Connecticut needs in order to regain a solid fiscal footing, unfairly penalizes our most vulnerable populations and continues the same, tired policies and gimmicks that created the massive and perpetual budget deficits we’ve been battling for years,” Rep. Giegler said.

“Once again one party rule has passed a budget based on fictional revenues and damaging cuts to core services with no long term plan for structural change,” Rep. Smith said.

A special session was needed to pass the budget because Democrats and Governor Malloy differed widely on proposals and were unable to complete the budget document in time to meet the legislature’s mandated midnight deadline on May 4.

During lengthy debate, House Republicans proposed several key amendments that would keep the budget in balance but also fully fund vital services.

House Amendment B would have substantially reduced funding for the Citizens’ Election Program - taxpayer money used to fund campaigns for political office - by $3.4 million and use those savings to fund programs being slashed under the Democrat budget. Those programs include: Behavioral Health Medications, Child Abuse and Neglect Intervention, Domestic Violence Shelters, Family Violence Outreach and Counseling, Differential Response System, grants for Psychiatric Clinics for Children, Rape Crisis and TBI Community Services.

Representatives Giegler and Smith both expressed dismay that these amendments failed along party line votes.

“The people of Connecticut deserve better than to have important social services, education funding and municipal aid slashed while government continues the same tax and spend policies that landed us in this situation in the first place,” Rep. Giegler said.

“Instead of finding programs that would have helped our most vulnerable residents the Democrats chose to earmark more than $6 million to pay for pet projects in their districts; another abuse of one-party rule,” Rep. Smith said.

Rep. Giegler represents the 138th district of Danbury, New Fairfield and Ridgefield in the Connecticut General Assembly

Rep. Smith represents the 108th district of New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford and Danbury.