Danbury Area Legislators Support Republican Budget Plan

From the Connecticut General Assembly:

State Representative Richard A. Smith (R-108), Jan Giegler (R-138), Stephen Harding (R- 107) and Dan Carter (R-2) stood with House and Senate Republicans on Monday, April 25 to unveil a budget plan that alleviates the state’s projected $935.7 million debt for the next fiscal year and builds a framework resulting in surpluses for the out years.

“This budget plan includes what I have been advocating for in terms of long-term structural changes to the state’s budget,” said Rep. Smith. “Such changes include mandatory voting by the legislature on public employee labor contracts, overtime accountability protocols as well as caps on spending and bonding. This will inevitably result in a more predictable economy, creating confidence in our business community and help grow jobs here in Connecticut.”

“The balanced, structural changes proposed today are necessary to put Connecticut’s economy back on a solid financial footing, while fully funding vital education and social services and without raising taxes on already struggling Connecticut residents and municipalities,” Rep. Giegler said. “By providing a responsible path forward, we can begin to reverse years of patchwork budgeting and provide consistency to taxpayers and businesses.”

“From the beginning, it was my initiative – along with many of my colleagues – to restore funding to our critical services and aid, while not increasing the already over-burdensome tax placed upon our residents,” said Rep. Harding. “This budget has properly addressed the continuing dilemma of trying to explain to families, businesses and those who rely on critical healthcare and mental health services that their lifestyles here in this state were no longer feasible. We have also addressed how to close this deficit without forcing more people out through tax hikes or cutting needed funding. I hope that the governor and majority party will see the sense and ingenuity inherent in our budget for Fiscal Year 2017, as well as the next five years, and do the right thing for the people of Connecticut by implementing our comprehensive design.”

“In what will surely become a memorable moment in Connecticut’s state history, Republican lawmakers today surmounted an impossible burden posed by the governor and majority party by proposing a budget that not only closes the deficit for Fiscal Year 2017, but plans for fiscal sustainability over the next five years,” said Rep. Carter. “I am proud of the plan that our caucus leadership crafted, and believe that the right decisions were made in terms of cutting out-of-control spending habits and promoting the services needed to preserve the dignity of our state and the residents who call it home.”

The proposed Republican budget would restore funding to core social services that legislative Democrats and the governor have both proposed cutting this year. The proposal calls for cuts and the implementation of new policies that generate long-term savings. This includes the following:

It protects funding for social services. In order to preserve the safety net of services for the disabled, those with mental health needs, children, the elderly and those in poverty, this proposal eliminates new proposed budget cuts to direct services. It also promotes the restoration of support for hospitals, such as Danbury Hospital, and Medicaid reimbursements.

It restores education funding for school districts, such as Sherman, which had previously been targeted for a significant cut. In the proposal, this funding is preserved for the next five years, as is the 100 percent funding for car tax capping for all our municipalities.

The plan also contains a robust municipal mandate relief package.

Administrative reductions to state agencies enable the state to protect funding for core services. This budget cuts specific, discretionary spending accounts by 12 percent for a total savings of $157.5 million. Legislative givebacks including legislative salary reductions and elimination of unsolicited mail. The budget supports modifications to debt service and a cap on state bonding. It also funds transportation development with “Prioritize Progress, ”a "no tolls and no tax increases" plan.

The Republican budget proposal can be viewed online.