Posted on June 27, 2017

HARTFORD – House Republican Leader Themis Klarides and her colleagues this week called for an up-or-down vote Thursday in the House on the balanced, no-tax increase Republican budget – the third one her caucus has produced – noting the Democrats have failed to produce a single proposal.

“The Democrats failed to come up with a budget during the regular session and it appears they will not have one by the end of the fiscal year Friday. House Republicans have produced three balanced budgets without increasing taxes that include significant structural changes and savings,’’ Klarides said. “We are calling for a vote on our budget Thursday when the legislature is scheduled to convene.”

Posted on June 16, 2017

The just concluded regular legislative session that failed to produce a budget was more memorable for what did not happen than what did.

There were many floor discussions and debates, but no votes cast on a host of issues that, had there been definitive action taken would have marked this session as one of the most remarkable in years. The House majority Democrats who ultimately control the agenda gave themselves oratorical platforms from which to express their views: on recreational marijuana, elimination of the electoral college, controversial violent conflicts between police and civilians and electronic tolls, to name a few.

Posted on June 6, 2017

HARTFORD – Saying the proposed Democratic transportation “lock box” will not secure future road and bridge construction funds, House Republican Leader Themis Klarides charged that the majority party is not serious about dedicating resources to overhaul the state’s infrastructure.

Republicans offered their own tightly constructed lock box proposal that would guarantee that the money is used for only transportation projects, but it was rejected after Democrats resorted to parliamentary maneuvers to rule it out of order .