Posted on June 7, 2017
HARTFORD – State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) voted in strong opposition to a hastily introduced House Resolution that purported to implement a lock on Connecticut’s Special Transportation Fund (STF).
Under current law, the STF is designed to fund state highway and public transportation projects. It is supported by a number of revenue streams, including the motor fuels tax, motor carrier road tax, petroleum products gross earnings tax, certain motor vehicle receipts and fees (e.g., driver’s license fees), and surcharges on motor vehicle-related fines and penalties.
“This false lockbox is more like a colander because it does not effectively lock-in the funds for infrastructure maintenance, improvements, expansions and safety upgrades, as taxpayers were led to expect. The reality is, a similar measure was deliberated and failed in December of 2015. Today’s resolution was another bite at the apple but, to demonstrate that this is a bad apple, consider that the majority party used the 2015 resolution to sweep $35 million from the STF for unrelated services and programs not related to transportation projects, to close a prior deficit,” explained Rep. Bolinsky.
According to Bolinsky, the STF has a long history been raided by previous legislatures in order to fill budget gaps. This has accelerated our state’s roads and bridges falling into an alarming state of disrepair and pushing their limits of capacity.
For five years, Rep. Bolinsky has been proposing and advocating for the concept of a fully protected transportation funding lockbox, along with many fellow Republican colleagues in the General Assembly. His proposals have always been tailored to safeguarding state transportation infrastructure construction funds.
“I am completely supportive of transportation dollars being earmarked for transportation projects only. Deferring improvements and maintenance is a dangerous, unwise way to balance budgets but it has become an irresponsible part of the way the legislature has treated the STF in the past. I cannot support a measure that amends the Constitution of Connecticut and codifies irresponsibility on the part of the Governor and Legislative majority,” concluded Bolinsky.
The House Resolution passed on a party-line vote. It must now be acted upon by the Senate prior to midnight tomorrow to continue in the legislative process.
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