Posted on February 16, 2018
On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano and Deputy House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora held a legislative update at the Wallingford Senior Center, located at 238 Washington Street, to discuss issues impacting elderly and retired individuals in Connecticut. The meeting was an opportunity for residents to express concerns and ask questions about specific pieces of legislation or issues that affect Connecticut seniors.
A large part of the discussion centered on the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) and the legislature working in a bipartisan way to restore funding for the program after Gov. Dannel Malloy vetoed a bill to protect the funding last month. Together, Democrats and Republicans voted to override the governor’s veto and restore funding for the current fiscal year. This allowed the state to restore the program for over 100,000 seniors and disabled individuals. The Medicare Savings Program uses Medicaid money to help individuals pay for medical expenses that Medicare does not cover, such as co-pays and premiums.
The lawmakers also discussed top issues at the State Capitol and the heavy focus on the state budget during this year’s legislative session which commenced on February 7. They answered questions about the budget proposal released by Gov. Malloy earlier this month.
“I want to thank everyone who was able to join us for an open dialogue about the issues that impact seniors in Connecticut most directly,” said Sen. Fasano. “While lawmakers were successful in restoring funding for the Medicare Savings Program this year, we have much work ahead of us. The governor’s budget proposal contains many elements that are harmful to seniors. For example, it would eliminate the $200 property tax credit for elderly individuals and would result in higher taxes on retirees by eliminating newly passed tax breaks on social security and pension income. Gov. Malloy’s budget also proposes cutting funding for certain core services and does not provide funding to maintain the Medicare Savings Program. As lawmakers, we will be standing up for seniors again this year and remain dedicated to adopting budget policies that do not add more unmanageable burdens to elderly and vulnerable populations. I am hopeful that the bipartisan courage which allowed us to override the governor’s MSP veto will prevail this session.”
“I’d like to thank the Wallingford Senior Center for hosting such a great event,” said Rep. Candelora. “This event gave the people of Wallingford and surrounding towns an opportunity to learn about happenings at the State Capitol in Hartford, especially since the 2018 legislative session started on February 7. This year, my colleagues and I in both the House and Senate have worked diligently to ensure that legislation is proposed to assist seniors in particular. It was great to meet so many individuals to gather information from our local community in an attempt to better represent people in the district.”
Photos attached. Additional photos available here: http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/2018/02/wallingford-senior-center-legislative-update/
