Bill Pizzuto

CT House Republicans Unveil “Pathway to Affordability” Budget Plan

HARTFORD— State Representative Bill Pizzuto (R-71) is supporting the House Republicans budget adjustment plan for the second year of the state budget. This is a series of policies aimed at making Connecticut more affordable, lowering household costs, easing property tax pressures, and addressing the school funding crisis facing communities across the state. The $27.9 billion plan, called “Pathway to Affordability,” is balanced, provides more than $400 million in tax relief, falls $167 million under the state spending cap, and spends less than the governor’s budget proposal and the product advanced by Appropriations Committee Democrats. “Connecticut has become unaffordable for so many residents. One of the biggest burdens is the property tax. By focusing our plan on providing relief to municipalities to cover rising education costs, those cities and towns in turn can provide property tax relief locally," said Rep. Pizzuto . School Taxpayer Relief & Affordability Plan (STRAP) The centerpiece of the House Republican proposal is the School Taxpayer Relief and Affordability Plan, or STRAP—a $365 million investment distributed to every city and town in Connecticut to help offset surging education costs and reduce the burden on local property taxpayers. If adopted, this plan would add $407,937 in aid to Middlebury and $29.8 Million for Waterbury. The “Pathway to Affordability” plan includes a broad range of tax and fee relief: Increase the state’s maximum property tax credit to $650 and expand income eligibility, extending relief to 800,000 filers Curb healthcare costs by reducing a state levy on insurance companies ($20 million) that has been passed on to consumers in their monthly premiums Eliminate income tax on all Social Security benefits Eliminate the sales tax on children’s clothing Enact a “no tax on tips” exemption Reduce the sales tax on vehicles priced between $50,000 and $75,000 from 7.75% to 6.35%--because the cost of vehicles has risen sharply in recent years, and what once seemed like a luxury price point now covers everyday family minivans and work trucks Eliminate fees on certain occupational licenses Remove the “Passport to Parks” fee from motor vehicle registrations Ease local tax burden by providing $2.5 million to help municipalities cover early voting costs The plan is funded through new revenue and spending discipline, including: Recover $340 million by challenging New York’s “convenience of employer” rule, which forces roughly 80,000 Connecticut residents who work remotely for New York employers and pay income taxes to New York at rates higher (10.9% top rate) than they would pay here at home (6.99% top rate). The plan includes $1 million to help these workers file legal challenges against New York’s policy. Save $153 million by budgeting state employee positions based on realistic hiring trends rather than funding all vacancies at once Save $61 million by eliminating state-funded health insurance for undocumented immigrants, who retain access to care through Federally Qualified Health Centers Removes 25% of double-funding of ECS grants to municipalities, saving $29 million Save $12 million by reducing legislative earmarks Save $3.5 million by eliminating inmate text messaging Among our targeted investments in public safety and human services: $3.2 million to expand the CRISIS program helping police respond to and de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises $1.5 million for domestic violence shelters Provides funding to hire investigators for Medicaid Fraud Control $2.4 million to increase provider rates for Birth-to-Three child development services Creates an income tax deduction (up to $2k) for volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel

Rep. Pizzuto Calls for Restoration of Mashantucket Pequot/Mohegan Fund to Municipalities

Rep. Pizzuto Calls for Return of Mashantucket Pequot/Mohegan Fund Dollars to Municipalities Hartford, CT. – Legislators and municipal leaders joined together at the State Capitol to call for restoration of the Mashantucket Pequot/Mohegan Fund to its originally codified level. State Representative Bill Pizzuto (R-71), who represents Middlebury and Waterbury, was among those co-sponsoring legislation to ensure predictable and equitable funding moving forward. "The legislature should be doing everything it can to help municipalities bring down property tax levels, and one way we can do that is by restoring this funding stream to the statutory level," said Rep. Pizzuto. For 25 years, starting in 1993, every Connecticut municipality received annual grants from the Mashantucket Pequot Mohegan Fund. Since 2019, 44 towns, including Middlebury, have received nothing due to a state legislative override of the statutory formula, and other cities and towns saw their funding reduced. "In the Fund’s first year, the State collected approximately $88 million and distributed the entire amount to local governments. Today, the State receives approximately $139 million annually from the Tribal Nations. Despite this increase in revenue, the Governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year Ending 2027 allocates only $54,072,789 to municipalities, which is less than half of the revenue received," noted Rep. Pizzuto. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities asked Rep. Pizzuto to deliver remarks during an April 8, 2026, press conference on this issue. CCM noted that these funds were swept into the State’s General Fund to offset repeated budget deficits. "Connecticut has enjoyed several years of surpluses, in part because of the fiscal guardrails reining in spending, so the funding streams promised to municipalities should be sent to those cities and towns. They need predictability from Hartford, especially when they are working to craft their own budgets," said Rep. Pizzuto. Senate Bill 388 would set a fixed annual distribution of approximately $152 million that would be divided among all 169 municipalities.

CT DOT to Perform Maintenance Work on I-84 Ramps

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is performing wrong way driver detection maintenance and recertification on I-84 westbound in Waterbury on Monday, March 30, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. • I-84 Westbound at Exit 17 in Waterbury • I-84 Westbound at Exit 22 in Waterbury • I-84 Westbound at Exit 25 in Waterbury Traffic will follow posted detours and drivers are advised to seek alternate routes during the ramp closures listed above. Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this area. The DOT is performing similar work throughout the region over the next two weeks. Monday, March 23, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. • I-84 East and Westbound at Exit 4 in Danbury • I-84 Westbound at Exit 5 in Danbury • I-84 Eastbound at Exit 2 in Danbury Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. • I-84 West and Eastbound at Exit 10 in Newtown • I-84 West and Eastbound at Exit 11 in Newtown • I-84 Westbound at Exit 9 in Newtown Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. • I-84 Eastbound, Exit 14 in Southbury • I-84 Eastbound, Exit 16 in Southbury • I-84 Westbound, Exit 15 in Southbury

Celebrating Read Across America Day in Waterbury

Representative Bill Pizzuto (R-71) celebrated Read Across America by visiting with students at Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School and take part in their annual Read Across America celebration. "It was such a treat to visit with Kindergarteners and read The Cool Bean, by Jory John. Afterward, the kids and I talked about the moral of the story and about how showing kindness can make a big difference in someone's life," said Rep. Pizzuto. The school’s PTO bought a book for each student and I was honored to deliver them to the class. Read Across America Day is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually around March 2 nd with the goal of sharing the joy of reading and promoting early childhood literacy with elementary school children. According to its website, The National Education Association seeks to build a nation of readers through its signature program, NEA’s Read Across America. For more information about this great event please visit www.nea.org/readacross .

Rep. Pizzuto Celebrates UConn Health, Waterbury Hospital Partnership

State Representative Bill Pizzuto (R-71) released the following statement on the opening of UConn Health Waterbury Hospital: I was proud to stand with members of the Waterbury delegation this week to mark the official transformation of Waterbury Hospital into UConn Health-Waterbury Hospital. This ends a years-long journey for the more than 100-year-old hospital. The bankrupt, formerly private equity-backed hospital operator, Prospect Medical Holdings, brought years of uncertainty for employees, patients, and the entire community. This public-private partnership brings Waterbury Hospital under the UConn Health umbrella, but it remains private. This deal was made possible in part through legislation approved late last year during a special session. HB 8001, approved with overwhelming support in November 2025, authorizes UConn to issue bonds and finance capital projects, and allows use of an equivalent amount of bond proceeds for the University of Connecticut Health Center Joint Venture Initiative. The bonding can be used to fund deferred maintenance, upgrade necessary information technology and equipment, and make capital improvements. This partnership means the health care provider will be able to continue to serve future generations in the Waterbury region. This will protect jobs and preserve access to health care in the community. Prior to being elected as state representative, Pizzuto served as campus director for UConn Waterbury, a position he proudly held through more than 20 years of transformational changes in education and to downtown Waterbury. He currently serves on the Waterbury Hospital advisory board.