Restoring Our Three Branches of Government
I sent out a pre-session legislative survey to provide residents of the 108th House District, comprised of New Fairfield, Danbury, Sherman, and New Milford, an opportunity to voice opinion on the important issues facing the state’s legislature. According to survey respondents, making Connecticut more affordable was the top issue that should be addressed by the General Assembly in the coming months. This is an issue that I plan to strongly engage on with a long-term goal of lessening the financial burden on businesses and residents.
In his “State of the State” address the governor laid out a blueprint of some of the ideas he believes that the legislature should make a priority. I agreed with his sentiment that the people of this state have earned a break, but the irony of where this message was originating from was not lost on me. This is the same administration that rubber-stamped the majority party’s millions in tax increases that were enacted into law with the passage of the Highway User Tax – a policy that I strongly opposed because it has increased the cost of goods and services throughout Connecticut.
Based on this recent legislation, the reversal of the Lamont administration is striking. However, I remain hopeful that we can find common ground and repeal some of the detrimental taxes, particularly those that cause the prices of gas, groceries, and food to rise on top of the already increasing level of inflation.
Another important topic that survey respondents identified was the continuation of the governor’s emergency order powers, as they relate to handling the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, the coronavirus had unprecedented impact and the government’s ability to respond swiftly was a non-partisan issue. Now, the science that we have been told to follow doesn’t support the restrictive policies that were in place in response to the pandemic. Almost 2 years after the first recorded COVID-19 case hit our shores, people have adapted. It’s time to let parents have their say in keeping their children safe, not have safety rules mandated by the state government.
The question to extend these powers came before the legislature for a seventh time in mid-February. I opposed this request because it’s disingenuous, given the current infection rate and number of hospitalizations, to characterize the status of the virus as an emergency. Historically, the legislature has been methodical about its policy making decisions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it lacks the ability to act quickly. The legislature was called upon just days after the regular session had adjourned in June of 2021 to convene a one-day special session to establish a state-wide recreational marijuana program. If the legislature can enact such a program that changes a landscape of existing laws and regulations, then it can certainly declare another emergency – should such a declaration be needed.
Why is it important to maintain the legislature? It’s a slippery slope to condense leadership responsibilities of government into one of its three branches. The legislature is charged with creating laws and the public always can publicly weigh-in on these proposals through the public hearing process and by directly contacting lawmakers. When the legislature isn’t on equal footing with the administrative branch, then the public loses its seat at the decision-making table.
The governor recently put forth an executive order, containing many of the concepts that had been included with the administration’s failed attempt to pass the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI). This regional agreement called for all Eastern Seaboard states to craft stricter regulatory policies on distributors of gas to reduce the region’s carbon footprint. The controversial piece of this legislation calls for the establishment of a new revenue to pay for the projects aimed at preserving the environment. However, it became clear after the bill language had been vetted that there was no intent to spread the newly collected tax dollars evenly among Connecticut’s 169 municipalities and projects were to be prioritized by zip code. Additionally, the revenue to pay for these projects was to come from the implementation of yet another state-wide gas tax.
Luckily, the legislation that would have enacted these policies failed legislative assessment and did not receive the support necessary to pass. Regardless of what transpired in the legislative session, the Commissioner of the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) joined with paid interest groups to pressure the governor into issuing an executive order to implement the intent of the failed bill. It’s alarming to me that unsuccessful legislation is being turned into executive order, and I am sure that you find it troubling as well.
That’s why it’s so important to communicate your thoughts on pending legislation and other state issues to me and my legislative colleagues. I will continue to keep you informed on the topics being discussed in Hartford. In the coming months, I look forward to bringing true tax relief to Connecticut’s residents and businesses, fighting to preserve parental choice, and ensuring your voice is always represented when state-wide policy decisions are being made. For regular updates on the 2022 legislative session and to sign up for my electronic newsletter, please go to my website at RepCallahan.com.