Posted on April 25, 2024
If no adjustments are made to the biennium budget, the governor would have the discretionary authority to make his own decisions on what to cut or fund outside of the legislative session. Right now, the majority members of the Appropriations Committee don’t have any plans to address it.
Knowing this, House Republicans today released our budget proposal that honors the fiscal guardrails, pursuing structural reforms, focusing on affordability, and increasing funding for local education.
This includes:
- $236 million more in local education funding, including an additional $79 million more for surging special education costs.
- $12 million in increased reimbursement rates ($120 per hour to $167) to Birth to Three child services providers.
- $12 million (match Gov’s proposal) for the Care4Kids program.
- Eliminates the “Truck Tax.”
- $7 million more in Medicaid rates to behavioral health providers, mental health services for kids ($7m)
- $3.6 million more to municipalities to assist with the implementation of early voting.
- Keep a scheduled $42m deposit to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund
- Provide CT Foodshare allocation (H.B. 5011) ($2million)
- Supply $1 million allocation for homeless shelter needs
Our budget does not tap into any remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, leaving at least $200 million available for acute needs – such as funding for non-profit service, social providers, childcare investments, or higher education.
For more details, click https://www.cthousegop.com/…/hand-outs-final-all-docs.pdf