April 24, 2019

Show your support for an alternative to tolls!

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Many constituents have reached out to express their concerns about proposals to install tolls on Connecticut highways including I-91, I-84 and in some proposed bills, potentially any other “limited access” road.

Last week, I hosted a regional forum in East Hampton featuring Transportation Committee Ranking Members Laura Devlin and Henri Martin to discuss transportation funding, proposed tolls legislation and present an alternative.

The Senate and House Republican proposal will finally receive a public hearing in the Finance Committee this Friday. You can testify, telling committee Democrats that Connecticut CAN’T AFFORD TOLLS.

Our transportation funding plan works within current state resources and:

Doesn’t require highway tolls;
Uses bonding responsibly for core government investments, respecting the bonding cap;
Doesn’t include tax increases;
Guarantees steady, predictable flow of money ($65 billion over 30 years) for transportation infrastructure;
Re-established the Transportation Strategy Board to focus efforts on needed projects first

When approved, Prioritize Progress can begin immediately

Governor Lamont and tolling advocates have incorrectly colored our responsible bonding proposal, with the governor glossing over the shell game borrowing scheme that comes along with his plan.

Working within the state’s $2 billion bond cap, Prioritize Progress not only sets aside money for transportation improvements but also provides ample funding for core state initiatives and grant programs including:

School construction and security
Clean water funding
Urban Act grants, Small Town Economic Assistance grants,
Local Capital Improvement Program

Our Prioritize Progress plan, while reducing overall bonding, even supplies money for Gubernatorial Contingency grants!

You can testify in person Friday or via email (instructions below.) In either case, tell Finance Committee members the combination of middle class tax hikes and tolls is simply unaffordable!

******* INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO TESTIFY **********

The hearing begins at 11 a.m. in room 2E of the Legislative Office Building (LOB.) You can testify in person. Public speaker order will be determined by a lottery system. Lottery numbers will be drawn from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the First Floor Atrium of the LOB. Speakers arriving after the completion of the lottery will have their names placed at the end of the speaker list. Please submit 35 copies of written testimony to the Committee staff at 8:30 a.m. in the First Floor Atrium of the LOB. Testimony received after the designated time will not be distributed until after the hearing. Click here for tips on how to testify.

If you can’t make it in person, submit your written testimony (PDF document) via email by sending it to FINtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Use “Say ‘yes’ to SB 1121 and Prioritize Progress” in the subject line, and please copy my office at Irene.Haines@housegop.ct.gov.

Sincerely,

Irene Haines – 34th District

East Haddam, East Hampton & Colchester