Posted on May 3, 2022
As we enter the final two days of the 2022 Legislative Session, I wanted to touch on the budget vote from last night that passed the House last night 95-52, strictly along party lines. The headlines this morning read “Largest Tax Cuts in Connecticut History”, but it is important to note that this act was an adjustment to the budget which included the budget implementer and bonding for a total of $547 million dollars, or a 6.4% increase. While there are positives within this budget that offer SHORT-term benefits in the form of gas tax relief, child tax credits, and $600 million dollars in tax cuts, the sustainability to keep the state going in this direction will soon come to a halt when the Federal dollars that are being given to Connecticut run out. Republicans were shut out of finalizing this budget adjustment once it left the Appropriations Committee and that is troublesome to me.
There were many opportunities in this budget to make long-lasting and impactful savings to out taxpayers, such as repealing the Highway Usage Tax that will go into effect in January of 2023 and offering tax relied on diesel fuel. The lack of relief in these two areas will ultimately increase the costs of trucking companies and costs will be passed along to the consumer.
Other items that are of concern in this budget include-
The people of our state are going through some of the toughest times any of us have faced, we need to stop the spending and work together to find long-term solutions in a state that is becoming too expensive to live and do business in. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, there is no question in my mind that we could have done better, over the long run for our constituents.
For more on this bill, click here.