Families in Milford and Orange Deserve Real Relief 

Families in Milford and Orange Deserve Real Relief 

If you sit down at the kitchen table with a family in Milford or Orange and ask what is making life harder these days, you probably won’t hear much about political talking points. 

You’ll hear about the electric or gas bill. The price of filling up the car. Groceries, property taxes, insurance, and the cost of keeping a roof over your head. 

And you’ll hear people saying the same thing: Everything costs more. 

I hear it and think it too. 

Whether I’m talking with a neighbor, visiting with seniors, meeting with a small-business owner on the Post Road or New Haven Avenue or attending a community event, affordability comes up again and again. 

People are working hard and doing their part but it’s an uphill battle. They just want a little breathing room.

That is why Connecticut needs to take a serious look at policies that put money back in the pockets of the people who earned it. 

I, along with my Republican colleagues are calling for meaningful relief, including income tax reductions, eliminating the Highway Use Tax, removing sales taxes on meals sold at grocery stores, a one-year gas tax holiday, association health plans aimed at lowering insurance premiums and eliminating the Public Benefits Charge on electric bills. 

For a working family in Milford, saving money at the gas pump can mean more money for groceries or a child's activities. For a senior in Orange, living on a fixed income, every dollar matters when the electric bill arrives. For a small-business owner, lower costs can mean keeping prices reasonable or keeping the doors open. 

We also need to keep working on property taxes. For many homeowners, that bill is one of their largest annual expenses. We should give municipalities the tools to provide relief while continuing to deliver the services residents depend on. 

Affordability isn't about one tax or one bill. It's the total cost of living in Connecticut—the electric bill, mortgage or rent, insurance, groceries, gas and property taxes, all added together. 

I don't pretend there is a magic wand that will make every bill disappear. Every proposal deserves a serious discussion about costs and how we responsibly pay for them. But we can make different choices. 

We can prioritize affordability. We can look for savings before looking for new revenue. And we can give taxpayers more of their own money back. What has frustrated me is hearing the majority party repeatedly say that Connecticut doesn’t have the money for meaningful tax relief, while at the same time continuing to fund new state programs that create additional costs and obligations for future years. If we can find the money for new programs, we should also be able to find ways to give Connecticut families some much-needed tax relief. 

I will continue fighting for lower costs, responsible spending and real relief for our communities. 

You shouldn't have to move out of Connecticut to afford Connecticut. We can—and must—do better.