May 23, 2023

Budget Negotiations Ongoing

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Dear Friends,

As the legislature enters the final phase of negotiations to develop the state budget each of the four caucuses is working to make sure their priorities are included in the document. Unfortunately, Republican voices are frequently left out of those conversations.

Still, I’m hopeful these negotiations will result in a truly bipartisan budget; something we haven’t seen in our state since 2017 when Republicans held an almost equal number of seats in the General Assembly.

This spring, House Republicans entered budget talks with a plan that was hard for our colleagues to ignore – a balanced, two-year proposal that not only respects the bipartisan fiscal guardrails that were renewed earlier this year, but one that also avoids the type of accounting gimmicks that have characterized most Connecticut state budgets over the last decade or so.

I’m proud to report that many of our proposals have been viewed favorably by the Governor and our legislative colleagues across the aisle, including Speaker Ritter who recently noted our plan to redirect unused funding from unfilled staff positions was reasonable.

It’s my goal to ensure as many of these proposals as possible are reflected in the final document.

$1.2 Billion in Tax Relief, including:

Structural, middle-class income tax cut
First-ever state child tax deduction, $2k per child
Elimination of taxes on kids’ clothes under $100
Broadening exemption from pension & annuity taxes
Restoring the pass-through entity tax credit

Support for Students:

More ECS funding for local schools
Fully funding special education grants for the first time
Funding colleges & universities, adding fiscal control

Common Sense Provisions:

Follow real-world hiring patterns in budgeting for open positions
More funding for nonprofit service providers
Better planning, spending: Reinstate Transportation Strategy Board
Funding for GPS monitoring for domestic violence offenders
Create a support fund for families of fallen police officers

View the House Republican budget plan here

Republicans started the conversation about meaningful tax relief more than a year ago, and we’re thrilled Governor Lamont joined us earlier this year in insisting on providing Connecticut’s middle class with a break.

Good things happen for Connecticut when Republicans have a seat at the negotiating table, and I look forward to briefing you on the outcome of our talks when the plan is finalized and before a vote occurs in the House of Representatives.