Rep. Mastrofrancesco Op-ed: Ready to get to work
On January 9th I will be officially sworn in to serve as your State Representative for the 80th district. It is of the highest honor and privilege to have earned your trust to be your voice in Hartford, and I thank you again. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life and eager to start working on your behalf.
Over the past month I have been meeting with constituents, community leaders, and business owners listening to their concerns and ideas on how to improve our economy.
I have also had the opportunity to meet many of the newly elected representatives. Unfortunately given the current state of Connecticut’s economy, I was disappointed to hear how many support a progressive agenda going forward. With Democrats having an even larger majority, they will attempt to pass legislation like tolls, paid family medical leave, increasing the minimum wage to $15.00, legalizing recreational marijuana, reducing funding to our towns and more gun control to name a few. This type of legislation will further erode businesses and put an additional tax burden on families.
As I have said throughout my campaign, I will fight to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses, control state spending, ensure our schools are properly funded, protect our constitution, and will propose and support legislation providing economic and personal freedom for everyone, and not just a select few. House Republicans made significant process during the most recent sessions by funding scheduled transportation projects without resorting to tolls, requiring a mandatory legislative vote on future labor contracts, instituting a borrowing cap of $1.9 billion, and restoring our Rainy Day Fund, among other major accomplishments. This is a great start, and we will continue to fight for more historic reforms.
I believe government works best when it is limited. During my term, I will work hard to create a smaller and more transparent system that is responsive to Connecticut residents. It is our job as legislators to carefully review state agencies and departments for inefficiencies, and to consolidate operations when and where possible. Most importantly, we cannot favor the larger more financially mismanaged cities at the expense of smaller, well-run towns like Southington and Wolcott. Local control is important to me, and you have my word that our communities will not take a backseat while I hold office.
These are just some of the issues we will address during the 2019 session, which begins on January 9th. In the weeks to come, I ask for your input as I prepare legislation. Some of the most important bills passed in our state’s history have come from constituents who are passionate about issues affecting them and their families. I encourage you to contact me at the Capitol (860-240-8700) any time to discuss proposals, ask questions and learn more about the issues facing the 80th district.
I would like to thank Representative Rob Sampson for his many years of service and wish him great success as our new State Senator. I look forward to working with him and all my colleagues in the years to come. With your help, we can bring new businesses to Connecticut, create more jobs, retain young professionals and improve the quality of life for everyone. I wish you and your family great success in the New Year!