May 10, 2021

Nuccio, House Republicans Call for AG Ruling on Off-Budget Account

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HARTFORD — State Representative Tammy Nuccio (R-Tolland) joined members of the House Republican Caucus on Monday in requesting a formal legal opinion on budget legislation approved by the Finance Committee in April.

A member of the committee, Nuccio has previously raised concerns with a section of the bill placing nearly $1 billion in an off-budget account, while House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) has now called on Connecticut Attorney General William Tong to issue a ruling on its constitutionality.

“As I expressed in committee when I voted against this legislation, not only does this bill authorize $1.9 billion in new taxes, but it limits control over this new off-budget account to a select group of nine people, only two being legislators,” Nuccio said. “The people of Connecticut are able to hold their representatives accountable for decisions with their tax dollars. That accountability is lost when spending decisions are instead deferred to unelected officials.”

During a meeting of the Finance Committee in April where the bill narrowly passed 26-22, Nuccio voiced concerns with the consequences of effectively creating a “shadow budget”.

“It’s directing revenue into a fund that doesn’t have the same oversight as our General Fund,” Nuccio stated. “I don’t think that’s what the people of Connecticut expect us to do.”

On Monday, Candelora authored a letter calling on the Attorney General to “review the constitutionality of the ‘Connecticut Equitable Investment Fund’ as proposed pursuant to section 13 of House Bill 6443 of the current legislative session”.

Instead of being controlled by the full legislature, the current proposal specifies the fund would be “expended by a committee of only nine members – the Governor, the Treasurer, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and six members of the public appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives”.

Connecticut General Statute 3-125 authorizes the Attorney General to issue formal opinions to leaders of the General Assembly on the constitutionality of a matter facing the body.

Click here to read the full text of the letter sent by the House GOP leader.

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