Rep. Nuccio Applauds Passage of State Budget that Will Provide $800 Million in Tax Relief for Connecticut Residents

HARTFORD – In response to the passage of a sweeping bipartisan budget that will provide $800 million in tax breaks for residents, funding for non-profits and education, Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, the ranking Republican member of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement. Rep. Nuccio was instrumental in the negotiations of the biennium FY 24-25 budget and has been involved in bipartisan discussions since Governor Lamont proposed his budget earlier this year.

“Republicans started the conversation regarding providing substantial tax relief for Connecticut residents last spring and we’re pleased that the majority of Democrats and the governor felt that was the right approach. We created a way-and-means budget that respected the fiscal guardrails put in place in 2017, while providing $800 million in tax relief for our residents – tax cuts that will benefit seniors, the working middle class, parents and businesses,” Rep. Tammy Nuccio said. “A key point of this package is our negotiation of a $200 million reduction in the spending package that had been used in past budgets to fund phantom state jobs, that year after year, were never filled. Instead, we’re allocating money for positions based on actual, realistic needs.”

She continued: “We do not want to return to the days of overspending our way into deficits and this budget ensures that we are staying within our means. Did both sides get what they wanted? No. Did we reach a fair agreement that funds core needs while providing historic tax breaks for residents? Yes, and that’s the mark of a good compromise.”

The budget package approved Tuesday includes a wide range of funding that focuses on the needs of Connecticut residents. The package:

• Reduces the income tax from 5% to 4.5% and 3% to 2%, which will lead to an automatic increase in take home pay for many residents (82% of the benefit will go to filers making less than $150,000)
• Increases the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families from 30.5% to 40%
• Fully funds the Excess Cost grants for special education reimbursements to towns
• Employs a Republican proposal that will shrink the cost of government over the long term and forces government to live within their means by budgeting for staff as needed
• Provides additional support for training from Firefighter I to Firefighter II
• Provides municipal outreach for Department of Veteran Affairs
• Funds VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) funding over $30M in ARPA allocations
• Provides additional funding for Employment and Day Services for high school graduates who have disabilities
• Ensures funding for school breakfast program
• Invests in Family Resource Centers, school readiness and child day care rates
• Establishes two, gun violence initiatives
• Creates a new Fallen Hero account with Comptroller that will provide $100,000 death benefit to the family if a police officer is killed in the line of duty

Support for Emergency Services and Public Safety

$34.9 million for the Connecticut State Police wage agreements to recruit and retain state troopers

$7.5 million to support local fire departments including PFAS removal from fire apparatuses, supporting volunteer fire responses to highway incidents, regional fire academies, and studying fire service in the state

$1.6 million for enhancements to the State Forensic Science Laboratory

$14.6 million for prevention programs for at-risk youth.

Education

Provides $25 million in additional Special Education funding in FY 2024 and FY 2025

$1 million each year for CTGrown for CTKids supporting Farm-to-School programs

$48 million in FY 2024 and $96 million in FY 2025 to continue the ECS formula phase-in

$6.6 million in FY 2024 and $13.2 million in FY 2025 to hold towns harmless from ECS declines

$150 million in FY 2025 for Education Finance Reform

Health care

Providing targeted outreach to individuals with serious chronic health conditions who are losing Medicaid coverage ($1 million in ARPA)

Increasing support for CoveredCT, which provides zero-cost, Medicaid-like coverage for individuals just over income limits for Medicaid ($11.7 million in FY 2024, $22.7 million in FY 2025)

Funds a new dementia services coordinator at the Department of Aging and Disability Services

Transportation

$9.1 million in FY 2024 and $9.4 million in FY 2025 to expand bus service to support workforce transportation

$525,000 in FY 2024 and $575,000 in FY 2025 for the Connecticut Work Zone Safety Awareness Program

Childcare

Provides $14.2 million and $53.3 million in FY 2024 and FY 2025 to fund rate increases of 11% for licensed providers and 6% for unlicensed providers in the Care4Kids system. This is supplemented by a $35 million ARPA allocation

$15.5 million to increase Infant Pre-K rates to $10,500 per pupil in School Readiness and Child Day Care Contract programs in FY 2025

Community gun violence prevention and reduction

$7.8 million for gun violence program

$9.5 million for the Project Longevity gun violence reduction program

The budget passed with bipartisan support. A copy of the budget document is available here.

Rep. Nuccio can be contacted at Tammy.Nuccio@housegop.ct.gov or (800) 842-1423 with any questions or concerns related to state government. You can also follow his legislative activity by visiting her website, www.cthousegop.com/Nuccio or on Facebook by clicking here.