O’Dea Supports Creation of Transportation “Lock Box”

During a special session of the Connecticut General Assembly called to address Connecticut’s widening budget deficit, State Representative Tom O’Dea (R-125) voted in favor of a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution for the creation of a “Lock Box” for the state’s Special Transportation Fund.  The measure, HJ 304, would help assure that funds dedicated for use in maintaining, repairing and renovating Connecticut’s major transportation conduits will not be swept from the fund for use on other budget priorities.

“We need to ensure that funds we dedicate to the upkeep, repair and maintenance of our roads and bridges stay dedicated to that purpose, and not swept from the Special Transportation Fund,” said Rep. O’Dea, who serves as Ranking Member on the legislature’s Transportation Committee.  “For too many years we have failed to properly make the necessary investments in our transportation infrastructure by diverting funds to other budget priorities.”

The vote on the constitutional amendment passed in the state senate unanimously, 35-0, but passed in the House only by a simple majority, 100-40, failing to get the necessary three-fourths majority to put the measure on the ballot for Connecticut voters.  This means the amendment will need to be taken up again in the 2017 session of the legislature, meaning it will not get before voters until at least 2018.

O’Dea then voted against a proposed deficit mitigation bill that was advanced by legislative Democrats.  The bill aimed to close a $350 million shortfall in the 2016 budget which was approved without a single Republican vote back in June.

“I regret we were unable to get a bipartisan agreement on a deficit mitigation package,” said Rep. O’Dea. “There were many things in the package such as rolling back the punishing unitary tax on businesses that I agreed with.  But ultimately, the long-term structural changes needed to keep us from continually falling into future deficit weren’t made.  This package is simply a Band-Aid.”

O’Dea also noted that the Democrats’ deficit mitigation package swept $35.2 million away from the Special Transportation right after passing the lock box amendment intended to prevent the practice.  “I could not support a measure intended to preserve the integrity of the fund, and  in the next breath vote to erode it,” he added.