April 17, 2014

Rep. O’Dea, Republicans Introduce Alternative Budget

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HARTFORD – State Representative Tom O’Dea (R-New Canaan, Wilton) joined his fellow Legislative Republicans today in announcing his support for a Republican alternative budget which would stay comfortably under the constitutional spending cap, while eliminating what have been called “gimmicks” and dishonest budgeting practices in Democratic budget proposals.

“It is our job to present the public with a viable alternative that shows how Connecticut can return to principles of honest budgeting, and I believe this Republican budget does just that,” Rep. O’Dea said. “Our plan reduces spending, eliminates gimmicks, and spends money in a responsible way that addresses some of the state’s most pressing issues that have been ignored in the past.”

The alternative plan would eliminate the $55 tax rebate proposed by Governor Malloy, which has been questioned as an election-year ploy, and would also cancel the contentious planned rollout of the lottery game Keno in some of Connecticut’s restaurants and bars.

To make the plan work, the Republicans relied on specific and directed cuts to state spending and judicious use of the excess revenue brought in this year due to a number of unreliable, one-time revenues and the extensive use of borrowing.

While cutting spending overall, the alternative budget plan offers increases in critical program funding, such as:

Restoring the funding raided from the Special Transportation Fund
Fully funding the teachers’ healthcare plan
Maintaining primary care provider reimbursement rates
Adding much needed staff to the Department of Social Services
Increasing funding for mental health
Increasing funding for vocational education and apprenticeship programs
The alternative budget also details what the Republicans would do with the excess revenue brought into the state treasury by a number of one-time revenues and borrowing last year. The suggested uses include:
Reducing long-term liabilities by making debt payments skipped over the last two years and putting $100 million into the underfunded state employee pension fund.
Eliminating the sales tax exemptions on non-prescription drugs and clothing and footwear under $50
Paying off the interest portion of a loan from the federal government that has been charged to business as a special tax.

“The current path we are on is unsustainable in the long run, and will only lead to higher taxes and further weakening of the state’s fiscal situation.” O’Dea added. “We already know big deficits are expected in the next few years – our budget lessens these deficits, and helps get the state back on the right track.”