Posted on January 15, 2019 by admin
| In an ongoing effort to keep you apprised of the policies of state government, on occasion I regrettably have to inform you of bad news. As you may have heard or read, electric rate increases affecting United Illuminating and Eversource customers went into effect January 1st.
As a member of the legislature’s Committee on Energy and Technology, I am compelled to keep our energy bills as low as possible, and to fight any efforts that threaten to increase our bills in the future.
The rate increases were approved last fall by the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA), which operates independent of the legislature and is statutorily charged with providing oversight for the rates and services of Connecticut’s investor owned electricity, natural gas and water companies. Standard service generation rates for United Illuminating customers will increase by approximately 24% from its current rate of 9.05¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 11.23¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh). The standard service generation rates for Eversource customers will increase from 8.53¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 10.14¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh), an overall increase of 18.9%. On average, the monthly bill for United Illuminating standard service customers will increase by $16.35. Eversource standard service customers that use 750 kilowatt hours/month will see a monthly bill increase of $12.08 per month. I’m writing to remind you that UI and Eversource customers have the option of searching for cheaper standard service generation rates through the Energize Connecticut web portal. Click here to view a full list of suppliers and their rates. As always, customers who are considering an alternative supply should carefully review price, terms, length of contract, enrollment, early termination, and other potential fees when comparing options. I hope this information has been helpful. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns relating to state government at john.piscopo@housegop.ct.gov or at (800) 842-1423. Sincerely, |
Posted on January 8, 2019 by admin
State Representative John Piscopo (R-76) is joining his fellow colleagues in the Connecticut General Assembly in preparing for the start of the 2019 Legislative Session which convenes next Wednesday, January 9. Rep. Piscopo has been selected by House Republican Leader Themis Klarides to continue serving in his leadership role as Chief Whip in the House Republican Caucus.
“I’m honored to have been selected by Leader Klarides to continue serving the House Republican Caucus in my capacity as Chief Whip for the upcoming term,” Rep. Piscopo said. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us; I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to it. I encourage anyone who has questions or concerns regarding state government to contact me.”
House Republican Leader Themis Klarides added, “I am thankful to Rep. Piscopo for his steadfast and unwavering service to our House Republican Caucus. I know that I can rely on him to maintain discipline and ensure that business on the House floor runs efficiently, which will be critical in the upcoming legislative session.”
Rep. Piscopo also announced his committee assignments for the 2019-2021 legislative sessions. He was reappointed to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee as well as the Energy & Technology Committee for the upcoming two year term. He will also continue serving on the Environment, Screening, and Legislative Management Committees.
“No doubt, we will be discussing and debating many important issues in the upcoming session. My priorities and commitment to my constituents and the residents of Connecticut remain firm. We must put Connecticut on sound fiscal ground, and create an environment that will allow our economy to grow and businesses to flourish, where families can work, live, and play,” said Rep. Piscopo.
The 2019 Legislative Session will run from January 9 to June 5.
Rep. Piscopo can be reached at john.piscopo@housegop.ct.gov or 800-842-1423. Constituents can follow his legislative activity throughout the session by logging on to his website, www.reppiscopo.com and following him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RepPiscopo.
Piscopo represents Thomaston, Burlington, Harwinton & Litchfield in the General Assembly.
Posted on January 8, 2019 by admin
With tax season quickly approaching, I wanted to make sure you were aware of some pertinent information to ensure that seniors in Connecticut receive all of the tax relief to which they are entitled.
Last session, I joined my colleagues in the legislature in passing a budget that provided tax relief for seniors. Namely, we passed two provisions, one of which eliminated the income tax on Social Security and the other phases out the income tax on pensions.
Social Security Income Tax Deduction
Effective for tax years beginning after 2019, individual taxpayers may deduct 100 percent of Social Security income, if federal adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than:
Furthermore, taxpayers with incomes equal to or greater than the thresholds qualify for a 75 percent deduction. The income thresholds are increased from $50,000 and $60,000, respectively.
Retirement Income Tax Deductions
Effective beginning with the 2019 tax year, individual taxpayers may deduct a portion of retirement income that is included in federal gross income, if federal AGI is below:
The deduction is equal to:
Under current law, military and railroad retirement that is included in federal gross income is fully deductible.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns relating to state government at john.piscopo@housegop.ct.gov or at (800) 842-1423.
Sincerely,
