Piscopo Applauds Budget Support for Vets, Hospitals, Middle-Class

HARTFORD – State Rep. John Piscopo (R-76) joined fellow Republican lawmakers in holding a press conference on Apr. 24 at the State Capitol to announce an alternative to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s state budget proposal.

Piscopo said their plan, a Blueprint for Prosperity, accomplishes what the governor could not: it is balanced, under the spending cap, restores vital social service programs for the neediest and reforms taxes, while instituting government reforms to save hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming two years.

The proposal restores funding to the CT veterans’ honor guard, who provide graveside solutes and final military honors at the funerals of military veterans. It also restores current funding for resident state troopers as well as funding fire training schools. Piscopo also stated their proposal will benefit taxpayers, consumers, the developmentally disabled, businesses, non-profits, municipalities and hospitals.

“The people of Connecticut deserve an honest budget that does not balance itself by turning its back on the neediest among us,” said Rep. Piscopo.  “This budget is a common sense proposal that will bring much needed reform to put our state on a path to prosperity, including tax relief for our residents and small businesses.  It will encourage economic growth by giving businesses the relief they need in order to grow, create jobs, and put people back to work.”

The goal of the Blueprint for Prosperity is to begin to reform state government to set Connecticut on a better path for smarter spending today and in the future.

In addition to restoration of Governor Malloy’s draconian budget cuts, Republican lawmakers provide some much needed tax relief. The budget plan calls for restoring the exemption on clothing and shoes under $50 starting June 1, 2016 and restoring full tax freedom week. Additional the plan phases out the income tax on pension income under $100,000 and eliminates governor’s proposed income tax hike on single filers beginning in income year 2017.

The budget savings from the Blueprint for Prosperity is achieved by requiring Governor Malloy to fulfill his 2011 ‘shared sacrifice’ promise and find a way to reach $253 million in unmet savings. Republicans recommend Governor Malloy institute an additional wage freeze in the first year of the biennium, increase contributions to pension system for current state employees; increase copays for healthcare, including prescription drugs, and eliminates existence of longevity payments.  It also identifies future labor savings by getting excessive overtime costs under control and creating a new Office of Overtime Accountability.

The ideas will be debated in the weeks leading up to the end of the 2015 legislative session on June 3.
###