Video: Piscopo Votes ‘No’ on State Budget

The House of Representatives convened today for a special session to vote on the state budget for FY17, as well as a bill that implements the budget. Both of these documents were drafted and negotiated by the majority party and the governor.

I have opposed the budget measure as currently written as it does not stop the ongoing fiscal crisis that Connecticut faces; it is merely a Band-Aid and temporary fix. While the claim is that this budget implements structural changes, it will do nothing to change what has disturbingly become the ‘new normal’ of implementing quarterly deficit fixes due to the failed fiscal policies that cause the state budget to continually fall out of balance.

Most towns have already passed their budgets and were forced to make assumptions about state aid. The state budget includes cuts which will force our towns to now reduce education and town services or raise local property taxes.

Watch my live budget update from the State Capitol outside of the Hall of the House:

I urge you read more about the budget, along with the cuts that will be applied to municipalities, education, and hospitals:

House and Senate Republicans offered a better solution for the next fiscal year as well as a plan for the future.