Tony Scott

Rep. Scott Applauds Passage of Bill Creating Task Force on Affordable Housing Reforms

Hartford, CT – The Connecticut House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in support of a bill that will look into possible reforms to the 8-30g process. State Representative Tony Scott (R-Monroe), Housing Committee Ranking Member and a member of the Majority Leader’s Roundtable on Affordable Housing, spoke in support of the bill. “A lot of towns struggle with the 10% threshold. The denominator piece of the affordable housing calculation under the 8-30g statutes is a problem, sometimes preventing building because that could potentially hurt their percentage,” said Rep. Scott. “Maybe they're just over that 10% threshold, and by building 100 units it knocks them down underneath that and they’d open themselves up to new affordable housing applications.” The task force is also going to look at the number of years for how long an affordable housing unit would have to be classified as affordable. Right now, it is traditionally 40 years. “Those are hurdles to some towns that we're going to look at to, hopefully, address so that we can reduce the number of complaints against towns and why they can't move forward with some housing,” added Rep. Scott. Rep. Scott also touted the composition of the appointments. “Only half could be legislators, which I think is great because we need these experts across the state that have the knowledge in these different fields, to make sure that we're using their knowledge too, not just the legislators,” concluded Rep. Scott. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration. The 2026 General Assembly session adjourns on May 6.

Trumbull State Officials Recognize Participants in Annual Women’s History Month Essay Contest

Trumbull State Officials Recognize Participants in Annual Women’s History Month Essay Contest TRUMBULL — State Representatives Tony Scott (R-112) and David Rutigliano (R-123) recently honored the winner and runner-up of their Annual House of Representatives Women’s History Month Essay Contest during a ceremony at Madison Middle School. Earlier this year, the legislators partnered with Madison Middle School to invite sixth-grade students to participate in the contest as part of Women’s History Month in March. Students were asked to submit essays on the topic: “Important Women in Connecticut’s History and How Their Contributions to the State and Nation Affect Me.” Each student wrote a 300-word essay highlighting a notable Connecticut woman, exploring her life, accomplishments, and the personal impact of her contributions. During the ceremony, the first-place winner shared thoughtful reflections on an influential woman in history and her personal connection to the subject. “I want to congratulate our contest winners for going above and beyond in their work,” said Rep. Scott. “Each student submitted a well-researched and meaningful essay, and it’s encouraging to see this level of effort and enthusiasm.” “This contest is a great way to engage students in learning about the important role women have played in shaping our state and nation,” said Rep. Rutigliano. “I want to thank all the students for their hard work. They are outstanding representatives of Trumbull, and I was truly inspired by their presentations.” Madison Middle School Winners: Winner: Shanvi Panthangi — Rosa Ponselle Runner-Up: Catalina Andrade — Prudence Crandall

CT House Republicans Unveil “Pathway to Affordability” Budget Plan

HARTFORD— State Representative Tony Scott (R-112) is supporting the House Republicans budget adjustment plan for the second year of the state budget. This is a series of policies aimed at making Connecticut more affordable, lowering household costs, easing property tax pressures, and addressing the school funding crisis facing communities across the state. The $27.9 billion plan, called “Pathway to Affordability,” is balanced, provides more than $400 million in tax relief, falls $167 million under the state spending cap, and spends less than the governor’s budget proposal and the product advanced by Appropriations Committee Democrats. “Making Connecticut more affordable should be the top priority of every legislator. Taking care of our children should be front and center, and that's what we're doing in this budget adjustment proposal. Connecticut residents have to prioritize what they're spending their household budget on, and the General Assembly should do the same," said Rep. Scott . School Taxpayer Relief & Affordability Plan (STRAP) The centerpiece of the House Republican proposal is the School Taxpayer Relief and Affordability Plan, or STRAP—a $365 million investment distributed to every city and town in Connecticut to help offset surging education costs and reduce the burden on local property taxpayers. If adopted, this would add $783,626 in aid to Monroe, $44,898 for Easton, and $507,817 in aid to Trumbull. The “Pathway to Affordability” plan includes a broad range of tax and fee relief: Increase the state’s maximum property tax credit to $650 and expand income eligibility, extending relief to 800,000 filers Curb healthcare costs by reducing a state levy on insurance companies ($20 million) that has been passed on to consumers in their monthly premiums Eliminate income tax on all Social Security benefits Eliminate the sales tax on children’s clothing Enact a “no tax on tips” exemption Reduce the sales tax on vehicles priced between $50,000 and $75,000 from 7.75% to 6.35%--because the cost of vehicles has risen sharply in recent years, and what once seemed like a luxury price point now covers everyday family minivans and work trucks Eliminate fees on certain occupational licenses Remove the “Passport to Parks” fee from motor vehicle registrations Ease local tax burden by providing $2.5 million to help municipalities cover early voting costs The plan is funded through new revenue and spending discipline, including: Recover $340 million by challenging New York’s “convenience of employer” rule, which forces roughly 80,000 Connecticut residents who work remotely for New York employers and pay income taxes to New York at rates higher (10.9% top rate) than they would pay here at home (6.99% top rate). The plan includes $1 million to help these workers file legal challenges against New York’s policy. Save $153 million by budgeting state employee positions based on realistic hiring trends rather than funding all vacancies at once Save $61 million by eliminating state-funded health insurance for undocumented immigrants, who retain access to care through Federally Qualified Health Centers Removes 25% of double-funding of ECS grants to municipalities, saving $29 million Save $12 million by reducing legislative earmarks Save $3.5 million by eliminating inmate text messaging Among our targeted investments in public safety and human services: $3.2 million to expand the CRISIS program helping police respond to and de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises $1.5 million for domestic violence shelters Provides funding to hire investigators for Medicaid Fraud Control $2.4 million to increase provider rates for Birth-to-Three child development services Creates an income tax deduction (up to $2k) for volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel

CT DOT To Hold In-Person Meeting on Easton Bridge Rehabilitation

The CT Department of Transportation will be holding an in-person public information meeting about the rehabilitation of the bridge carrying Valley Road over the Aspetuck River in Easton on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Easton Public Library (691 Morehouse Road). A Q&A session will immediately follow the presentation. The goal is to replace aging infrastructure with new components to ensure longevity and safety for all roadway users. Right-of-way impacts associated with the proposed project are not anticipated. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2028 based on the availability of funding and approval of permits. The estimated construction cost for this project is $2 million. This project is anticipated to be undertaken with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds. Comments and questions can be submitted for two weeks after the hearing, from April 30 through Thursday, May 14, 2026, to Hayley Martin at Hayley.Martin@ct.gov , DOT-FLBP@ct.gov , or (860) 594-2020.

Rep. Scott Applauds Grant Awarded to Aspetuck Land Trust

I'm pleased to share the news that Aspetuck Land Trust was awarded $5,000 towards Orchard and Pollinator meadow expansion. The DoAg Agricultural Enhancement Grant Program (previously known as the Farm Viability Grant) provides matching funds for projects that directly impact or foster agricultural viability. I've partnered with ALT in the past and am a supporter of their work.