Rep. Scott Votes to Protect Fiscal Guardrails
HARTFORD- State Representative Tony Scott on Monday voted against the new two-year, $55.8 billion budget which erodes Connecticut’s fiscal safeguards, subverts the state spending cap, and moves budget items into dedicated ‘off-budget accounts.’
This budget increases state spending by 10.1%—a staggering $2.635 billion jump—while adding an unnecessary $2 billion tax-and-fee burden on Connecticut’s families and businesses.
“A nearly 700-page bill was unveiled in the early morning hours and called on the floor of the House just 12 hours later. This document was rushed, lacks transparency, and includes several gimmicks,” said Rep. Scott. “This budget proposal isn’t limited to just being a tax-and-spending document. There were unrelated policy issues included in the proposal, which had not previously been debated in the House.”
Some of the line items included in the budget are:
- Free healthcare for illegal immigrants;
- Increased Hospital User Fee $375 million;
- A new tax on Connecticut business;
- A new 5-cent per phone tax on cell phones;
“Our caucus offered several amendments, all of which were rejected. They would have supported Special Education, funded vital healthcare services through Medicaid Rate Increases, and reforms to the Passport to Parks system,” noted Rep. Scott.
The budget passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 99-49.
“Regrettably, the Reality Check budget proposal House Republicans offered was dismissed without consideration. Our proposal did not break the fiscal safeguards established to keep our state on good financial footing,” added Rep. Scott.
Read the details final budget here: State Budget Analysis.