North Central Legislators Vote No on Increasing Spending

HARTFORD – Appropriations Committee members State Representatives Bill Simanski (R-62), Tami Zawistowski (R-61) and Carol Hall (R-59) voted no on the biennial state budget put forward by House and Senate Democrats in Committee on April, 30^th.

“The budget passed by Democrats in the Appropriations Committee will require significant tax increases,” said Rep. Zawistowski. “Increasing spending over the next two years will further grow our deficit and require citizens to pay more of their hard earned income. The budget will make our state even less affordable.”

The budget passed by Democrats in the committee spends an extra $118 million over Governor Lamont’s proposed budget and will grow the cost of government by about $1 billion over the previous biennial budget.

Rep. Simanski commented, “This budget repeats many of the mistakes of the past and continues our bad habits. I am disappointed that this budget sweeps money from the Passport to Parks program to unrelated projects such as an environmental impact study for a Middletown fire training school.”

The proposed budget contains little in the way of spending restraints and creates new programs including $1 million to study a “public option” for health insurance and $5.2 million in start-up costs for a payroll tax funded state-run paid family and medical leave program. Annual operations for the program are estimated to cost over $20 million.

“This budget does not set out any real savings,” said Rep. Hall. “I am also concerned that Democrats are leaving the door open to shifting teacher pension costs on to towns. This would certainly increase local property taxes and leave towns like Enfield on the hook for a program they didn’t negotiate.”

Additionally, the Appropriations Committee budget assumes $459 million in unspecified labor concessions over the course of the biennium.

The budget was passed by the Appropriations Committee on a party line vote of 32-17 and will head to the full House and Senate for a vote before the end of the legislative session on Wednesday, June 5^th.

The bill approved by the Appropriations Committee is just half of the budget. The tax package was voted on the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee on May 1^st.