Rep. Lezlye Zupkus welcomes the 2019 Legislative Session

I hope you had a safe and Happy Holiday Season and ready to take on the New Year. I, for one, am excited to get to work in my new term as State Representative representing Bethany, Cheshire and Prospect. I am deeply humbled and honored to have the opportunity to continue representing the great people of the 89^th Assembly District. Thank you.

I, along with the 2019-2020 General Assembly, was sworn into office on January 9th in what was the Opening Day of the legislative session. We also have Governor Ned Lamont taking office on January 9^th. He is coming into office with an extensive legislative agenda, from writing a new two year budget to tolls, legalization of marijuana and the expansion of gaming in Connecticut.

It’s now time for the real work to begin. However, for our state to fully recover and to make sure we don’t fall back into bad budget habits we must tighten our belts and bring common sense back to government.

With my new role as a member of the Appropriations committee, I will be tasked with helping craft the new state budget proposal for Connecticut.

Right now, budget numbers are showing that the state will face a $1.7 billion budget deficit starting July 1st, and the number increases to $2.3 billion by the 2020-21 fiscal year. Fixing our budget problems should be our top priority. A well-crafted, balanced budget will tell you and the business community that Connecticut is serious about its’ fiscal house. We will need to make tough decisions and getting Connecticut out of the red starts with reforming state government, cutting unnecessary spending and borrowing, and creating policies that attract and keep job creators here in Connecticut.

I look forward to keeping you informed and sharing important information as we move through the legislative session. It is important to me that I represent my constituents to the best of my ability. I appreciate your help and input. Your input is very important because it informs me on the views of the people I represent.

Now that legislative session has begun, I plan on have office hours in Bethany, Cheshire and Prospect and will keep you up-to-date on the dates. Please join me and we can discuss the important issues of the state and any suggestions on your mind.

Please visit my website www.repzupkus.com for current legislative information as it happens; you can also sign up to receive my newsletter. You can also follow me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/repzupkus. I encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletter so you can get updates and alerts emailed directly to your inbox. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas please feel free to contact me by phone 1- (800) 842-1423 or email Lezlye.Zupkus@housegop.ct.gov.

Wishing you health and happiness in 2019.