Senator Kane Votes “No” On Irresponsible State Budget

Senator Rob Kane (R-32) joined other Republican legislators in opposing the $37.6 billion biennial state budget that gained final legislative approval very early Tuesday morning.

“I appreciate Governor Rell’s efforts to alleviate the impact of this budget on Connecticut’s residents and businesses by using her authority to veto about $8 million in line items. However, this state budget is still far too expensive for Connecticut’s families and businesses,” said Senator Kane.

During the Senate floor debate, Senator Kane said he fears that the state budget adopted with the support of all but a handful of Democrats will further harm businesses and families that are already suffering from the effects of the recession. He said that the state cannot afford the consequences of imposing higher taxes on businesses and increasing a wide variety of state fees.

“I had hoped to be able to vote in favor of the state budget that so many people, including Governor M. Jodi Rell, have been working so hard to put together. But, I could not in good conscience vote for a budget that I believe will harm our state by costing us more jobs and, consequently, driving both businesses and families out of Connecticut,” said Senator Kane.

Senator Kane, a member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, said that he strongly opposes the new taxes called for in this budget, including the increase in the so-called “millionaire’s” tax, the imposition of a temporary 10 percent surcharge on larger businesses, and the increase in many state fees. He said that he would rather have seen the state abolish the estate tax, instead of just raising the threshold from $2 million to $3.5 million.

“My fear is that at least some of the state’s wealthier citizens, including those who create jobs, will respond to this budget by packing their bags and leaving. When they do, Connecticut will permanently lose the considerable taxes these people already pay. And when all of those revenues dry up, Democrats likely will choose to impose additional tax increases on the middle class,” said Senator Kane.

Senator Kane said that he hopes businesses and families will reap long-term benefits from the budget provision that drops the sales tax from six percent to 5.5 percent on January 1st – but cautions that the budget also includes a provision for repealing this tax break if revenue collections fall too far below expectations.

“What Connecticut residents need is a state budget that provides necessary government services at a cost that they can afford. Sadly, this budget does not deliver,” said Senator Kane.