Sen. Fasano Statement on Constitutional Transportation Lockbox

Hartford – Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) released the following statement in response to Senator Steve Cassano and Representative Jonathan Steinberg’s calls today to create a transportation funding lockbox through a constitutional amendment. Sen. Fasano proposed the creation of such a constitutional amendment in January. Sen. Fasano has also repeatedly pledged to work with Democrats and Republicans to make a constitutional transportation lockbox a reality.

“If the Democrats’ really believed in a constitutional lockbox why haven’t they taken any legislative action on it in the last six years? Today’s press conference was a political move to get headlines, after they refused to make a constitutional lockbox a part of the budget they negotiated back in June.

“Connecticut needs long-term structural changes to the way our state budgets to build a better state for future generations. Protecting funding for core services that keep our roads and bridges safe must be part of that long-term plan for change. Anything less than a constitutional amendment creating a transportation lockbox is merely a promise that Democrats and Governor Malloy have shown they are unable to keep. As I stated back in January when I proposed this idea, a constitutional amendment must be clear and enforceable – unlike our constitutional cap on state spending. There can be no wiggle room if we are serious about protecting transportation for the long haul. In addition to a strong constitutional lockbox, our state also needs a realistic, predictable, reliable plan to fund transportation as Republicans have also proposed earlier this year.”