No Budget at End of Session: Transparency & Bipartisanship Missing in Action

Sen. Tony Hwang tonight issued the following statement regarding the state legislature having to go into a Special Session to fix the Connecticut budget:

“The flawed way of how the people’s business is conducted at the Connecticut State Capitol was exposed tonight – the final night of the 2016 legislative session. Majority Democrats in the House and Senate and Governor Malloy threw bipartisanship out the window. They crafted a budget on their own, without Republicans in the negotiating room. That bad process created a bad product, and that bad product has now brought about even more uncertainty for state residents and businesses.

“The state budget affects the lives of every Connecticut resident. Towns and schools base their budgets around it. It impacts services for our most vulnerable residents, our seniors, the disabled and our children. That’s why it is so crucial that the state budget be created in a transparent, thoughtful fashion.

“The process to date has been anything but transparent and thoughtful. State legislators – including many rank and file Democrats – were left in the dark as to the budget’s details. This is no way to run state government, and people on Main Street are starting to take note that this is not the representation they want in Hartford.

“Republicans and I will continue to advocate for long-term structural budget changes which put our state on a predictable, sustainable path. Our detailed alternative budget plan can be reviewed at www.senatorhwang.com and it has received positive reviews from newspaper editorial boards across Connecticut.

“The failure to pass a state budget during the Connecticut General Assembly’s regular session offers us an opportunity. Now that we’re heading into overtime, let’s get the process right. That’s what taxpayers deserve.”

Sen. Hwang (www.senatorhwang.com) represents Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport.