Fasano: Massachusetts Right to Veto “Mileage Tax” Connecticut Democrats Still Refuse to Act

Hartford – Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) released the following statement today regarding Connecticut’s application for federal funding for a “mileage tax” pilot program. Last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker vetoed legislation that would initiate a pilot in neighboring Massachusetts.

“The Governor of Massachusetts’ decision to veto a mileage tax pilot program is the right idea, and shows just how backwards things are here in Connecticut where the same mileage tax proposal is still very much in play.

“In Massachusetts, the governor vetoed legislation that would have allowed the state to apply for federal funding to support a mileage-tax pilot program. In Connecticut, lawmakers didn’t even get the opportunity to vote on that proposal. Instead Gov. Malloy’s administration just rushed it through to the Department of Transportation and roll over Democrats didn’t lift a finger to stop it. If Democrat lawmakers truly oppose the mileage tax pilot program, then they should take action now to stop the state from wasting $300,000 on it, as Republicans have called for repeatedly.

“The Hartford Courant was also right when the paper opined last week that a mileage tax won’t work and spending any money to test it out is a waste of taxpayer dollars. We don’t have to sit back and watch as our state invests in bad ideas. We can stop it with legislative action in a special session. But Democrats refuse to. Either they are content with wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on a program the state will never implement, or perhaps they support the mileage tax after all. I say we should follow in the footsteps of our neighboring state, they seem to know what they’re doing – just ask GE.”