Senator Boucher Calls Governor Malloy’s Tax and Toll Proposal a Sham

Transportation Committee Co-Chair Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) said Governor Malloy’s transportation tax and toll proposal is a sham that will only create more problems for the state.

“This is emblematic of the other proposals this administration has put on the table to solve the state’s budget shortfalls. And just like those, it will fail to achieve the desired results,” Sen. Boucher said.

At a press conference January 31, Governor Malloy called for a seven-cent increase in the gas tax, a $3 fee on all tire purchases, and tolls. The Governor’s plan did not state how much tolls would be, how many tolls are needed, and where they would be placed.

“Connecticut is losing people and jobs in droves because of high taxes and the high cost of living here. This just gives those people and businesses more of a reason to leave,” Sen. Boucher said. “We can’t expect people to keep paying the state more and more money when it doesn’t responsibly spend the money it has now.”

Sen. Boucher said a rough toll study done by the Department of Transportation found that 75 percent of toll revenues would come from Connecticut drivers. The study did not speculate how much federal money the state would lose when tolls are installed. Presently, the federal government shares a higher percentage of its gas tax receipts than neighboring states because Connecticut does not have tolls.

“We just don’t have enough information,” she said. “There has been no comprehensive study about how much tolls will cost, how much revenue tolls will have to raise to offset those costs, how tolls will impact commerce and our economy. We just don’t have enough information

“This is shaping up to be as controversial as 2011 and 2015 when this administration enacted two of the highest tax increases in the state of Connecticut,” she said. “We know how well those worked out for the state’s residents and businesses. Why should we expect these proposals to produce different results?”

Sen. Boucher is also a Vice-Chair on the Finance, Revenue, & Bonding Committee. She serves the communities of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.