Republicans Offer Budget Revision in Effort to Unite Lawmakers
May 8, 2018Restores HUSKY A Funding in Full, Reduces Out Year Deficits by $2.7 Billion Compared to Democrats’ Budget
HARTFORD – Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and House Republican Leader Themis Klarides (R-Derby)announced their plans to call a revised Republican budget for a vote before the General Assembly. The Republican budget was revised early today to restore coverage for 13,000 low income working parents on HUSKY A.
“We have revised our budget multiple times over the past month to try to bring both parties together. We have also tried to work with Democrats on a single negotiated plan. However, it has become clear that Democrat legislative leaders would rather resolve just a few items in the short term than work on a budget that truly meets the needs of our state. We are hopeful that this updated budget can unite lawmakers before the legislative session ends,” said Senator Fasano and Representative Klarides.
“After meeting with Democrats and hearing feedback from lawmakers and constituents, we have revised our budget again to fully fund HUSKY A. We heard from advocates and legislators alike that this is a population we cannot afford to put at risk. We are offering this revised budget to unite Republicans and Democrats so that we can pass a complete, balanced budget that not only resolves the state’s immediate financial problems, but that also focuses on long-term budget solutions.”
There are clear distinctions between the Republican and Democrat budgets in the areas of protecting core human services, municipal aid, education and long term fiscal policies.
The Republican budget also continues to protect towns and cities from municipal aid reductions by restoring aid, providing necessary education dollars to towns with an influx of Hurricane Maria evacuees, and reducing the car tax cap from 45 mills to 39 mills and fully funding impacted towns – something the Democrat budget proposal does not contain. It also continues to support the core social services not protected in the Democrats’ budget proposal.
The updated Republican budget is focused on implementing long term policy changes to not only resolve the current deficit, but to reduce the state’s future deficits. It reduces deficits over the next four years by $2.7 billion more than the Democrat budget proposal.
Click to view a comparison of the Republican and Democrat budget proposals.