Sen. Gordon Comments on $51 Billion Biennium State Budget

Gordon: People still need more. I am fighting for that.

HARTFORD – State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), member of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee, noted Gov. Ned Lamont’s signing of the $51 billion biennium state budget. The budget includes $640 million of tax cuts for low- and middle-income brackets, an increase in the earned income tax credit, an overall 8.9 percent increase in government spending from the previous two years, more funding for public education, and increased support for nonprofit organizations.

While he voted in favor of the bipartisan spending package, Senator Gordon noted areas where it could have delivered more for the people of Connecticut while maintaining the bipartisan-supported spending cap and fiscal guardrails put in place by Republicans.

“The tax cuts included in the biennial state budget are long overdue. People needed relief during sky-high inflation that made Connecticut more unaffordable for them. Although these are modest cuts, and considerably less than what I and my Republican colleagues offered in May, they will be welcome relief for families. People still need more. I am fighting for that.

“I would have liked to have seen more support for ambulance services in our towns. The 10 percent increase in Medicaid rates helps as a start. I wanted more funding for public education than the Democrats agreed to, but the additional $150 million and holding towns ‘harmless’ from cuts scheduled by the State are very good steps forward,” he said.

Senator Gordon went on to highlight that there is still too much overall government spending on many other items that are not core government responsibilities. He also noted that the budget lacks support for small businesses. He said, “These are missed opportunities and I will continue to work on these issues.”

In May, Senator Gordon outlined his priorities to address the needs of middle- and working-class residents in northeastern Connecticut. Among those were immediate tax cuts, a reduction of the state income and sales taxes, continuation of the gas tax cut, removal of the highway ‘truck tax’ and diesel tax hike, adequate municipal funding for public education, small business tax credits, funding for fire department cleanup of PFAS contamination, and support for nonprofits.

He also proposed legislation that mirrors a Massachusetts law requiring the state to return income tax revenue to taxpayers if that revenue exceeds a defined cap.

“I remain committed to helping hard-working people, families, retirees, and job-creating small businesses keep upfront more of the money they earned and saved. It is their money! We need more meaningful tax cuts. We need more smart and cost-effective use of taxpayer money by government. This bipartisan budget is a positive first step. I will continue this effort as I contemplate legislation for the 2024 session. I am always looking for ways to improve the quality of life in northeast Connecticut,” he said.