Republicans’ Budget Represents a New Direction for Connecticut

As the state goes through the second full week without an approved budget, we are hearing from those organizations and populations that may never recover from the austerity of operating under the Governor’s bare-bones executive order.

Those suffering the most are not-for-profit organizations that serve Connecticut’s elderly, mentally and developmentally disabled, young people, and working poor. They are turning away new clients, ending services for existing clients, and some are even closing their doors.

The most aggravating aspect of this situation is that it didn’t have to happen. A number of options were available that would have kept funding flowing to the organizations that support our state’s most fragile citizens.

Unfortunately, a lack of leadership and a lack of will to do what is in the best interest of all of Connecticut have put the state in this situation. The self-inflicted wounds of elected officials are bleeding dry those who already needed a transfusion.

As I said, it didn’t have to be this way.  Three times during the 2017 Legislative Session, Senate Republicans have presented line-by-line budgets that were vetted by the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis. The budgets were revised as new information about the state’s growing budget deficit became available. The constant in all three budgets was that they provided much needed funding for social services to help the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Additionally, the budgets increased funding for education and guaranteed that municipalities would receive the same amount of financial aid from the state in 2018 that it received in 2017. It did this while reducing state spending and without increasing or implementing new taxes.

Democrats never allowed the budget to be called for a vote.

The Democrat Speaker of the House refused to call the House into a special session even to vote on a mini-budget that would have provided funding for nonprofits while budget negotiations continued. Instead, at last minute, he presented a plan that proposes increasing state taxes by nearly $1 billion. He wants the legislature to vote on his plan on July 18.

The Democrat House Majority Leader defended his leader’s decision to prevent a vote on a short-term spending plan. He said people would forget about the pain caused to the frail and disabled. He is quoted as saying, “ . . . no one will remember mini budgets, no one will remember that July 1 executive order. People will remember the final product, and we’re very confident we can get there.”

I believe he is wrong about residents forgetting the pain caused by the executive order. Although, I do think he is correct about one thing; if the legislature’s final product is a $1 billion tax increase, people will certainly remember that.

Of course, my Republican colleagues and I, and maybe some moderate Democrats, don’t intend allow more tax increases to pass. We are taxed enough already!

Republicans have a plan to move our state in a new direction away from high taxes and budget deficits. You can read our plan in detail atNewDirectionCT.com. I hope you will support it and let the elected leaders in Hartford know that enough is enough. It’s time to stop holding our most vulnerable residents hostage and adopt a sensible, no tax increase budget. It’s time for a new direction.

Senator Michael McLachlan represents the 24^th State Senatorial District, which includes the communities of Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, and Sherman.