House Republican Press Release

May 6, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Republican Legislators Vow Renewed Effort to Adopt ‘Do Something’ Alternative Budget

Majority Democrats Continue to Block Taxpayer Savings, Leaner Government

Republican legislators today vowed to continue their efforts to adopt their alternative ’Do Something’ budget despite the majority Democrats’ insistence on adjourning the legislative session without adjusting the 2008-09 package adopted last year.

Late Monday night, the Democrats used a technicality to prevent a vote on the Republican budget proposal.

Republican legislators believe the state legislature must address critical problems contributing to Connecticut’s weak economy by adopting an amended, balanced budget, while the majority Democrats continue to rebuff the GOP initiative - even though their refusal to act is contributing to a projected deficit of $67 million in the current budget that is likely to worsen in 2008-09 and lead to massive tax increases after the November 4^th elections, state Representatives Kevin M. DelGobbo, R-Naugatuck, Anthony J. D’Amelio, R-71^st District, and Sean Williams, R-68^th District said today.

The Republican package would streamline state government by offering an early retirement incentive program for state employees and save $163 million. The savings would be used to:

Eliminate the increase in the gross receipts tax on gasoline scheduled to take effect July 1^st.
Implement a 10 cent per gallon gas tax holiday during the summer months.
Provide a one percent cost of living adjustment for private providers and nursing homes.
Repeal the business entity tax to help small businesses in a struggling economy.

“It is unconscionable to me that this legislature would adjourn for the year without addressing these critical budget concerns,” said Representative DelGobbo, the House Republican Leader on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee. “It’s ironic that the core reason we are in session is to make adjustments to the 2008-09 budget – yet the majority party seems determined to do anything but that.”

“It’s very clear to me and to anyone who has been paying attention to the state legislature’s budget deliberations that the Democrat leaders of the House and Senate want the 2008 session to end with as little debate as possible on their decision to make no adjustments to the second year of the biennial state budget, even though we will be facing deficits in 2009, 2010 and 2011 if we take no action and go home,” Representative Williams said. “Left unchanged, their do-nothing budget will almost certainly mean tax increases the people of Connecticut simply cannot afford. Our proposal will provide long overdue tax relief, help bring state spending under control, and put us back on the road to economic recovery.”

“With the cost of gasoline, heating oil and food increasing almost every week, Middlebury and Waterbury residents, and citizens throughout Connecticut need the kind of relief our budget proposal will provide. They are tightening their belts and making do with less. If they can live within their means, state government should do so as well. Our alternative budget will not cut essential programs and will keep the state from going into the red,” Representative D’Amelio said. “The majority Democrats want to prevent any meaningful discussion on the merits of our alternate budget because it is clearly superior to theirs. That’s why they used a technicality to squelch debate and kill it.”

This is the only time since the adoption of the two-year budget system that no adjustments have been made to the second year of the biennial tax and spending plan, Representatives DelGobbo, D’Amelio and Williams said.