House Republican Press Release

February 4, 2009

Press Office: 860-240-8700

REP. HOVEY APPLAUDS GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PROPOSAL

Spending Plan Will Retain Existing State Education Funding For Monroe, Newtown

HARTFORD- State Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R-Monroe, Newtown) today said she is in complete agreement with the major points made today in Governor M. Jodi Rell’s 2009-2011 budget proposal. Rep. Hovey serves as a member of the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee.

“For months, I’ve been telling constituents and officials in Monroe and Newtown that state government has to cut back itself before trying to pass on the impact of the fiscal crisis to towns and local taxpayers,” said Rep. Hovey. “I’m thrilled that governor’s proposal is in line with that position.”

The spending plan postpones several state mandates on towns and cities, including the school suspension law scheduled to take effect in July. In addition, the governor’s proposal would delay implementation of the program to treat 16 and 17 year old offenders as juveniles to save an estimated $95 million for towns and cities. Rep. Hovey voted in favor of legislation to delay both measures in January. The proposals were defeated in largely party-line votes.

Rep. Hovey noted that with families drastically cutting back on their own budgets because of the economy, the state must do so as well. The deficit forecast for the current fiscal year is more than $1 billion and approximately $8 billion for the 2010 and 2011 Fiscal Years. The Governor’s proposal consolidates numerous state agencies into others and reduces the state workforce including:

• Elimination of 400 currently unfilled positions through consolidation and the elimination of 462 positions that are filled
• Elimination of a number of small agencies within the purview of the Legislature

The spending plan also calls for union concessions and other considerations from state employees, including $275 million in savings in each of the two years of the budget that could include voluntary early retirements. It also builds in $2 billion in anticipated federal money including hundreds of millions in Medicaid payments.

“There is no way to sugarcoat the state’s financial problems,” said Rep. Hovey. “The downturn in the economy that has hit families extremely hard has also devastated state finances. This would be the worst time possible to raise taxes and maintaining funding for towns, while retaining critical services is an excellent step toward preventing any tax hike.”