State Senator Tony Hwang and State Representatives Brenda Kupchick and Laura Devlin were encouraged and relieved upon the release of the bipartisan state budget bill which will restore the draconian funding cuts to Fairfield that were made in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Executive Order.

The bill can be viewed here:  www.cga.ct.gov/2017/TOB/s/2017SB-01502-R00-SB.htm

The budget bill will not redistribute the state’s teacher’s pension obligation to local governments. It also implements key structural limits on how state taxpayer money is spent.

Under the bipartisan proposed budget, Fairfield’s municipal aid grant will now be $4,722,182 in Fiscal Year 2018 and $4,493,273 in Fiscal Year 2019, which includes newly allocated educational funding of $1,032,807 in Fiscal Year 2018 and $1,091,575 in Fiscal Year 2019 instead of the zero ($0) proposed by Gov. Malloy’s Executive Order. (Town aid chart attached)

“Thank goodness, Fairfield will be held relatively harmless,” Sen. Hwang said.  “This bipartisan compromise protects municipal and education aid to Fairfield, and that’s very good news for property taxpayers, students, and educators.  This budget will not place the state’s teacher pension obligation burdens onto towns and local taxpayers.”

“While I’m not in favor of every piece of the compromise budget, I am grateful we were able to protect most of Fairfield’s funding and avert the shift of teacher pension costs to Fairfield,” said Rep. Kupchick. “It is also encouraging to see that a true spending cap and bonding cap are included along with mandatory votes by the legislature on all union contracts. I look forward to the debate in the House on Thursday.”

 “This has been a difficult process and it’s unfortunate that the bipartisan budget passed last month was vetoed by the governor. This new budget is a bipartisan compromise that does protect the Fairfield community from the governor’s drastic cuts and puts in place long-needed structural reforms,” said Rep. Devlin. “Our government is better when both parties work together for the good of the state. This budget, while no means perfect, gives hope to Connecticut residents that ‘business as usual’ in Hartford is no longer an acceptable practice. We must continue to strive for a more effective and responsible state government.”

The bill is expected to pass by wide margins in the state legislature this week. If the governor vetoes the bill, the lawmakers said they would attempt an override of the veto.

Don’t want to see local education funding and funding for Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport and 80 other townsdecimated?

Don’t want to see teacher layoffs and property tax increases?

Don’t want to see draconian cuts to non-profit groups that serve vulnerable seniors, the disabled, and the addicted?

Neither do I.

Please listen to my brief interview today with Mike Bellamy of WICC-AM 600.

Then pick up the phone.

Call House Democrats at 860 240-8500 and call Senate Democrats at 860 240-8600 during business hours.

Urge them to “Override Malloy’s Veto of the Bipartisan Budget!”

The time is now to let them hear you!

The Plymouth, CT school district will begin mailing layoff notices to teachers and staff on Monday.

Gov. Malloy’s veto of the bipartisan state budget bill is already punishing education and taxpayers in our state.

Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport taxpayers: 

• Our towns lose NO funding under the bipartisan budget plan!
• If the governor’s veto stands, our towns get NO funding.

So what can you do on Monday during business hours?

1. Call House Democrats at 860 240-8500
2. Call Senate Democrats at 860 240-8600
3. Tell them your name and town.
4. Tell them, “I am a CT taxpayer. I support the bipartisan budget. Stop punishing CT education and taxpayers. Do your job and override Gov. Malloy’s veto!”
5. Sign my petition at www.SenatorHwang.com

Help us urge Governor Malloy to sign the budget that was passed by the legislature with bipartisan support earlier this month.

This is a budget that not only avoids the governor’s draconian executive order that would decimate school funding, it is also a budget that creates stability for our towns and cities over the next two years, and for many years to come. It protects core services and also implements the structural changes our state needs to move in a new direction.

Sign this petition to tell Governor Malloy to  “Sign The Bipartisan Plan!”

The budget that passed the legislature, that is now waiting for Governor Malloy’s signature, includes the following:

• increases k-12 education funding.  We do it with a formula that takes into account poverty, enrollment and number of English Language Learners in order to help our neediest communities.
• does not shift teacher pension costs onto towns and cities, a cost that could fall on the backs of teachers, schools and property taxpayers.
• does not tax your cell phones.
• has no new tax on non-prescription drugs and medicines
• has no real estate conveyance tax hike
• has no sales tax hike
• has no tax hike on restaurants
• has no income tax hikes
• has no tolls or mileage taxes
• has no increased fees in energy bills

Our plan restores funding for core services to our neediest and most vulnerable residents, including:

• job opportunities for people with disabilities
• mental health grants
• substance abuse treatment to combat the opioid epidemic
• the CT Home Care program, which allows seniors to stay in their homes rather than being forced into nursing homes.
• Care4Kids
• Meals on Wheels

To control and reduce state government spending, our plan:

• contains an enforceable cap on state spending
• requires an effective cap on state borrowing
• requires the legislature to vote on state labor contracts

This is a budget that aims to steer our state in a new and sustainable direction.

The only way chaos can ensue now is if Gov. Malloy decides to veto this budget that has the support of Democrats and Republicans.

Sign this petition to tell Governor Malloy to  “Sign The Bipartisan Plan!”

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