Sorry I have not been able to post any messages for a while. Things have been very busy, as we approach the end of the legislative session.
There are two full weeks left in the session, with a lot to get done. I have been very frustrated that there has not been more action on some of the more important issues. The things that have been approved so far are not the larger issues at the Capitol. But, at the same time, the major legislation that could be done is still very much alive:
Health Care:
There have been a lot of plans considered to ensure that everyone has quality and affordable health care coverage. Other plans offered would expand coverage to some of the people without health insurance, but would really not take-on the problems of rising costs and lack of coverage that people and businesses who already have health insurance experience.
Having spoken with many legislators, I can say that there is a lot of support for approving legislation that would ensure good health coverage for everyone and lower costs for the people who already have coverage. Getting a plan together, from all of the ideas floating out there, before the end of the legislative session is not easy - but I am still very hopeful that it can and will be done.
Energy costs:
I have been advocating since I was first elected to the legislature for reforms to our state's "electric deregulation law" - the law that has been causing our electric rates to skyrocket.
Last year, it looked like important reforms to start to bring rates back under control were about to be approved. I, like most people, was frustrated that this did not happen. I was hopeful that this important legislation would be approved at the beginning of the legislative session, but it was not then, either.
Rep. Steve Fontana and Rep. Vickie Nardello, the House chair and vice-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee have been working hard to win approval of the legislation that would make a real difference. Unfortunately, others in the legislature have been pushing legislation would actually raise our electric rates even further - and this has held up approval of the Fontana/Nardello legislation.
Hopefully the Fontana/Nardello legislation can be brought to a vote - and that both the House and Senate will approve it, so we can finally end the flawed deregulat system that has cost electric customers so much money.
Fairer taxes and education funding:
Of course, the state budget still has yet to be approved. The budget debate this year is more significant than most years, with very important principles of fairness being considered.
Democrats are still pressing for our proposal to relieve property taxes, support education and lower income taxes for 95% of the people in state. While Gov. Rell has decided to abandon her proposal to raise income taxes on most people of the state, her plan would still have higher taxes for most families than the Democratic plan. Also, only the Democrats' budget would provide needed funding for health care and community services. The Democrats' budget is much better for New Britain and is better for Newington.
The Democratic budget is good. It would advance property tax reform - by both helping cities and towns to lower property taxes and by doubling the state property tax credit to $1000. The Democratic budget would make the state income tax fairer with a tax cut for 95% of the people in the state, asking the wealthy to contribute a little more and helping the working poor with a new state Earned Income Tax Credit. And the Democratic budget would provide important funding for hospitals, health care and community services. I hope the Governor can join together with us and approve this important budget plan.
I started out the legislative session with great hopes for addressing the important issues: property tax reform, health care, education and lowering electric rates. Any one of these things would be a huge accomplishment in one year at the Capitol. But I have remained optimistic that we could get them all done.
Now, we are almost at the end of the session. This is the tense time of the legislative session when things either come together or fail. It is good that all of these important things are still very much do-able. But a lot of work is ahead to get them done.
There are two full weeks left in the session, with a lot to get done. I have been very frustrated that there has not been more action on some of the more important issues. The things that have been approved so far are not the larger issues at the Capitol. But, at the same time, the major legislation that could be done is still very much alive:
Health Care:
There have been a lot of plans considered to ensure that everyone has quality and affordable health care coverage. Other plans offered would expand coverage to some of the people without health insurance, but would really not take-on the problems of rising costs and lack of coverage that people and businesses who already have health insurance experience.
Having spoken with many legislators, I can say that there is a lot of support for approving legislation that would ensure good health coverage for everyone and lower costs for the people who already have coverage. Getting a plan together, from all of the ideas floating out there, before the end of the legislative session is not easy - but I am still very hopeful that it can and will be done.
Energy costs:
I have been advocating since I was first elected to the legislature for reforms to our state's "electric deregulation law" - the law that has been causing our electric rates to skyrocket.
Last year, it looked like important reforms to start to bring rates back under control were about to be approved. I, like most people, was frustrated that this did not happen. I was hopeful that this important legislation would be approved at the beginning of the legislative session, but it was not then, either.
Rep. Steve Fontana and Rep. Vickie Nardello, the House chair and vice-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee have been working hard to win approval of the legislation that would make a real difference. Unfortunately, others in the legislature have been pushing legislation would actually raise our electric rates even further - and this has held up approval of the Fontana/Nardello legislation.
Hopefully the Fontana/Nardello legislation can be brought to a vote - and that both the House and Senate will approve it, so we can finally end the flawed deregulat system that has cost electric customers so much money.
Fairer taxes and education funding:
Of course, the state budget still has yet to be approved. The budget debate this year is more significant than most years, with very important principles of fairness being considered.
Democrats are still pressing for our proposal to relieve property taxes, support education and lower income taxes for 95% of the people in state. While Gov. Rell has decided to abandon her proposal to raise income taxes on most people of the state, her plan would still have higher taxes for most families than the Democratic plan. Also, only the Democrats' budget would provide needed funding for health care and community services. The Democrats' budget is much better for New Britain and is better for Newington.
The Democratic budget is good. It would advance property tax reform - by both helping cities and towns to lower property taxes and by doubling the state property tax credit to $1000. The Democratic budget would make the state income tax fairer with a tax cut for 95% of the people in the state, asking the wealthy to contribute a little more and helping the working poor with a new state Earned Income Tax Credit. And the Democratic budget would provide important funding for hospitals, health care and community services. I hope the Governor can join together with us and approve this important budget plan.
I started out the legislative session with great hopes for addressing the important issues: property tax reform, health care, education and lowering electric rates. Any one of these things would be a huge accomplishment in one year at the Capitol. But I have remained optimistic that we could get them all done.
Now, we are almost at the end of the session. This is the tense time of the legislative session when things either come together or fail. It is good that all of these important things are still very much do-able. But a lot of work is ahead to get them done.
