Rep. Harding Proposes Ideas for New Legislation

HARTFORD – Only a week into the freshly opened legislative session, State Representative Stephen Harding (R-107) wrote to several committees requesting them to consider nearly thirty pieces of new legislation.

Given that this year’s session is focused solely on fiscal matters, only committees can propose non-budgetary bills for the House and Senate’s consideration. So, Rep. Harding’s goal with these proposals is to recruit the aid of respective committee members in relieving local issues surrounding prevailing wages, property taxes, fair elections, affordable housing, crimes involving minors and education costs.

Aspiring to relieve towns of their cumbersome tax demands by the state, Rep. Harding has requested that the Labor and Public Employees Committee consider imposing a three-year suspension on the application of prevailing wage rates in order to provide personal property tax relief to towns and ensure that maximum funding is available for their essential local school and transportation projects. Also relating to taxes is his proposal to the Commerce Committee to raise a bill phasing out the existing personal property tax structure applied to businesses.

In order to relieve the local communities in the district from the crippling impact of our State’s affordable housing laws, Rep. Harding has proposed multiple laws related to 8-30g. He has asked the Housing Committee to consider lowering the occupancy rate of ten percent to two percent for affordable housing projects.

Brookfield, Danbury and Bethel would therefore be brought under the 8-30g qualifying threshold so that the statute can no longer apply to the district. Rep. Harding has also requested the committee to consider legislation which would eliminate 8-30g from certain areas of a municipality as well as legislation which would eliminate the statute altogether. Other housing committee proposals include easing the bureaucracy relating to family members of an estate to purchasing a family home and/or assuming the mortgage on the property in order to save it from foreclosure.

With educational funding and recent graduates as a top priority for Rep. Harding, he has proposed that the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula be modified to allow for cost of living adjustments. In addition, three years after the establishment of the Learn Here, Live Here program, Rep. Harding has asked the Commerce Committee to finally implement it. This program will help college, technical and healthcare graduates to save toward a down payment on their first home in Connecticut by saving a portion of their state income tax payments for up to ten years after they graduate.

Some other proposals made by Rep. Harding include legislation that would affect veterans, rehabilitation programs, drivers and families. Examples include:

• Studying ways to prevent texting while driving
• Keeping criminals out of accelerated rehabilitation programs for crimes committed against children and or the elderly
• Studying the rights of adoptive parents
• Educating Connecticut’s students on American veterans and their service to our country
• Not charging veterans a fee if they want an American flag on their driver’s license
• Promoting veteran-owned businesses by redistributing state contracts

“As previously discussed, I proposed to eliminate the 8-30g statute that controls affordable housing in every town across Connecticut,” said Rep. Harding. “I have also proposed other legislation which would significantly relieve the burden 8-30g places on our local towns. Through reducing the occupancy rate to 2%, I think we can still accomplish our goal of resolving this burden. I also hope to see all my initiatives, specifically those related to education, veterans and public safety considered on the House Floor and I will do my best to promote good bills in Committee with my fellow Judiciary, Energy & Technology and Finance, Revenue & Bonding members.”

Follow Rep. Harding’s legislative activity on his website, www.repharding.com – where you can also sign up for e-newsletters – or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/repharding.