Tolls Public Hearing This Friday in Hartford

Tolls Public Hearing This Friday in Hartford

This Friday, January 31st, there will be a public hearing in Hartford on Governor Lamont's latest transportation proposal, which includes tolls on trucks.

Given the magnitude of this issue and its potential impact on the state's long-term economic outlook, I find it disappointing that the public was only given a few days' notice. Nevertheless, you do have an opportunity to make your voices heard.

See below for details:

Who: Transportation Committee

What: Public Hearing on Bill Concerning Trucks-Only Tolls Proposal

Where: Hearing Room 1E, Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave., Hartford

When: This Friday, January 31st, 2020 beginning at 1:00 p.m.


How to Testify in Person

• Come to Hearing Room 1E Legislative Office Building (LOB) on Friday, January 31st, 2020.
• Signups will be conducted via a lottery system and numbers will be drawn between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in Room 2300 of the LOB to determine the speaking order. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for elected officials.
• Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.
• Please submit 55 copies of written testimony to the Transportation Committee staff (same time and location mentioned above).
• Tips and FAQs about testifying are available on our website by clicking here.

How to Submit Testimony Online

• Send a brief email ASAP to ###a rel="nofollow">TRAtestimony@cga.ct.gov.
• Reference Draft Bill LCO #373 in the subject line.
• Include your name and town.
• You may copy me on the email at st, 2020, at 1:00 pm in Hearing Room 1E.

The Democrats' Latest Proposal

What We Do Know

• Tolls would be built in at least 12 locations throughout the state. Nothing in the bill stops the state from building additional toll locations in the future.
• Cars will be next. The protections in the bill are not even close to sufficient to stop future car tolling.
• It puts CT taxpayers at risk of lawsuits from the trucking industry and legal challenges from the State of NY.
• Toll rates will be set 50% higher for trucks without a transponder, potentially increasing costs for small, local businesses that get passed directly to customers.
• There's a provision that says trucks would only be assessed one toll per day, per direction, but it's not specified whether that's a calendar day or a 24-hour period. Depending on how this is interpreted it could cost twice as much to operate a truck than advertised.
• Bridge construction work would need to be performed by union workers and subject to prevailing wage requirements or project labor agreements, which can add substantial project costs and limit the ability of local workers or smaller companies to be part of the project.
• The governor will have the ability to declare an emergency in "the existence of extraordinary circumstances" and with "at least three-fifths of the members of each chamber of the General Assembly" vote to change the provisions of the plan, which could include raising toll rates or expanding tolls to include other vehicles like passenger cars. The tolling provisions may also be changed to protect the bond holders, which also could expand tolling to other vehicles like passenger cars.
• It borrows more than the Republican no-tolls transportation plan, putting more debt on future generations, and still requires tolls.
• Lawmakers will not have control over rate increases, preventing toll opponents in the legislature from advocating for their constituents, and providing toll proponents with plenty of cover.
• The ability to raise rates will be entirely in the hands of a new state Transportation Policy Council, and there’s nothing taxpayers or lawmakers can do to stop them. The council will only have a limited number of Republicans.

What We Don't Know

• No details on the numbers.
• No details on which transportation projects will be funded, and which projects included in earlier proposals got cut.
• No evidence to show how much revenue tolls will bring in.
• No analysis of how toll avoidance would impact local roadways.
• No explanation of, if, and how the Special Transportation Fund would remain in balance.

Here's another thing to consider: commercial trucks already pay high taxes to both the State of Connecticut and the federal government. The more the state charges them, the more they will charge us for the goods they deliver.

As always, if you'd like to discuss this issue or any state government matter, I am available to speak with you directly.

Office Phone: (860) 240-8700 or toll free (800) 842-1423
Email: Rosa.Rebimbas@housegop.ct.gov

Warm regards,

State Representative Rosa C. Rebimbas
70th General Assembly District
Naugatuck