Tolland Patch Op-Ed: Nuccio Says Always Check State Budget Fine Print

TOLLAND, CT — The following opinion piece was composed by State Rep. Tammy Nuccio (R-53):

As Ranking Member of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee, which provides key oversight of the state's budget process, I was eager to hear from Governor Lamont on his biennial budget proposal earlier this year. Would he listen to the public and my colleagues in the House as we called for fiscal restraint amidst a record state surplus?

At first glance, I am optimistic. The Governor has heard the cries of Republicans and the majority of our residents and has included much needed-relief in the form of an income tax reduction. Families earning less than $50,000 a year would pay no state income tax while those earning up to $150,000 would see a reduction in their tax obligation of several hundreds of dollars.

As proposed, the budget would maintain the fiscal guardrails that Republicans installed in the 2017 budget, including caps on revenue and spending, it provides funding for small businesses and includes a multi-million-dollar investment that would allow developers to quickly build new housing to address an inventory shortage.

House Republicans have repeatedly called for tax cuts, and I'm encouraged the governor has come
around to our calls for financial relief for the working class, businesses and families.

But budgets are complex, and the devil is often in the details. For the past few weeks, the state's
departments have been presenting their individual budget proposals before the Appropriations
Committee and I have been asking pointed questions as we dig into those details to look for more
savings for my District and the people of Connecticut.

The budget projects that funds derived from retail cannabis sales, which are supposed to pay for the entire administrative costs for the program, will be $32 million in fiscal year 2024 and $50 million in fiscal year 2025. So far, retail sales have totaled about $7 million through February. Even if sales were to bring that amount in each month, the program may run at a significant deficit for the next two years.

How can we build a budget that funds critical needs based on that?

Right now, aggressive legislation has also been proposed to push Connecticut to switch to electric
vehicles, including buses and other public transport vehicles. But when we have fewer gas vehicles in the state, it means less revenue from gas taxes, funds which are designated for our roads and critical renovations for highway infrastructure. This isn't something that is years away, it's a deficit that is rapidly approaching and must be addressed.

And the governor's past budget had included funding for local first responders to offset their costs to answer calls for emergency services on the highways. As it turns out, that funding has been removed in the governor's proposed budget. Why?

So far, I'm encouraged by what I have heard in the budget presentations, but I believe that there is more that can be trimmed from the overall spending so that funding for first responders, like those who respond to critical crashes on our highways, can be restored.

And massive amounts of federal assistance will soon run out, yet the state continues to increase
spending. Do we truly need all the programs that we as taxpayers are collectively funding with our taxes from each hard-earned paycheck? When that federal money runs dry, the state will look to offset a probable deficit by raising taxes.

While I am hopeful when I look at this budget, there's always a way to put a magnifying glass to the numbers in order to return more money to you.

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Rep. Nuccio can be contacted at Tammy.Nuccio@housegop.ct.gov or (800) 842-1423 with any questions or concerns related to state government. Constituents can also follow her legislative activity by visiting her website, www.cthousegop.com/Nuccio or on Facebook.