Patch Candidate Profile: Toni Boucher For 26th State Senate District

WILTON, CT — The 2022 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats, plus one U.S. Senate seat, are up for grabs as well.

There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Toni Boucher, a Wilton resident, is running for State Senator 26th District.

Campaign website

Party affiliation: Republican

Education: MBA from UConn Business School

Occupation: Businesswoman for 30 years, a State Senator for 10 years and a State Representative for 12 years

Family: I have 3 children and 6 grandchildren

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

I was elected to represent the 26th Senatorial District from 2008-2018, after having served as the State Representative from the 143rd Assembly District for 12 years.

While in the legislature, I served as a Chief Deputy Minority Leader as well as Senate Chairman and Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, Education Committee and of the Higher Education Committees. I also served as a Vice Chairman of the General Assembly’s Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee.

I served as a member of the Board of Selectman as well as a member of the Board of Education, including holding the positions of both Chairman and Secretary. I also served as an appointed member of the State Board of Education and on the State Board for Voch Technical High Schools.

Why are you seeking this office?

I have been privileged to serve as Wilton’s Board of Education Chairman and on the Wilton Board of Selectman as well as on the State Board of Education and State Board of Education for Vo- Tech Schools. I later served as an Assistant Minority Leader in the Connecticut House and a Chief Deputy Minority Leader in the State Senate as well as a leader of the Education and Children’s Committees. I have also been a leader in two Fortune 50 companies and a major investment firm and founded small businesses in Norwalk and Wilton.

Running for office is something I did not expect to do again. But our state government has now become too big, too expensive, and too intrusive. After seeing the bills being passed or proposed by the majority party that never passed before like regionalizing our schools, building high rise apartments in colonial neighborhoods and ½ miles around small railroad train stations, legalizing marijuana and increased spending and the cost of living by billions of dollars, I was persuaded to run.

After encouraging and mentoring a new generation of candidates to get engaged in their government and run for office, I feel compelled to step up and run during these troubling and divisive times. I believe that working across party lines, finding compromise, and respecting your colleagues are the best way to achieve our mutual goals. It is what I was known to do during my previous time in office and why I am now a facilitator for the National Institute for Civil Discourse.
Polarization, lack of bipartisanship and compromise in state politics has escalated much to the disappointment of the public. It is time to recover the lost trust in our government. We need civility in our public discourse. Free expression is a pillar of our democracy. That is why I am facilitator for the National Institute for Civil Discourse. It is one of the reasons I am running for office this year along with protecting our schools and zoning and supporting law enforcement. I know we can do better.

I am a pro-choice, socially moderate, fiscal conservative who supports gay rights. If Democrat, Independent and Republican voters put their faith in me again, I will work tirelessly for them as their state senator.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We must do more to make Connecticut affordable and ease burdens on our families. The cost-of-living in Connecticut is unaffordable and has been exacerbated by a forty-year high in inflation and skyrocketing gas prices.

I am committed to making our state less costly by providing responsible tax relief to CT families and focusing on policies that will grow jobs and create opportunity. There is much more the state can do to make Connecticut more affordable, and that's what I will work for.

It's not surprising that last year more people fled Connecticut than moved in. At the same time our state is known for its high costs, Democrats in Hartford have added even further burdens onto our residents. They approved $1.8 billion in tax increases during Gov. Lamont's first year in office. They approved a new tax on trucks that deliver groceries, home heating oil, and other necessities to residents across the state, which now threatens to further raise prices on goods and services. They added an additional 1% tax on prepared food on top of the 6.35% sales tax – impacting restaurant meals, take out and even prepared foods you pick up in the grocery store. The Democratic majority has also refused to adopt common-sense responsible tax relief as inflation surges – rejecting proposals to suspend the diesel tax, cut the sales tax, cut the income tax, and provide energy assistance to more families.

Coming out of a pandemic, the state's Democratic leadership is making it even harder for people to live, work, raise a family, and retire in our state. It’s no wonder that we still haven’t recovered from the Great Recession while we are now entering a new one. We remain near dead last in the nation for job growth and income growth. We can rebuild, we can recover, but it will take a change in direction.

Our state benefits most when there is balance in the legislature. In 2017, for the first time in a century, the State Senate was tied with 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans. This allowed both sides to have an equal say in the budget process. As a result, Republicans were able to pass a spending cap after decades of trying, a bonding cap, and a volatility cap to ensure the state properly manages its finances. The result of these Republican led policies: a record-breaking budget reserve fund and historic contributions to pay down on state debt. This progress would not have been possible without the historic bipartisanship that occurred as a result of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. We must strive for far greater balance and common sense moving forward.

Following the historic 2017 budget, the State Legislature fell out of balance again. As one-party-rule returned, onerous bills increasing burdens, weakening local voices in education and housing, and rampant spending have plagued the state. Now a bear stock market reaction to trillions in government spending and inflation is putting pensions, 401Ks and IRAs at risk.

Inflation is surging and in Connecticut new taxes are taking effect that will only worsen the situation. A 23% increase to the diesel tax, plus a new truck tax, will further drive up the prices of goods, groceries, and services around our state. A University of Connecticut economist has said that the timing of the major bump in diesel taxes and the new highway use fee 'is going to be brutal.'

Republicans are responding with a $1.2 billion tax relief package. Here are a few tax relief proposals to ease the tax burden on Connecticut residents.

• Cut the income tax from 5% to 4% for families making less than $175,000 a year and index state income tax brackets so that taxes paid on earnings do not outpace inflation
• Repeal the highway use tax on trucks that starts in January 2023. This new tax passed by the Democrats in 2021 will drive up the costs of food, consumer products and services
• Increase the property tax credit that can be claimed for real estate and motor vehicles from $300 to $500 to all families filing state income taxes
• Reduce the sales tax and eliminate the 1% meals tax
• Repeal taxes and fees which cost more to collect than the revenue they generate
Instead of new taxes, we must provide relief.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Leadership and Experience in local and state politics; understanding and working in both private businesses and government; proven ability to work well with both sides of the political aisle; a record of work toward compromise on state budgets and contentious issues; being a centrist and non-partisan; strong work ethic; responsiveness to people's problems.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

1. Protect and promote local control of education and respect for parental involvement in our schools.

Regionalization of Schools:
These proposals are attracting a lot of attention and Hartford needs to listen. I would offer this observation as a former local Board of Education chair, State Board of Education member and as a leader on the General Assembly’s Education Committee: Don’t change Connecticut’s locally controlled education model. Let local boards decide what works for them. Different communities have different populations, different needs and curriculum standards, and most important, research shows that smaller schools and classrooms provide for better outcomes, especially as our special education student population increases and classroom demands grow.

Forcing schools to consolidate, at this time when residents are leaving, could erode our state’s best remaining asset- our schools.

We must make sure that our children have all the tools they need to realize their potential. Investment in our schools is more critical now than it ever has been. Decisions should be made locally and with the involvement of parents. Increase transparency by having Boards of Education include all curriculum materials on their websites and to allow for public comment on all agendas. Work towards a K-14 school system.

2. Protect local control of our homes and our property rights.

Zoning decisions are best made on a local level by local planning and zoning commissions with community input. We need to reform 8-39G.

We need to protect local control in all areas of municipal governance, ensuring local property taxpayers have the loudest, most influential voice on issues that affect the very fabric of their community.

Legislation that solidifies the ability of municipalities to govern themselves without undue state interference.
• Remove existing state-imposed barriers to voluntary regional shared services
• Provide a centralized website for municipalities to access helpful information on state mandates including deadlines and any other pertinent information that could be useful for cities and towns to achieve compliance
• Take a more honest approach to affordable housing by including existing properties that meet income-based affordability standards, and eliminate the requirement for deed restrictions for owner occupied affordable housing which restricts the ability to create home equity
• Require two thirds vote of the legislature to pass any new conveyance taxes

3. Make Connecticut’s communities safer.

Our number one responsibility as elected leaders is to keep our people and communities safe. I will continue to work to strengthen our criminal justice laws, and to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep families safe while supporting our at-risk young people through intervention and programs to set them on the right path in life.

The Police accountability bill passed by democrats we need Legislation putting the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals and providing law enforcement with the tools necessary to perform their duties.

• Provide law enforcement the tools needed to keep us safe
• Enhance penalties for crimes committed using a stolen vehicle or stolen firearms
• Remove certain violent crimes from being eligible for clean slate criminal record erasure
• Expand the circumstances under which juveniles charged with certain violent crimes are automatically transferred to the regular criminal docket
• Provide adequate funding and resources for the Office of Victim Advocate

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• Helped create and pass budget of 2017 that produced 2022 budget surplus though spending and bonding caps
• Crafted the 2007 & 2008 “No Tax Increase Budget”
• Crafted No tax increase budget for 2011-2012
• Stopped new increases in gas tax on July 1, 2008
• Stopped new taxes on deliveries, repealed nuisance tax on newspapers, financial services, advertising
• Preserved the States Constitutional spending Cap
• Stopped Super 7 Highway through the state’s largest wetlands negotiated the widening in 1999, Stopped it again in 2007, 2008
• Saved Danbury line from permanent Closure-
• Saved Cranbury and Partrick Neighborhoods from massive development and protected open spaces in Wilton, Redding, Weston
• Sponsored bills to give tax incentives to bio tech, nano, photonic and life science starts ups
• Create an New Alternative Energy Cluster for CT to take a lead
• Creation of LLC for sole Proprietors
• Eliminated the High Sheriff Position
• Nominated our Supreme Court Justice- Chase Rogers
• Health care benefits retained for working disabled and those on Social Security

Education: Connecticut's rank as the country's 3 top state in education
• UConn's rank among the country's top 25 public universities
• Norwalk Community College's rank among the country's top
• Increased districts share of ECS funds by 4 times previous reimbursements
• Early Reading Success and School Readiness bills- Preschool education for at risk children to close achievement gap
• Helped establish Connecticut College Trust Fund program (CHET)
• Raised drop-out age without parental permission from 16 to 18
• Mandated civics curriculum and voluntary recitation of Pledge of Allegiance
• UConn 2000 and UConn 2001 programs for upgrading public higher education facilities
• Bi-Lingual education Reform- first change in 24 years- mandated my English acquisition and quicker mainstreaming into regular class room
• Protected teachers' pensions
• Led CT effort for a full high school credit in the Arts
• Spearheaded the passage of the Holocaust education mandate of 2018

Transportation- helped to focus DOT on trains and focused the state on value of our Trains
• Mandated the first review of the Metro North/DOT rail contract in 20 years
• As a member of the Appropriation subcommittee for Transportation was instrumental in Metro North’s purchase of new rail cars
• Expanded train-station parking by 50 spaces, secured 100 more spaces
• Analyze feasibility of restructuring CT DOT into 2 divisions- Roads and Mass Transit- and of returning the train function back to the State
• Member of the “ Advisory Committee on the Future of the Danbury Train Line”
• Saved the Danbury Rail Line from Budget Axe 1997
• Defeated Super 7 in 1999, 2007 and 2008- negotiated widening for area Towns
• Required attendance at all Metro North meeting by DOT
• Expanded parking at Trains station in my district
• Added 2 new midday trains on Branchline
• Branchline Signal Upgrade
• Bringing water to the Cannondale station
• Making your colleagues aware of the importance of as rail ridership exploded
• Helped to Create Transportation Strategy Board that provided greater focus on
• Mass transit, barge and Fairfield County in general HB:5233
• Expanded train-station parking by 50 spaces, another 100 spaces in design
• Joined the Transportation Committee 2005
• Added funding for the CTC signaling system upgrade for the Danbury Branch Line

Conservation:

• Mandated Placing 354,000 volt lines Power Lines Underground
• Successfully Fought NLG project in Long Island Sound
• Worked to successfully save Cranbury and Partrick Neighborhoods and secure a $480,000 state grant for preservation of open space.
• Preserved Kleda (Troutbrook)Land- reservoir water assets(15,000 acres)
• Protected Westport Oyster Beds
• Legislative fix for Avalon versus Wilton and Poirier versus Wilton Supreme Court
• Brownfield’s Clean up Bill
• Open Space Acquisition bill- Preserve 21% by 2023
· Oil Tank Removal Amnesty program
• Clean Car Bill
• Wetland protection for animal species
• Reduced power plant emissions significantly- Sooty six bill- was the deciding vote
• Co-sponsored global warming bill 5600-(a) The state shall reduce the level of emissions of greenhouse gas:(1) Not later than January 1, 2020, to a level at least ten per cent below the level emitted in 1990; and (2) Not later than January 1, 2050, to a level at least eighty per cent below the level emitted in 2001.
• A leading spokesperson for trains- refocused DOT and legislature on mass transit and major supporter of state purchase of 300 new rail cars
• Stopped I-95 like Super 7 Highway, 1999, 2007, 2008 from destroying our historic towns
• Saved Danbury train line in 1997 from permanent closure
• Added train parking at Cannondale and Main Wilton train station
• Smoking Ban in workplaces
• Pesticides Ban from school grounds
• Fought to Save the CT Agricultural Experiment station with John Anderson, ED
• New Canaan Nature Center renovation and upgrade
• Weir Farm Art Center and Historic site
• Farm Land Protection Bill

Other Accomplishments

• Stopped new increases in gas tax on July 1, 2008
• Stopped new taxes on deliveries, repealed nuisance tax on newspapers, financial services, advertising
• Stopped I -95 like Super 7 Highway, 1999, 2007, 2008
• Ensure that power lines were buried throughout the district
• Gained 4 times more funding for education for this part of Fairfield county
• Increased property tax exemptions for vets to 10% of assessed home value-local option
• Leased vehicles tax exemption for vets- (PA 03-269)
• Reduced the gas tax by $.14 which was the highest in the country
• Repeal of nuisance tax on newspapers, financial services, advertising
• Phase out of inheritance and gift tax
• Preserved the States Constitutional spending Cap
• Voted to sunset the Real Estate Conveyance Tax every year since its enactment
• Voted and successfully testified against casino gambling as an economic stimulus
• I successfully sponsored several bills to give tax incentives to high tech and life science starts ups and as such I have received CBIA solid endorsement every re-election bid
• Prompted the Film Industry tax credit Bill
• Nano Technology Bill
• Photonics Technology Cluster advocate
• Promote Green Collar Jobs
• Create an New Alternative Energy Cluster for CT to take lead
• R & D Tax Credits- bio teach , film
• Creation of LLC for sole Proprietors
• Prohibiting Slamming
• Created the do not call list
• Eliminated the High Sheriff Position
• Prohibited Las Vegas Type Games- gaming bill
• Identity theft Bill
• Increased penalties for enticing a minor and importing Child pornography
• Prevented bills that would repeal drug laws and reduce prison sentences
• Increased penalties for those taking advantage of children and the elderly
• Health care benefits retained for working disabled and those on Social Security
• Supported Gay adoption Bill and antidiscrimination bill for a person’s sexual orientation
• Increased property tax exemptions for vets to 10% of assessed home value-local option
• leased vehicles tax exemption for vets- (PA 03-269)
• Reduced the gas tax by $.14 which was the highest in the country
• Phase out of inheritance and gift tax
• Preserved the States Constitutional spending Cap
• Voted to sunset the Real Estate Conveyance Tax- we need to fix this next session

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Your word is your bond. Be careful what you agree to.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

It used to be that compromise was not a dirty word – it was what made government work, passing effective laws by getting both sides to agree. Today that is considered anathema. Traitorous. The political climate has become much like rival gangs trying to prove loyalty by demonizing the other
Eighty percent of the time Democrats and Republicans agree on the issues before them. Twenty percent of the time issues can become very difficult. Compromise was not a dirty word – it is how we govern effectively.

It is what makes government effective. I helped to negotiate bipartisan bills and voted for a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage, and the historic 2017 budget bill that has changed the way Connecticut pays down it debt and produced the current Connecticut surplus.

In addition, immediately after Sandy Hook I was tapped to join 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans to help craft Connecticut’s the nation’s landmark bipartisan gun control bill of 2013. This clearly speaks to the enormous value that a political balance in the 18-18 tie in the State Senate did produce better results than partisan bickering. We need to get back to this.

Over the course of my service, I have worked hard to seek compromise with civility and respect on all sides of many contentious issues. I believe it is why the CT Independent Party has also placed my name on their line in this election. As a longtime public servant, I will endeavor to restore people faith in the process whether I am successful on November 8 or not.