Lawmakers Provide Updates As Legislative Session Winds To Close

With two weeks remaining in Connecticut’s legislative session, local lawmakers Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) and Senator Tony Hwang (R-28th) are offering updates on their work to “improve Connecticut’s quality of life.”

Bolinsky stated as the legislature enters the final phase of negotiations to develop the 2024-2025 state budget, each of the four caucuses is working to make sure their priorities are included in the finished product.

“Unfortunately, it’s usually the case that not all voices are equally heard and priorities can be left out of those conversations,” said Bolinsky. “Still, I’m hopeful negotiations will produce a truly bipartisan budget, something we haven’t seen in our state since 2017 when Republicans and Democrats held almost equal numbers in the General Assembly.”

Bolinsky stated that this spring, House Republicans entered budget talks with a plan — a balanced, two-year proposal that respects the bipartisan fiscal guardrails we contributed in 2017, and were renewed earlier this year, while also avoiding “revenue intercepts” and other accounting gimmicks that have characterized most Connecticut state budgets over the last decade or so. Our document was difficult to ignore.

“I’m proud to report that many of our proposals have been viewed favorably by the Governor and our legislative colleagues across the aisle, including Speaker Ritter who recently noted our plan to redirect unused funding from unfilled staff positions was reasonable,” said Bolinsky. “It’s my goal to ensure as many of these proposals as possible are reflected in the final document. Our tax cut proposal is aligned with Governor Lamont’s broad-based tax cut proposal and has received positive feedback from key Democrat lawmakers.”

Hwang noted that, “While there has not been a vote yet on the state budget, there is widespread optimism that we will reach a bipartisan product which delivers significant tax cuts while investing in education, special education, health care, and our nonprofit human services providers.”

“I am supporting the proposal which offers the largest income tax cut and the largest property tax cut in Connecticut history while providing more support to our community nonprofits than any other budget plan,” said Hwang.

The plan contains $1.2 Billion in Tax Relief, including: A structural, middle-class income tax cut; the first-ever state child tax deduction, $2K per child; the elimination of taxes on kids’ clothes under $100; broadening exemption from pension & annuity taxes; and restoring the pass-through entity tax credit.

The budget contains support for students, including: more ECS funding for local schools; fully funding special education grants for the first time; funding colleges & universities, and adding fiscal control.

Common sense provisions of the budget include: Follow real-world hiring patterns in budgeting for open positions; more funding for nonprofit service providers; better planning, spending: Reinstate Transportation Strategy Board; funding for GPS monitoring for domestic violence offenders; and creating a support fund for families of fallen police officers.

“Good things happen for Connecticut when Republicans and Democrats both have a seat at the negotiating table, and I look forward to briefing you on the outcome of our talks when the plan is finalized and before a vote occurs in the House of Representatives,” said Bolinsky.

Hwang noted a number of other initiatives he has been working on this legislative session.

Hwang pointed to a proposal before that senate to lower Connecticut’s blood-alcohol limit from .08 percent to .05 percent.

“These are preventable tragedies,” Sen Hwang said. “Those who have lost loved ones due to impaired driving must live with that pain year after year. This proposal faces long odds this session, but it has started an uncomfortable yet productive conversation at the State Capitol. We need to focus on all types of driving impairment, including distracted driving and cannabis. We want all drivers to rethink getting behind the wheel with any level of impairment. That requires making a conscious cultural and societal shift. It requires education and public awareness through open, honest and sensible discussions. We need to reinforce that impaired driving is never acceptable. We do not want to mourn another tragic loss of life.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Connecticut ranks fourth for the “highest percentage of fatal accidents caused by drunk driving.” According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, 80 percent of Connecticut’s wrong-way crashes involve impaired driving.

Hwang, the Ranking Senator on the Transportation Committee, today applauded the Senate’s passage of SB 1036 establishing a law enforcement task force to combat “street takeovers” and illegal roadway traffic activity.

“We have seen these illegal and unacceptable ‘street takeovers’ on the Post Road multiple times,” said Sen Hwang, who is co-sponsoring the bill. “This is a critical public safety issue in Fairfield and throughout our state that must be addressed. The ‘takeovers’ have recently exploded into thrill-seeking, adrenaline-pumping, dangerous-driving activity. They put everyone at risk, and this legislation represents a balanced, thoughtful approach to solving the problem.”

The legislation’s passage comes after hundreds organized for street takeovers in Simsbury, Bristol, and, most recently, a violent takeover in Tolland. It aims to investigate and deter organized groups of people unlawfully operating motor vehicles, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles on public roadways.

The task force will include state law enforcement officers and police from surrounding jurisdictions for a collaborative enforcement approach.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives and awaits further action.

Hwang is co-sponsoring legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in Connecticut. The state Senate unanimously approved legislation that sets requirements for the development and use of artificial intelligence systems by state government.

“We want to ensure that no AI system results in any unlawful discrimination or disparate impact based on age, genetic information, color, ethnicity, race, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital and familial status, pregnancy, veteran status, disability, or lawful source of income,” said Hwang. “These oversight provisions have the backing of open government advocates.”