Senate Leadership
February 13, 2008
Senate Democrats Offer Amended Relief Plan For Connecticut Families–Urge Governor Rell to Get on Board
Relief plan includes immediate help for heating costs, mortgage crisis, and rent hikes–ties wider relief to size of surplus at the end of the fiscal year
Senator Martin Looney (left) and Senator Donald Williams speaking to the press about their stimulus plan.
Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney today announced that they have amended their Emergency Relief Plan for Connecticut Families in hopes that Gov. Rell will now offer her support. The plan will offer immediate help to those who need it most and then, depending on the size of the state surplus at the end of the fiscal year, offer tax refunds to perhaps more than 1.1 million residents.
The relief plan is broken into two phases:
- Immediate help to be approved by the legislature within one month: energy assistance ($10 million), mortgage relief (revolving loan fund), and rental assistance for public housing tenants ($4 million). The cost of these relief measures would be covered by current budget transfers and bonding and would not exceed the spending cap.
- Tax relief tied to end of the fiscal year budget surplus: We propose allocating 80 percent of the July 1, 2008 state budget surplus to targeted and progressive tax relief. (See attachment for what the anticipated refunds would be if the state surplus is $160 million.) Under the plan, the tax refund checks would be sent in August.
In addition, the Senate Democrats will advocate for the permanent enactment of a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and targeted relief for small businesses during budget negotiations for the next fiscal year.
"Just days after Gov. Rell promised to work across party lines to 'design a stimulus package that works,' it appears that she is backing away from that pledge to help Connecticut families," said Senator Williams. "Today we have proposed a plan that takes into account Gov. Rell's concerns and at the same time offers real relief to low- and middle-income families who are struggling. I stand ready and eager to work with her to get this done now."
"This relief plan will offer immediate help to those who need it most," said Senator Looney. "At the same time, we want to make a commitment to the many middle-income families who are struggling to make ends meet. We want them to know if the state ends the year with a large surplus, that money is going back to you. In addition, we will fight for long-term stimuli to our economy, including the enactment of an Earned Income Tax Credit."
Download the sample tax refund chart.
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Senator Williams’ Derek Slap |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Derek Slap |
