Senate Leadership
November 24, 2008
Senate Democrats Help Put a Dent in the Deficit
Senate Leadership determined to keep working with Governor Rell to balance budget
Saying Connecticut state government must do what families across the state are doing — tighten the belt and cut spending — Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven) have lead passage of a bill that will shave nearly $72 million off the projected budget deficit.
House Bill 7601: An Act Concerning Deficit Mitigation, is part of a larger budget mitigation plan supported by the General Assembly that will cut the projected deficit for the current year by more than $288 million.
“There is no doubt that the global economic meltdown is dragging down the state budget deficit,” said Senator Williams. “The budget mitigation plan that we passed today is a good first step in addressing our financial crisis. We must continue to work with Gov. Rell and our colleagues in the General Assembly to look for savings and efficiencies.”
Key provisions of HB 7601 include implementation of a tax amnesty plan ($40 million), spending cuts (more than $24 million), and delay of new initiatives ($1.2 million). Included in the cuts is $500,000 that the General Assembly decided to eliminate from its own budget.
While legislators slashed spending, they were also successful in protecting funding for certain initiatives which promote job growth, such as the Small Business Incubator Program, investment in the bio-fuels industry, and statewide marketing for Connecticut’s tourism industry.
“We must ensure that we don’t make a bad situation worse,” said Senator Looney. “As we make deep cuts to state government, it is important that we not abandon initiatives that create jobs and opportunities for our families,” said Senator Looney. “
“I predict that no part of state government will be unaffected as we look to close this budget deficit,” said Senator Williams. “Families at their kitchen tables are depending on us to make the tough decisions. We must also make sure that as we search for savings that we’re not making the lives of people at that kitchen table even worse.”
House Bill 7601 also requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to expedite the establishment of a federal Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program required under current law. The MFP program is a five-year program that permits states to move people out of nursing home and into less-restrictive housing and not jeopardize federal funding. Expediting the establishment of MFP could save Connecticut taxpayers millions of dollars.
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Senator Williams’ Derek Slap |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Derek Slap |
