Connecticut House Republicans are proposing a budget that they promise will cut the cost of “government bureaucracy” by $600 million.
The plan, called the “Reality Check Budget,” is an alternative proposal to the budget presented by Democrats.
“Our plan is rooted in reality—the reality that Connecticut families are already stretched thin by the high cost of living that’s driven by the cost of government,” said House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, North Branford, in a press release. “Unlike our majority party colleagues who continue to write blank checks to fuel government programs, House Republicans are offering a sustainable, disciplined approach that funds what’s necessary while protecting the fiscal guardrails that help to stabilize our finances and pay down long-term debt.”
The plan would eliminate the public benefits charge from electric bills, remove the “Passports to Parks” fee on motor registration—which costs $24 for three years —and implement a two-year freeze on government employees.
Republicans are claiming that the latter policy alone would save $330 million over two years. However, it would be followed up with four years of 33% salary increases, according to the press release.
“This budget is a responsible, common-sense plan that reflects the financial struggles of Connecticut families,” said Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, House ranking member of the Appropriations Committee in that same release. “We’re rejecting tax hikes and we’re shrinking government costs, while funding areas that matter most — from special education, veterans’ services, Medicaid rates and most importantly we are the only caucus who are directly addressing energy costs.”
The proposed budget includes $137.5 million for Medicaid rate increases. It would also limit how much insurance companies can bill customers for administrative costs.
On top of that, it would end health care benefits for undocumented immigrants and unlawful residents.
“This budget is a step toward what residents deserve—affordability, accountability, and flexibility in the face of federal funding uncertainty,” said Rep. Joe Polletta, R-Watertown, House ranking member of the Finance Committee, in the release. “We’re rejecting the Democrats’ $500 million capital gains tax, and independent of our budget, we’re also proposing the pursuit of a policy change that would let Connecticut residents working remotely for New York firms to pay taxes here instead of the higher rate the Empire State charges—savingthem money while generating $320 million in future revenue for Connecticut that could be used for tax relief.”
In the next fiscal year, this proposed budget would cost $577,975 less than Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed budget, and $215,319,143 less than the Democrats’ proposed budget. Over the next two years, the budget would be $769,696,660 less than the Governor’s budget, and almost $1.3 billion less than the Democrats’ proposed budget.
At a press conference on Thursday, May 1, just hours after the Reality Check Budget was announced, House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, compared the Republicans’ proposed budget to the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“I always hope for something that’s serious, because it then creates the ability for negotiations,” Ritter said at the press conference. “It’s not the most serious document I’ve ever seen, so we’ll probably have to write this one off and move on and do what we gotta do.”
The representatives also criticized the Republicans for not working with the Democrats to craft a proposed budget and waiting until May 1 to propose an alternative.
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