What’s in the state budget agreement hammered out by Dem and GOP leaders? And will it pass? And is it veto proof?
From the CT Mirror:
Democratic and Republican House leaders briefed rank-and-file lawmakers Thursday on the details of the tentative, bipartisan state budget deal announced the day before–and emerged with very different perspectives.
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, declared the two-year budget proposal would be passed by an “overwhelming majority” and strong bipartisan support–possibly as soon as next week.
But the top Republican in the House, Minority Leader Themis Klarides of Derby, took care to make no predictions, saying that with any tough budget, her members now must weigh “the good, the bad and the ugly.”
Full story here.
I heard something on the news that they would do away with local tax completely on automobiles.
I hope this is not included.
Here’s a link to the auto tax discussion
https://ctmirror.org/2017/10/19/klarides-new-budget-might-end-property-tax-on-vehicles/
If House Minority Leader Themis Klarides(R-Derby) and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz(D-Berlin) want to eliminate the property tax on cars,it should be offset ONLY by an increase in the income tax on high worth entities. Without an immediate offset,urban areas will be left to scrounge around to replace those revenues.
Another .45 cents added to the cigarette tax which makes each pack of cigarettes sold in Connecticut have $4.35 worth of taxes. Why in the hell does the State think it can balance the budget off the backs of smokers. For the last fifteen years every time there has been a budget they have added to the cigarette tax. No other budgetary item had been increased every time they’ve tried to balance the budget. In fact this will be the 8th cigarette tax since 2002 and the tax then was $1.11 per pack.
C’mon state legislature give us a fucking break and add taxes to liquor or the income tax which more people use than cigarettes. Please don’t tell smokers this is for our own good because if you believed that bullshit you would have used some of that $15 billion that the tobacco industry paid to Connecticut for smoke cessation programs instead of using it to pay your damn bills.
The legislature, in its collective moral hypocrisy, will not legalize marijusna for recreational use. That’s a shame. Misdemeanor pot busts clog the courts and expose otherwise law-abiding citizens to criminal records.
There’s a lesson to be learned from Colorado’s example. All that legalized evil weed has generated a surplus of tax revenue. Has Dangerous Dan Malloy and the legislature still believe marijuana is as addictive as heroin. So they raise taxes on tobacco products and push for another casino in Least Windsor. How many casinos does the northeast really need? We have Foxwoods, the Mohegan Sun, Atlantic City, Yonkers, Springfield, Massachusetts… There’s only so many gaming dollars to go around.
So they will jack the cigarette tax while the casinos wend through the legal system.
I agree Kid legalize it. The “War on Drugs” has become an industry unto itself and a corrupting influence on our criminal justice system, wasting precious energy and resources better used elsewhere.That’s as valuable or more so than the additional tax revenue it would generate.