Three of the four members from Newtown’s Legislative Delegation have issued their first takes on Governor Ned Lamont’s State of the State address and the latest state budget proposal that dropped on February 5.

Senator Tony Hwang (R-28), Rep Mitch Bolinsky (R-106), and Rep JP Sredzinski (R-112) each responded to a query from The Newtown Bee, while calls and e-mails to Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan had received no response by the newspaper’s press deadline the afternoon of February 12.

An upbeat Gov Ned Lamont used his second State of the State address to cast his uneven first year in office as a success, crediting his administration and lawmakers for controlling taxes and spending, winning unfamiliar Wall Street accolades for record budget reserves, and taking steps to streamline Connecticut’s government.

His midday address to the General Assembly on the opening day of its three-month, 2020 session highlighted victories overshadowed by his continuing and often all-consuming campaign to win passage of a truck tolls bill central to his ten-year, $19 billion transportation financing plan.

Connecticut remains burdened by one of the nation’s worst unfunded pension liabilities and its economic growth has lagged behind nearly every other state. But its growth cracked the top half of states in the third quarter of 2019, credit rating agencies published the first positive credit outlook in 18 years, and The Wall Street Journal offered a whiff of editorial praise.

“The state has dug a deep hole — maybe it now has stopped digging,” Gov Lamont said, quoting an editorial written after he visited the paper and asked their writers to give a second look to a state under new management.

Gov Lamont shrugged at faint praise, smiled, and puckishly said, “Hey, it’s the Journal.”

For the second year, the governor gave less a formal address than a pep talk, conversational throughout and self-deprecating at times. He challenged fellow Democrats and minority Republicans to join him in promoting a state ranked highly for its quality of life and productive, well-educated work force — attributes offset by decades of anemic job and wage growth and, more recently, population loss.

“All right, Connecticut, we got our mojo back,” he said.

Gov Lamont offered no sweeping second-year initiatives, instead promising to continue building on the modest foundation laid last year: A two-year budget that promised fiscal stability to businesses and municipalities — delivered on time, with no significant tax increases or jarring cuts in state aid to municipalities.

The governor also credited lawmakers with helping him reset the state’s relationship with the business community, especially its hospitals. With bipartisan support, the administration settled the hospitals’ lawsuit over a hospital provider tax.

“Results matter. We’ve shown government can work for the people. I’m proud of what we were able achieve together,” Lamont said.

Delegation Speaks Out

“I appreciate the governor keeping his State of the State address positive as he highlighted some of the aspects of where Connecticut has made progress in recent years,” said Rep Sredzinski, whose district includes Monroe and overlaps numerous neighborhoods in southern Newtown.

“However, he failed to mention that most of ‘his’ accomplishments were due to Republican policies included in the 2017 Bipartisan Budget,” Rep Sredzinski said.

“The historic rainy day fund, a historic investment in education, streamlining government, and an increased bond rating are all the result of the 2017 biennial budget, crafted with Republican policies and passed with Republican votes,” the lawmaker added. “I truly hope he realizes this and seeks the ideas from our side of the aisle when making future decisions on how to run state government.”

Newtown’s Rep Bolinsky reacted with his typical candor, saying “While I completely share Governor Lamont’s desire to dig Connecticut out of the financial hole it’s in, I do not support his method of doing so.”

Rep Bolinsky said after promising efficiencies and cost savings on the campaign trail, his proposed budget increase of 0.6 percent lands squarely on top of the 3.4 percent increase in next year’s adopted budget.

“This stacks an additional $117 million of state spending onto taxpayers. Without this excess, there would be no need for his ongoing obsession with tolls,” Rep Bolinsky said. “Meanwhile, the state continues to face billions of dollars in out-year deficits and the Governor has made no attempt to achieve the administrative cost savings necessary to close this gap.”

On the bright side, Rep Bolinsky observed that the Lamont administration has held the line on municipal aid and has backed away from another round of increasing various fees that would have cost taxpayers and businesses another $50 million a year.

“I also appreciate and look forward to the results of the governor’s efforts to attract business to our state, as well as his desire to improve Connecticut’s economic outlook, as we continue to play catch-up from the recession of ten years ago,” Rep Bolinsky said. “With that in mind, I look forward to working with the governor’s office and my legislative colleagues to find common ground on these and [other] issues over the coming months.”

‘Get To Work’

Following the governor’s address, Senator Hwang said he was ready to “get to work on making a bright future for Connecticut.”

“While Governor Lamont and I don’t always agree, I applaud [his] vision to keep a positive outlook and move forward toward solving problems,” Sen Hwang said. “I, myself, was called to serve because I share that same love and appreciation for this state and my community and a passionate desire to make life better for everyone in our state.”

Sen Hwang said he and the governor differ over how to achieve that positive future.

“There are urgent challenges facing our state that need to be addressed,” he said. “Firstly, funding the needs of the state within the confines of the state budget — including improving our transportation infrastructure. State government needs to collaborate and partner with our local municipalities, rather than mandating demands and policies without respecting local governance or input.”

To that end, Sen Hwang said he was ready to “roll up my sleeves and address our budgetary constraints while reestablishing transparency and trust in state government.”

“We need to impose fiscal discipline to not only look for more revenue/taxes, but to live within our means and prioritize our spending. We need to reflect the values and principles of our households and businesses,” he said. “We need a government that is based on transparency, sustainability, and predictability.”

Sen Hwang also stated he was especially proud to be a member of the General Assembly “when the entire delegation rose to their feet and stood united in agreement with Governor Lamont when he said that this state will never tolerate hate, bigotry, or crime against anyone’s gender, orientation, religion, race, or disability. There is no room for hate in Connecticut.”

There may be room for at least some dislike and division when it comes to some of the budget particulars, however.

While it includes no major tax hikes, sources said the governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year would increase the levy adopted last May on e-cigarettes, offer an amnesty program for captive insurance companies, and impose a new surcharge on those who pay for state licenses and permits by credit card.

The governor also continues to support the legalization of recreational marijuana and the taxation of cannabis sales, but his budget assumes no new revenue from this change, sources said. Instead, Lamont will task the Department of Consumer Protection and the Connecticut Commission on Equity and Opportunity to study the issue over the next year and report back with recommendations.

Gov Lamont also hopes to broaden the public financing program for state elections to allow candidates to use state grants for childcare services. The governor, who has ruled out legally exceeding the state spending cap — despite swelling emergency reserves — submitted a proposal that falls $9 million under the budget cap.

CTMirror reporting from Mark Paznoikas and Keith M. Phaneuf is included in this report.