After months of negotiation and hearing input from residents across our state, I am happy to pass along great news. On Monday, the House of Representatives approved the $24 billion state budget which provides historic tax relief for working families and makes vital investments in our municipalities, non-profits, child care providers, and more.
To help you understand exactly what is contained in this agreement and how it will support you and your family, I have put together the following summary for you.
Historic Tax Relief Our budget plan CUTS YOUR TAXES by:
Supporting Workers and Manufacturing
Increases work opportunities for young adults
Expands the successful Manufacturing Pipeline program
Creates a new paid internship program at the state Department of Transportation
Focusing on Safety and Justice
Invests in Youth Service Bureaus and Juvenile Review Boards
Increases work opportunities for young adults
Funds state and local task forces to address gun violence and auto thefts
Establishes an office on gun violence prevention
Maintains our commitment to police accountability and our new clean slate laws
These programs work to address some of the underlying causes of crime, but our police and courts need more tools to hold offenders accountable for breaking the law and keep the public safe. We also passed legislation that:
Toughens penalties for vehicle thefts
Addresses lab and case backlogs
Expands the use of GPS monitoring in some cases
Provides more hands-on training and crisis training to police
Investing in Our Children
$41,130,988 for Manchester Public Schools, plus millions more in new money to help with the Town’s share of costs for Manchester students at magnet schools
$27,811,640 for the renovation of Keeney Elementary School – this reflects a reimbursement rate of 83.77 percent and will address any increased construction costs.
Increases funding for special education programs
Increases funding for infant and toddler care programs, as well as pay raises for childcare workers and money to modernize childcare facilities
New state tax credit for childcare
Boosts funding for bilingual education
Supporting Our Communities
$5.5 million for planning and building a new public library
$47,103,904 in total municipal funding for Manchester
$980,303 through Connecticut's payment in lieu of local property taxes (PILOT) program
$100,000 to support the Pathfinders Association
Makes investments in community non-profits
Increases business development funding for minority-owned businesses
Provides support to museums, theaters and other attractions
Makes investments in access to affordable housing
With this budget approved and on its way to the Senate for a vote, and given the many other pieces of legislation we have passed so far this year to promote the financial, physical, and mental well-being of all Connecticut residents, I am optimistic that Connecticut's future remains bright and strong.