After pressure from Republican legislators the leadership of the majority party finally relented and held a special session on June 11 to address the pending gas tax increase that was slated to go into effect on July 1. Rep. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, has strongly supported and voted for legislation to give motorists some relief at the gas pumps.

Boucher voted for legislation that was adopted with bipartisan support to:

Block a scheduled July 1 increase in gasoline and diesel taxes,
Allow a cash discount by all gasoline retailers and
Make low-income people eligible for free, fuel-efficient heating systems.
“We are glad the legislative majority finally decided to do something about the gas tax increase,” said Rep. Boucher, “but we could have done more to provide relief to taxpayers and address an economic slowdown.”

Stopping the gas tax increase was proposed in an alternative budget co-authored by Rep. Boucher, first on April 28 and again May 20 in a separate budget proposal. The legislative majority, while agreeing to halt a gas tax increase, failed to adopt other elements in the alternative budget.

Separately, Rep. Boucher opposed a bill to extend for two years a $35 million tax on home sales that was scheduled to expire on July 1. Rep. Boucher had proposed a plan that would have saved home sellers the $35 million, but protected municipalities that have come to depend on the tax.

“This is the wrong time to raise taxes,” said Rep. Boucher. “People are hurting when it comes to buying gasoline and trying to sell their homes. It is unconscionable to add to their misery by increasing state taxes on fuel and on home sales.”

Rep. Boucher proposed and supported amendments that would have exempted from the extended home sales tax:

People who are selling their homes at a loss
Senior citizens who are selling their homes
Veterans who are selling their homes

In addition the House majority leadership finally heard our calls of foul and came to an agreement to pass an ethics bill which was supported by House Republicans. Unlike their previous proposal, this bill will not exclude state government employees from loss of pensions should they engage in illegal or unethical activities.

“Recent history has shown, corruption isn’t limited to elected officials – it is imperative that the possibility of pension revocation apply to state and municipal employees as well as elected and appointed officials equally,” Boucher said.