Cappiello Proposal Could Save the State Millions Each Year

The Appropriations Committee held a public hearing Tuesday on legislation that examines the possibility of utilizing private providers for certain state services. Senator David Cappiello (R-Danbury) has been a lead proponent of this idea for several years.

"This is an idea that I have been pushing for quite some time and I'm glad that the Appropriations Committee is finally taking some action," said Senator Cappiello. "The cost of providing these state services has been escalating out of control. There is not an endless stream of state funds available, so we need to begin to explore more creative ways to pay for these services in a more effective and efficient manner."

"Our primary mission has always been, and will continue to be, providing the best possible care to those Connecticut citizens in need. But by privatizing many of these services we can save the state hundreds of million of dollars. This would enable us to direct some much needed resources to our non-profit community and even expand state assistance to more citizens throughout Connecticut."

Raised Bill Number 608 would require both the Department of Mental Retardation and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to compare the costs of using public versus private work and then utilizing the private businesses if their work would result in significant savings for the state.