One week before Governor M. Jodi Rell unveils her 2007-2009 biennial budget, Republican leaders in the State Senate today called upon her and Democrat leaders in the General Assembly to protect the integrity of the state’s constitutional spending cap.  Led by Senate Republican Leader Louis C. DeLuca (R-Woodbury), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David J. Cappiello (R-Danbury) and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee Ranking Member William H. Nickerson (R-Greenwich), the senators made clear their opposition to any effort to exceed the cap that was mandated by nearly 81% of Connecticut voters in 1992.

"Senate Republicans will fight to maintain the integrity of the spending cap," said Senator DeLuca.  "More than 80% of Connecticut voters mandated the cap to control spending and keep taxes low.   We owe it to those voters to adhere to its rules." 

The Senators said that the spending cap has achieved the goal of limiting spending to an affordable level that protects taxpayers while allowing for new programs in health care, education and transportation.  A historical look shows how much state spending has been controlled under the cap:

• Spending growth in the six years prior to passage of the Spending Cap (FY 85-91) averaged 11.6%;
• In the first 10 years after the spending cap was established, growth was held to 5.3% annually, which equaled the growth of personal income;
• Over the last six years, budget growth has increased 4.5% annually, slightly above the growth in personal income;
• Continued increases in spending without the restraints of the cap could have resulted in a current budget of approximately $44 billion compared with the $16.8 billion that it actually stands at now.

“Any decision to circumvent the cap and defy the overwhelming majority of Connecticut residents is not only fiscally irresponsible but unconstitutional as well,” said Senator Cappiello.  “To think that if the spending cap were not in place that we would be facing a state budget over two and a half times what our budget currently stands at is unimaginable.    I think it is safe to say that the spending cap works and we should do everything possible to protect it.”

“The beauty of the spending cap is that is does exactly what it set out to do when voters approved it,” said Senator Nickerson.   “It provides a valuable fiscal imperative that places safety curbs on the budget to prevent runaway spending.  If you look back over the past decade and a half you will see that spending has been held in check due in large part to the spending cap.   We have never adopted a budget which prospectively breaks the cap, and we should not start now – particularly as there is no ‘emergency or extraordinary circumstances,’ as required by the constitution as justification for doing so.