General Assembly’s Failure
To Pass State Budget & Establish Senate Ethics Process
A Disservice To Connecticut Residents
State Senator Rob Kane (R-32) today said
Connecticut residents need to be reassured that the
General Assembly will accomplish more during its special
summer session than it did during the regular legislative
session.
“We are in the midst of a serious recession,
thousands of people have lost their jobs, unemployment
is at 7.9 percent, our existing state budget is in deficit,
and we are looking at a projected budget deficit for
the next two years of close to $9 billion. Following
a five month long legislative session, there is no definitive
plan to close the existing budget deficit, and with
just a few weeks left until the beginning of the next
fiscal year, no agreement on a new state budget. The
people who elected us deserve better,” said Senator
Kane, a member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations
Committee.
Senator Kane said that state residents also should
be asking why the State Senate Democratic majority rejected
a Republican proposal to establish a permanent bipartisan
committee to handle ethics complaints regarding state
senators.
“I was disappointed when only one Democratic
Senator joined the Republicans in voting for this sensible
resolution. I believe that most people, if asked, would
agree that it makes sense for us to have a permanent
bipartisan procedure in place to deal with ethics complaints
filed against us,” said Senator Kane.
Senator Kane characterized the regular session as
disappointing.
“I was disappointed by the Democratic majority’s
insistence on pushing through legislation Connecticut
cannot afford and legislation that most people do not
support. Meanwhile, legislation intended to help us
recover from the recession, such as my proposal to help
along planned improvements at Oxford Airport, were left
by the wayside. It is my hope that, once we have a new
state budget in place, the General Assembly will have
a more productive and beneficial legislative session
in 2010,” said Senator Kane.
Meanwhile, Senator Kane said he is committed to working
in a bipartisan manner to pass a state budget by the
beginning of the fiscal year on July 1st.
“I remain committed to working in a bipartisan
manner with the Governor and legislators to pass a budget
that is in the best interests of our state. In the end,
the best budget for Connecticut would be one that refrains
from imposing massive tax increases, and that strives
to reinvent state government as smaller, more efficient
and less expensive. This is the type of responsible
state budget that I will continue to support,”
said Senator Kane.
|
