| The actions taken by the General Assembly during
our recent veto session has the potential to affect
the lives of Connecticut citizens for years to come.
Of the 20 bills vetoed by the Governor this year,
the General Assembly attempted to override eight and,
in the end, succeeded in overriding seven. While I originally
supported some of the legislation vetoed by the Governor,
I respected her decision to strike down these bills
and voted to sustain most of the vetoes we acted upon.
However, I did disagree with the Governor’s decision
on one bill that is important to our local communities.
That legislation, House Bill 6649 (Public Act
09-186) An Act Concerning The Programs And Activities
Of The Department Of Transportation, includes provisions
for installing a sign at Exit 37, Route 8 southbound,
for the Watertown Business Park, and for installing
signs on I-84 at exits 15 east and west in Southbury
for the Connecticut Antiques Trail. Over the course
of the regular legislative session, I worked hard to
ensure that both of these locally supported initiatives
were included in this bill. From my point of view, supporting
community efforts to promote local businesses is a way
for the state to make a worthwhile investment in the
future of our region’s economy, help that is especially
welcome during the current recession.
I did vote to sustain the Governor’s vetoes
of seven other bills considered Monday, including legislation
that begins the process of establishing a universal
health care system in Connecticut. I was especially
disappointed when the General Assembly overturned Governor
Rell’s well-thought out veto of the so-called
SustiNet Plan bill because taxpayers simply cannot afford
it, and because it may not work with whatever universal
health care plan is ultimately adopted by Congress.
This legislation, House Bill 6600 (Public Act
09-148), An Act Concerning The Establishment Of The
SustiNet Plan, calls for the creation of a board
charged with making recommendations to the General Assembly
by January 1, 2011 on the details and implementation
of a self-insured health care delivery plan. Among other
things, these recommendations must address the establishment
of a public authority, or other entity, with the power
to contract with insurers and health care providers
and set reimbursement rates. Furthermore, the board
will recommend provisions for phasing in the offering
of the SustiNet Plan to state employees and retirees,
HUSKY A and B beneficiaries, people without employer
sponsored insurance, people with unaffordable employer
sponsored insurance, small and large employers, and
others.
The need for health care reform is a pressing national
issue, but implementing the pricey SustiNet Plan legislation
in Connecticut is not the answer – especially
now when the state is operating under executive order
because the General Assembly has not yet passed a budget
for the current fiscal year. As Governor Rell noted
in her veto message, the state Office of Policy and
Management has estimated that SustiNet has the potential
to cost approximately $1 billion per year. Right now,
the state is facing an $8.5 billion deficit over the
next two years, the unemployment rate is eight percent,
and tax revenues continue to decline. Also, I share
Governor Rell’s concern that the board charged
with making recommendations to the General Assembly
is being forced to choose an approach to health care
reform before there is an analysis of the full costs
of implementing such a plan, along with an analysis
of such a plan’s effectiveness in reducing the
number of uninsured state residents.
Fortunately, the General Assembly did not succeed
in striking down the Governor’s veto of legislation
that, among other things, would have converted the state
employee health care plan to a self-insured plan available
to municipal government workers, non-profit employers
and small employers. In her veto of House Bill 6582
(Public Act 09-147), An Act Establishing The Connecticut
Health Care Partnership, Governor Rell noted that some
of the people this bill is intended to help already
have insurance, others will not be able to afford to
participate, and implementing this legislation could
jeopardize the favorable ratings and costs of the current
state employee insurance plan.
As always, I welcome the opportunity to discuss this,
and other issues, important to our state. I can be reached
at my legislative office in Hartford at 1-800-842-1421,
or via e-mail to Rob.Kane@cga.ct.gov.
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