Breakdown of State Budget Process and Speed Safety Cameras
April 20, 2023| STATE BUDGET PROCESS |
We are more than halfway through the regular session, and this is the time of year when legislative activity picks up in the Connecticut General Assembly.
After weeks of holding public hearings, the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and Appropriations Committee approved their respective budget proposals (Appropriations handles the spending side and Finance handles the revenue side).
The next step is negotiations and compromise. Legislators will work with the governor and his staff to craft the final budget agreement. The bill then goes before the House and Senate for consideration. After both chambers pass the proposal, the governor must sign the final budget into law before the end of the fiscal year, June 30.
Take a look at the graphic below for a glimpse of the budget process timeline.
I will keep you posted as we bring the budget bill to the floor to be debated and voted on in the coming weeks.
| SPEED SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAM |
I fully support a brand-new speed safety camera pilot program, which is designed to reduce crashes in DOT work zones. The state’s first speed cameras, which are mounted on three SUVs, went up last week. You may have driven past one of them at night on I-95 in Norwalk.
This program came about after we passed a transportation bill that I fully advocated for to protect workers and drivers. The speed safety cameras are not designed to create new sources of revenue but to change behaviors. There have been far too many crashes in work zones, which has led to unnecessary tragedy.
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Here is what you need to know about this program:
- Cameras only deployed at DOT work zones through the end of the year
- Locations of the cameras are advertised -- click here to see them
- First infraction is a warning, second is a $75 fine, and third is a $150 fine
The Department of Transportation continues to track speeds and to assess the situation. We will have more results as more data comes in. My hope is the speed safety pilot program will result in safer work zones.
| FREE PARKING FOR HUGE LIBRARY FUNDRAISER |
You can still register and get free parking for a huge fundraiser at Ferguson Library. "A Novel Affair” is taking place tonight from 6 p.m. -9 p.m. Free parking is at One Landmark Square Propark Garage. Make sure to pickup a voucher at the event!
Fundraising from “A Novel Affair” allows the library to buy books for children as well as adults and provide services like children’s early literacy programs, job skills training, English language learning and more.
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