Jill Barry

Governor Lamont unveiled his budget vision during his biennial budget address to the General Assembly. If you missed the speech, you can read the budget on the Governor’s website. There are things to like, others not so much.

This legislative package outlines the Governor’s ideas for the state...it contains long-term and short-term policy objectives. Now it’s up to the public and the Legislature to review and digest the Governor’s budget – figure out what we like, and when we find issues we don’t like, coming up with alternatives.

That is really the key – it’s easy to say you don’t like taxing Big Gulps or having a sales tax on haircuts, but what is your alternative revenue idea or cut?

The budget process begins in earnest in the Legislature’s Finance and Appropriations committees. They will hold public hearings and develop a budget package that will take some of the governor’s ideas, some of the people’s ideas and some legislator ideas.

Over the next few weeks and months, it will be up to the public to weigh in -During this time, I would love your feedback on the budget and to hear what matters most to you and your family. Feel free to email me with your feedback at Jill.Barry@cga.ct.gov.

Our ultimate goal is to craft a final budget document that addresses our concerns and has enough support to pass (hopefully with the support of Democrats and Republicans). It should be a budget that puts the state on solid fiscal ground and invests in our future.

A good budget reflects our values as a state. Help me craft a final product that makes Glastonbury and Connecticut even better places to live, work and raise a family – let me know your thoughts and concerns.