Steven Stafstrom

Last night the Legislative Session ended with a bipartisan state budget compromise. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle came together on behalf of the people of Connecticut to find common ground and move the state forward.

Here are some key components of the budget agreement:

• No income, sales or other state tax increases
• Prevents municipal aid cuts (this includes securing $5 million to reimburse Bridgeport for the Car Tax Transition Grant I helped fight for)
• Provides additional education and other aid for displaced residents arriving from Puerto Rico
• Restores funding to Medicare Savings Program that helps low-income elderly individuals and the disabled pay for the cost of medicine and health care premiums
• Restores $12 million to the Husky A healthcare program which assists more than 13,000 people, many living here in Bridgeport. Individuals earning between 155 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for Husky A
• Restores solvency to the Special Transportation Fund. Avoids bus and rail service cuts, any fare increases and keeps transportation projects on track
• Restore funding to the Energy Efficiency Fund, juvenile justice programs and developmental services
• Maintains reserves in the "Rainy Day" Fund at the highest level in over a decade

The budget agreement is the capstone to a successful legislative session. We also moved forward on economic development priorities, pay equity, women’s health care, drug price transparency, police accountability, clean energy policy and a ban on bump stocks. Stay tuned for more details on enacted legislation in the coming days.

Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as your voice in state government.