Kerry Wood

As we near the final stretch, budget negotiations are on the horizon. Some of the hot button issues are below. These will be further negotiated on Saturday and a final budget may likely have additional changes.

Hospital Tax
Governor Lamont and the state’s hospitals have agreed on a deal related to the provider tax. The hospital tax was a hotly contested issue that, if remained unresolved, would have had major implications on the budget. I heard from many in the district asking for a resolution to this matter, and I’m encouraged by the work that has been done to maintain a good working relationship with our hospitals.

Medicare Savings Program
As part of the current budget, the Medicare Savings Program has been kept whole and will continue to provide needed assistance to our state’s seniors.

Pension & Social Security Income Tax
Under previous legislation, taxation of pension and social security income was being phased out in Connecticut. The current administration’s budget includes a continuation of taxation on this income. Many of us fought to maintain tax breaks on this income as it affected a population of people most reliant on fixed incomes.

Sales Tax Expansion
As a member of the Finance Committee, we were almost successful in removing the sales tax expansion that the Governor proposed in his budget. Interior design services remain in the current version of the budget but engineering, architecture, lawyer, and real estate sales taxes were removed.

On Monday, June 3 at 6 p.m. in the Rocky Hill Town Council Chambers, 761 Old Main Street, the state Department of Transportation will hold a public information hearing on the replacement of the Elm Street Bridges over Route 91. If you cannot make the meeting, you can watch it here.