In a wide-ranging interview by CT-N on the opening day of the 2016 legislative session, Representative Bob Godfrey gives his views of the issues that legislators will have to face this year.

Because state revenues have not been as strong as we anticipated last year when we approved the current 2016 state budget, we voted earlier this month to cut spending by $350 million, or one-half of 1 percent of the $40 billion biennial state budget, thereby closing Connecticut’s budget deficit for the State Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2016.

Because state revenues have not been as strong as we anticipated last year when we approved the current 2016 state budget, we voted earlier this month to cut spending by $350 million, or one-half of 1 percent of the $40 billion biennial state budget, thereby closing Connecticut’s budget deficit for the State Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2016.

102 champions graduated the WorkPlace’s Platform 2 Employment program. The legislature originally funded the program in 2014. I was so proud to be part of the celebration at Gateway.

Late last week, Sen. Mae Flexer, Rep. Susan Johnson and I held a press conference outside Windham Hospital alongside current and former hospital employees protesting Hartford Healthcare’s proposed service and position cuts at our own Windham Hospital.