2021 State Budget

June 16, 2021
Last week, the end of our 2021 Regular Legislative Session came to a close. I am proud of the work we accomplished, especially given the new and unprecedented ways that we learned in order to stay connected with each of you.
 
I am grateful for your input, participation and recommendations throughout the last few months as we worked together on issues and priorities that you care about and that I adopted as my own.
 
This session, we passed a $46.4 billion biennium budget with a $2.3 billion surplus that offers relief from the impact of COVID-19, helps jumpstart our economy, and invests in our cities and towns, nonprofits and working families. 
 
We also kept our commitment to funding local schools – ensuring we give towns predictability by honoring our formula for state grants, and ensuring no town receives less than it got the year before.
Our 2022-2023 Biennium budget: 
  • Does not raise taxes: no capital gains, no consumption taxes, no convenience tax, no gas taxes and no statewide property taxes
  • Increases the state's earned income tax credit to 30.5% of the federal credit to help middle class families
  • Pays down our long-term debt, rejecting kicking the can down the road
  • Backs our non-profits that support our safety net in group homes and nursing homes and vital organizations like the Women's Business Development Council, that support women and minority council
  • Invests in our municipalities through ECS and PILOT funding.
Education Cost Sharing Funds for the 19th District
(Note: Avon funds are first, Farmington funds are second, and West Hartford funds are third in the graphic below)
 

                            
 

  • Includes tax relief for restaurants and allows certain businesses to keep 13.6% of the 7.35% sales tax they collect on sales of meals and beverages for FY 22
  • Eliminates the admissions tax for entertainment venues as of July 1, 2021
  • Maintains our historic balance in the state's $3.5 billion Rainy-Day Fund
  • Supports small businesses and minority-owned businesses
  • Expands workforce training so that we can get people back to work
  • Fully funds debt-free community college
  • Includes relief for arts, culture and tourism

In addition, we listened to many of you and provided increased funding for hospitals and local health departments in response to COVID-19. We included additional resources to those on the frontlines of the pandemic including nursing homes, prisons, schools and nonprofit providers. We are also delivering the necessary tools for state agencies to safely reopen and serve our residents.

As we recover emotionally and financially from the pandemic, adopt a balanced state budget, and move forward with a wide variety of accomplishments this session, I am optimistic that Connecticut is coming back stronger than ever before.