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2015 LEGISLATIVE REPORTLavielleGail

Y O U R S T A T E R E P R E S E N T A T I V E

Norwalk,Westport &Wilton

143RD DISTRICT

Capitol Updates by EmailDon’t want to miss an important legislative hearing, or curious about state budget decisions that have an impact on your checkbook? Visit my web site to sign up for updates on these subjects and more: replavielle.com

n 100% voting and attendance record for the 5th consecutive year

n Children’s Champion Award - CT Early Childhood Alliance

n Parent-Child Hero Award - CT Parent Power

n Humanitarian Award – STAR, Inc., for service to people with intellectual disabilities and their families

n Environmental Champion & Transportation Leader – CT League of Conservation Voters

n Appointment to the School Construction Priority List Review Committee

Accomplishments on your behalf

I led successful efforts to defeat proposed legislation (HB 6851) that would have given state-level appointees in a new quasi-public Transit Corridor Development Authority the ability to make planning and development decisions in town and city centers across Connecticut without local approval. Residents and their local representatives in communities throughout the state raised serious concerns about this proposal, as it would have diminished their ability to shape the character of their cities and towns and exposed residents and businesses to increased threats of eminent domain.

Protecting the independenceof local government

Notable legislationGood Government and TransparencyA bill I introduced, which became PA 15-151, ensures rigorous oversight of economic development funds by requiring the state to include in all of its grant agreements with businesses a deadline when they must either 1) return unused grant funds, or 2) apply for authorization to apply unused funds for another purpose.

ABLE Accounts for Persons with DisabilitiesI introduced and strongly advocated for new legislation that allows people with disabilities and their families to save money in tax-free “ABLE” accounts to pay for disability-related expenses like education, health care, transportation, housing, job training and personal support services.

Improving Our SchoolsAs Ranking Member of the Education Committee, I helped craft legislation that allows waivers from costly mandates for school districts that propose innovative ideas for replacing them. Another new law eliminates the minimum budget requirement for high-performing districts and gives more budget flexibility to districts with declining enrollment. Other new legislation we passed requires teacher preparation programs to include comprehensive training in identifying and addressing dyslexia; facilitates reciprocal certification for out-of-state teachers qualified in shortage areas; and requires a statewide comprehensive review of standardized testing practices.

Expanding Emergency Care for EpilepsyI introduced legislation that, as part of PA 15-215, expands emergency care forstudents who have seizures while at school or at a school activity. Previously, only school nurses were allowed to administer emergency anti-seizure medication in a school setting. Now, specially designated and qualified school employees may do so when the school nurse is unavailable, and the Department of Education must provide a training program for these employees.

Connecticut ended fiscal year 2015 on June 30 with a $113 million deficit that had to be closed by tapping the Rainy Day Fund. Now, less than halfway through fiscal year 2016, the state is already facing a deficit of $370 million for the current year, and the legislature’s nonpartisan budget office has projected deficits totaling more than $4 billion for the next three years.

Even after the two largest tax increases in CT’s history, deficits continue to plague the state. The reasons: spending that far exceeds the tax base’s capacity to pay for it, excessive borrowing, massive unfunded liabilities, and growing state labor costs. The result: escalating tax pressure on people and businesses, job growth lagging behind the rest of the country, and lack of funding for infrastructure and services for the neediest. Structural budget changes, not short-term measures, are required to fix these long-term issues.

Connecticut’s budget debate...

Legislators from both sides of the aisle and the administration have recognized that the budget that passed (and that I did not support), exacerbated Connecticut’s finances instead of setting the state on a sustainable path. It was met last spring with vigorous opposition by GE and many other businesses, members of the public, and the media, and passed by only a slim margin. Among its provisions:

n A 7% spending increase over two years

n $1.6 billion in total tax increases, with many onerous changes for the middle class

n Adding 200 new state jobs over two years

n $550 million in tax increases for businesses, including unitary combined reporting

n $212 million in hospital tax increases and a new tax on same-day surgery centers

n $350 million in state employee raises and $228 million for overtime expenses, as well as 12% raises for certain appointees

n A $32 million cut to transportation funding in 2016

The alternative budget plan I supportedThe budget approved by the legislatureMy House and Senate Republican colleagues and I proposed an alternative budget plan that would have spent $765 million less than the adopted budget, required Gov. Malloy to achieve labor savings he promised in 2011, restored funding for programs for the most vulnerable, and introduced significant reforms of labor costs designed to generate savings far into the future. Our proposals included:

n No new tax increases on residents or the businesses employing them

n Phasing out income tax on pension income under $100,000

n Keeping spending under the state spending cap

n Preserving funding for the intellectually disabled, seniors, and the mentally ill

n Ensuring long-term transportation infrastructure funding without new taxes or tolls

n State labor cost reforms, including overtime management and defined contribution plans for new employees, that would save $600 million in 2016-17 and more in future years.

Our alternative budget was initially rejected by majority lawmakers. This fall, however, when expanding deficits demonstrated that the adopted budget wasn’t working, the administration asked us to bring our proposals back to the table for bipartisan negotiations. This is good news for everyone, because the legislature accomplishes the most for its constituents when all of us work together in the interest of the entire state.

I hope that bipartisan collaboration will lead to budget policies that create a predictable and friendly business environment, preserve programs for the neediest, reduce taxes on residents, and make structural reforms that will restore CT’s finances, and beginrepairing its reputation as a place to live, work, and retire.

I was pleased to play a leading role in passing bipartisan legislation in several areas:

n Allows towns and cities to create tax increment financing districts, which open new financing possibilities for municipal economic development projects

n Provides stronger protections against elderly abusen Allows hospital patients to designate a caregiver and requires

hospitals to provide caregivers instructions for home care (CARE Act)n Creates new standards for bicycle safetyn Bans variable rate contracts for residential electricity customersn Facilitates the installation of residential solar

energy systems for homeownersn Requires the development of a long-term

plan to preserve and protect Long Island Soundn Facilitates the state’s acquisition of open spacen Creates a Connecticut Women Veterans’ program

I also supported successful bipartisan legislation that: