Connecticut Republicans and Democrats campaigning for the state General Assembly this November battle over who can best improve affordability.
The Republican minority in the state House and Senate announced its proposal, called “A More Affordable Connecticut,” last week.
The plan would reduce state income taxes, eliminate the highway use tax and the sales tax on meals sold at grocery stores, and impose a one-year gas tax holiday, said Senate Republican Minority Leader Stephen Harding.
“These are all measures that will in totality reduce taxes by over $2 billion in the next two years,” Harding said.
“And our thought process is that instead of worrying about finding more ways that we can find ways to spend, how about returning more money back to the taxpayers,” he said.
Democrats have already taken steps to make the state more affordable, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Bob Duff said.
“By providing more money for educational funding and municipal aid that keeps property taxes down,” Duff said.
He dismissed the GOP pitch and criticized state Republicans for being silent about Trump administration policies that Democrats blame for the affordability crisis.
“We are going to be talking about fighting against the Trump regime,” Duff said. “We are going to be talking about making sure we are filling in some of those holes from the cruel, chaotic cuts coming from Washington, D.C., and the Republicans.
“And we are going to be holding state Republicans accountable. Because they have yet to say one word,” Duff said.
Connecticut Democrats hold supermajorities in both houses of the state General Assembly and control all the statewide constitutional offices heading into the November election.
