Connecticut Republicans are hoping public opposition to some controversial Democratic proposals will help them win upcoming special elections for five vacant General Assembly seats in February.
The proposals include a statewide property tax, a statewide car tax, highway tolls, and a state mandated regionalization of public schools. Proponents say they are needed to help solve the state’s fiscal problems, but Republicans accuse the Democrats of trying to solve the state’s fiscal crisis on the backs of hardworking families.
At an Education Committee meeting, Republican State Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, said school district regionalization, for instance, has little local support.
“Many people that I have heard from have been very distressed, simply because of the existence of the bill, regardless of what it may ultimately say. Because they don’t feel that someone far away should be telling them what to do with their children or how to shape the institutions of their own town.”
Republican House Minority Leader Themis Klarides said new taxes are not what Connecticut voters said they wanted.
“I doubt that when state rep and state Senate candidates went to your door in the fall and they asked you what are you going to do to fix this state, most of them did not say, ‘I’m going to increase your sales tax, I’m going to increase everything that I can find to increase because that’s how we are going to fix the state.’”
The three Senate and two House seats are open because Governor Ned Lamont appointed the lawmakers to positions in his administration.
State GOP Chair J.R. Romano said in a statement that though the vacated seats have long been held by Democrats, the Republicans running for the seats have all pledged to vote against the Democratic initiatives.
Democrats will still have a majority in the General Assembly even if Republicans win all five seats. The special election will be held on Tuesday, February 26.
