The Connecticut General Assembly begins its legislative session Wednesday. House GOP leader Themis Klarides says her minority caucus will continue to oppose the Democratic majority agenda, despite losing 12 seats to the Democrats in November.
Empowered by their increased majority this year, Connecticut Democrats are pushing an agenda that includes the reintroduction of highway tolls, paid family and medical leave, legalization of marijuana, and a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
Klarides says her caucus will do whatever it can to slow down that agenda.
“And we are going to continue to do that no matter how many more numbers we have or how many fewer numbers we have.”
She says she welcomes Democratic Governor Ned Lamont’s call for a fresh start but it has to begin with tackling the state’s budget deficit.
“We have a huge deficit. Those deficits are not stopping and unless we get that straightened out none of these issues matter. They don’t matter, because there won’t be anyone here to care about them.”
Connecticut is expecting a surplus this year but faces more than a billion dollar deficit in the next two years. Lamont has promised to place the surplus revenues in the state’s rainy day fund and to fix the deficit without raising existing taxes.
