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Hartford Democrats Slam Trump For Tax Increases On Conn. Residents

John Phelan
/
Wikimedia Commons
The Connecticut Capitol Building in Hartford

Connecticut Senate Democrats took advantage of Monday’s income tax filing deadline to once again blast President Donald Trump’s tax cut. They say Connecticut taxes increased by $2.8 billion this year because of Trump’s cap on state and local tax deductions.

State Senator Julie Kushner said she and her husband are retired, but saw their federal taxes go up.

“We filed our taxes this year, and we are paying $10,800 more than we paid last year. And there’s something wrong with that.”

Senate President Martin Looney says a recent study shows that 41 percent of Connecticut taxpayers now pay more in federal income taxes. That’s the second highest in the nation, while federal taxes on corporations and the wealthy have been lowered.

“The result is that the number of companies paying no taxes went from 30 to 60.”

Democrats proposed a state mansion tax and a separate state tax rate for capital gains income to get wealthy people to contribute more.

Senate Republican Minority Leader Len Fasano accused the Democrats of trying to distract from their own record. He alleges Democrats passed some of the biggest tax increases in Connecticut history and are seeking more tax increases this year.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.