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Connecticut GOP Wants Special Session To Kill Food Tax

Jessica Hill
/
AP
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, speaks to the House on the final day of session at the state Capitol in Hartford in 2017.

Republican lawmakers in Connecticut want their Democratic colleagues in the majority to join their petition for a special session before the end of the month.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides says House and Senate Republicans believe a special session is needed to get rid of a new 7% tax on prepared meals sold at grocery stores contained in the Democratic state budget that’s set to take effect in October.

“What we want is to go into special session and just take this language out, that opens up grocery stores, and all the food in it, to this tax.”

Democrats say the tax is the result of a wrong interpretation of language in the budget. Senate President Martin Looney says the State Department of Revenue Service is tasked with fixing the problem.

“What we have done is now bring the DRS interpretation in line with the statute. And no further action is necessary.”

Looney says lawmakers will be in special session later in the year to work on other matters.

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.
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