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Needleman: State Budget Cannot Be Taken Lightly

While two weeks still remain in the legislative calendar, I am heartened by the work we are focusing on in Hartford. We know the state budget is something that cannot be taken lightly, and we continue to invest our time and effort into supporting every resident of our state.

Chief among this important work is the bonding package approved by my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee in recent weeks. This package, which was hard-fought and which we will continue to approach and improve in coming weeks, funds vital programs and services that impact so many across our state. It represents our support for important initiatives that will serve to benefit hundreds of thousands.

The Democratic state budget provides millions of dollars to invest in workforce development. By supporting our manufacturing pipeline, our youth employment program and our job funnel programs, we bolster our economy and ensure our workforce is ready not just to fill the jobs of the future, but excel in them, pushing business and our economy forward.

The budget goes further by fully funding important education initiatives. Our children, and our future, deserve as much as we can give them to ensure their success. This budget continues vital initiatives, among them increasing funding for K-12 education by tens of millions of dollars and, importantly, fully funding the Education Cost Sharing formula, as required by the 10-year phase-in that began two years ago with the adoption of the bipartisan budget. Without these important investments, our schools simply cannot achieve the quality of education Connecticut is known for.

Further, I’m excited to announce that, in collaborating with my fellow senators Matt Lesser, Mary Abrams, and Christine Cohen, we are working to secure funding for a proposed fire training facility in Middlesex County. This will serve to benefit and strengthen the skills and abilities of our community firefighters, preparing them for the ever-changing requirements of modern emergency response.

We still have plenty of work remaining in the coming weeks, though I will be involved closely with many ongoing issues, including the continued discussion of tolling in the Transportation Committee. I’m working hard to ensure no tolls will be installed on Route 2 or Route 9, and making sure all discussions of tolling involve the important reduction of the gas tax. We are still working on language and content of our many bills left to be discussed, but I am ready for the challenge in front of us in supporting and representing every Connecticut resident.