Scribner: Governor’s Budget Proposal an Excellent Start

The spending plan delays several state mandates on towns and cities, including the school suspension law scheduled to take effect in July. In addition, the governor’s proposal would delay implementation of the program to treat 16 and 17 year old offenders as juveniles to save an estimated $95 million for towns and cities. Rep. Scribner voted in favor of legislation to delay both measures in January. The proposals were defeated in largely party-line votes.

Rep. Scribner, who serves as a member of the Legislature’s tax-writing Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and as elected Treasurer for the Town of Brookfield, noted that the state is facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis. The deficit forecast for the current fiscal year is more than $900 million and approximately $8 billion for the 2010 and 2011 Fiscal Years. The Governor’s proposal consolidates numerous state agencies into others and reduces the state workforce including:

• Elimination of 400 currently unfilled positions and the elimination of 462 positions through the consolidation of commissions and agencies.
• Elimination of a number of small agencies within the purview of the Legislature

The spending plan also calls for employee concessions and other considerations from state employees, totaling $275 million in savings in each of the two years of the budget. It also builds in $2 billion in anticipated federal money including hundreds of millions in Medicaid payments.

“Retaining state funding for education and municipal aid are certainly highlights of the governor’s proposal,” said Rep. Scribner. “We already live in the most heavily-taxed state in the nation and with the deficits that are forecast, it’s clear taxpayers cannot afford the state government in place today. While I’m certain there will be adjustments made to governor’s plan before is adopted this spring, it must include serious reductions.”