Working to Make CT More Affordable

Jason has worked to ease the burden on Connecticut families and small businesses, provide funding to towns, and invest in our state’s future. This year, the state budget Jason helped craft reduced car taxes, increased the property tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), increased the number of college scholarships, cut taxes on retirement income, reduced the unemployment tax burden for businesses, and increased funding for our schools.

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Economy and the Budget

The state budget is the most important decision that the state legislature makes every two years. The state budget includes funding for programs that impact your lives in ways big and small. One of the most important state funding programs is aid to towns for local government programs and local education. State funding to towns is essential to helping limit property taxes. The state also provides significant funding to towns to renovate and improve local schools. The state budget is also important for maintaining a welcoming and attractive places to start and grow a business. Tax dollars must be invested responsibly and strategically to ensure we achieve a return on investment. 

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Streamlining Government and Encouraging Efficiencies

Connecticut’s multiple layers of government has led to inefficiency in the use of the limited revenue streams that taxpayers provide government. Jason has worked to encourage municipalities to collaborate to provide the services that taxpayers demand. With Jason's help, towns are realizing significant savings and improving the quality of services in areas like IT infrastructure. We can no  longer afford to deal with regional issues, economic and workforce development, public safety and land use/development, on a town-by-town basis.

 

A Focus on Fiscal Stability

A champion of smart fiscal policies, in recent years Jason helped to develop and pass into law measures that have eliminated $11.5 BILLION in pension debt. Not only are we no longer kicking the can down the road, but we are making smart investments that will make our state more competitive in the long run.

Improving Access to Healthcare

Jason supported a new program to provide affordable health insurance to 40,000 residents and required health insurance companies cover life-saving cancer screening procedures. Recognizing the significant need for our young people to access mental health services, Jason worked to ensure we have more counselors, psychologists and other professionals to help our kids when they experience trauma.

  

Protecting Your Rights

As the Supreme Court and other states look to turn back the clock on our civil rights, Jason has been on the front lines of passing legislation to protect our democracy here in Connecticut. In just the past two years, Jason has worked to protect a women’s right to choose, make it easier to vote, end prison gerrymandering, and make it possible for same-sex couples to adopt.

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Remaining Accessible to Constituents and Taxpayers

Jason has always placed a special emphasis on assisting constituents with their needs, being responsive to questions about proposed legislation, and where he stands on issues. This past year, Jason started the 9th District Advisory Committee comprised of a cross-section of East Hartford and Manchester residents to help him ensure that the perspectives of residents in our communities are heard at the Capitol.