Rebimbas discusses vote against budget plan

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Rosa Rebimbas
Rosa Rebimbas

HARTFORD — State lawmakers approved a plan last week to close a projected budget deficit mostly along party lines with Democrats in the House and Senate carrying the proposal to approval.

State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R-70) was among the legislators that voted against the plan. She said she voted against the plan because it did not address long-term structural changes to the state budget process, and negatively impacted vocation-technical education and public safety.

“I could not in good conscience vote to pass legislation that only temporarily addresses the state’s fiscal stability,” Rebimbas said in a press release.

The state’s budget was facing a deficit between $350 and $370 million.

Rebimbas said Republicans proposed several ideas to address structural needs, including implementing a constitutional spending cap and capping state bond allocations to $1.8 billion per year.

Rebimbas did speak favorably about the plan to establish a transportation “lock box” to protect money set aside to repair the state’s infrastructure.

“While not perfect, I supported the transportation lock box plan presented today because it is a step toward securing funding for Connecticut roads, rails and bridges,” Rebimbas said.

The plan was put forth as a Constitutional Amendment and passed the House, but did not meet the required three-fourths percent needed to place it on the 2016 ballot. That means the bill must come before the legislature again in 2017.