I do support early voting in Connecticut. I believe a vote sends a direct message to the government about how citizens want to be governed. However, I believe these institutional barriers that could be impacting voter turnout may also allow election to increase the likelihood of fraud. In 2017, the legislation again considered the concept of early voting. This proposed a constitutional amendment to allow the General Assembly to provide a law for early voting. The proposed would allow for in-person early voting fourteen days prior to the election.
While recognizing that removing restrictions in the use of absentee ballots may modernize elections and increase voter turnout, the financially burden on municipalities are too great. Lastly, as presented now early voting increases the likelihood of fraud. The fact is that in 2014 the citizen of Connecticut rejected the early voting concept. I believe we should not reject the will of the voters.
I believe it is important to have strong grass roots organization while political parties engaging the voters and often providing transportation to the registrar of voters in the town and rides to the polls on Election Day.

State Spending Cap- the income tax rates have increased four times since 1991. We still don’t have a constitutional spending cap. Discussion of a spending cap commission occurred in 2015. However, the fulfillment of a 25 year promise should begin in what types of spending should fall under the statutory cap including debt service and distressed municipalities. The best example of this needed spending cap would be the recent absorption of the City of Hartford debt service totaling approximately 534 million over twenty to thirty years.
Teachers Post-Employment Benefits- Connecticut State Teachers Retirement System for which reserves have not been set aside. The 2016 valuation report an unfunded liability of 2.9 billion.
Education Funding -ECS Funding presently, when a town’s student population declines in a given year , the town ECS funding must be reduced . For political reasons the legislature made the decision to ignore or limit this aspect of the formula and to hold the towns harmless. I propose using a Minimum Based Aid ratio this should be phased in over ten years while addressing adjustments to the property to income wealth ratio. A municipality should not be restricted from increased child funding while increasing student population and being good fiscal stewards over a town’s stability.

Special transportation Fund- Statutory lockbox was first passed during 2013 provided that the resources in the STF could only be used for transportation purposes I believe a constitutional amendment must clear and enforceable . A Transportation Lockbox must also clearly capture existing as well as new sources of revenue intended to support transportation infrastructure and maintenance.

How will your address funding the billion dollar state deficit-repeal existing bond authorization and limit new authorizations to conform to a proposed 2 billion bond issuance cap. This proposal is in conjunction with the Prioritized Progress Program which requires additional use of General Obligation bonds and Special Tax Obligation Bonds for transportation only. This will allow us to invest 60 billion in transportation without raising taxes and implementing tolls.