Sen. Martin Cites Multiple Flaws in CT State Budget Bill

For Immediate Release 

Noting how it “spends too much, borrows too much and will raise current and future taxes”, Sen. Henri Martin this week voted “no” on the state budget bill.

“Working class people, small businesses and hospitals are already taxed to the max in Connecticut,” Sen. Martin said. “This state budget will further hike taxes, even though we live in a state where taxes are already among the highest in the nation. It hurts regular people and job creators. It busts through our smart bipartisan fiscal guardrails. Republicans were not a part of crafting this budget. I could not support it.”

Sen. Martin also strongly objected to the insertion of non-budgetary legislation into the full budget bill. The controversial language, which had failed to advance through the normal legislative process, pertains to the ability of residents to challenge vulgar, graphic and obscene books in school and public libraries.

“I simply want to protect children from reading and viewing graphic material that depicts and describes sexual conduct that is obscene and extremely offensive,” Sen. Martin said. “Parents have little say in the books or materials the library offers. Under this legislation, viewpoints expressed by authors cannot be rejected by library boards or librarians. The bottom line from my perspective is that material and artistic expression that is given to young people in our school libraries and public libraries across our state should be age appropriate.”

Sen. Martin’s multiple amendments to address his concerns about the bill failed along party line votes.  He said he would continue to speak out in favor of parental rights as well as protecting the dignity of children.