CT Senate GOP Statement on Early Education “Off-Budget Slush Fund”

For Immediate Release 

Sen. Heather Somers, Sen. Ryan Fazio and Sen. Stephen Harding issued the following statement regarding the state’s new early education trust fund:

“Republicans support pre-K investments, but it must be done the right way and within the confines of the state budget.

Instead, Gov. Lamont created this off-budget slush fund that exists outside the limits of the state government spending cap.

It flagrantly violates the spirit of our smart bipartisan fiscal guardrails and will lead to future tax hikes on working families.

Back in 2016, these same sleight-of-hand off-budget accounts led Connecticut to be in the worst financial situation that we had been in for years and led to the two highest tax increases in Connecticut history.

State job creators and Republicans oppose this latest gimmick. Gov. Lamont and Democrats embrace it and thumb their noses at taxpayers.

If the Governor and legislative Democrats really believed in investing in our future, they wouldn’t be doing it through slush funds. They would be doing it within the confines of our state budget, as Senate Republicans have consistently championed.”