Rep. Smith Rejects State Tax Hikes

Four years ago Connecticut was hit with the largest tax increase in state history. Early Tuesday morning State Rep. Richard A. Smith (R-108) joined his Republican colleagues and voted against the Majority Party’s budget “fix” that does nothing to change the state’s flawed tax and spend policies, and costs Connecticut taxpayers an additional $1.4 billion.

S.B. 1502 – An Act Implementing Provisions of the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2017 concerning general Government, Education and health and Human Services – passed the House of Representatives by a party line vote of 78 to 65.

This budget increases taxes by $1.4 billion, and merely delays the implementation of onerous combined reporting and unitary taxes that require corporations to pay taxes on satellite locations. These new taxes have caused our major corporations to consider leaving the state. “All we are doing is passing taxes down the road, instead of eliminating them,” added Rep. Smith. The budget also allocates salary raises and expands the reach of sales and use taxes on web site services to include creation, development, hosting and maintenance of a web site on the World Wide Web.

“We all know what we have heard from our constituents,” said Rep. Smith. “We all know how strongly our business community opposes this budget. The message we have heard is to not raise our taxes; to not pass this budget. That has been loud and clear. Yet, despite the public and business outcry against this budget, the majority democrats created a perfunctory Commission to study our spend and tax policies and went ahead and implemented the second highest tax increase in the history of the State.” It is no wonder why our residents and businesses are leaving the State for better opportunities. “While we were willing to work on the budget all summer to turn this State around, we, the Republicans,  were not asked to be part of the process and the State is now stuck with an inefficient, bloated government that we can no longer afford – I wish I had better news to report.” added Rep. Smith.

Rep. Smith represents the 108^th General Assembly district communities of New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford and Danbury.