Sen. Ed Meyer, D-Guilford, just visited the Capitol Press room to announce that he will be voting against the new tax proposals expected to come before the Finance committee this afternoon.
“We are being asked to vote today for an historical increase in state taxes without knowing the significant other side of the budget deficit, namely spending cuts,” Meyer said. “The Appropriations Committee has not yet proposed a spending budget. The governor has, perhaps understandably, not yet offered us any information about his negotiations to obtain large compensation concessions from our public employees. we are virtually ignorant on these two large components of the budget, spending and employee concessions.”
The Appropriations Committee co-chairwoman, Rep. Toni Walker of New Haven, gaveled the meeting at a little after 10, then announced closed-door caucuses. The committee is expected to take up the spending side of the budget at about 1 p.m.