John-Paul Dorais

Connecticut families work hard for their money. They should not have to watch more of every paycheck disappear into taxes while state government continues to grow.

Earlier this year, Senate Republicans proposed a major affordability package focused on permanent tax relief and greater fiscal discipline. The plan included a $1 billion working- and middle-class income tax cut, with relief targeted toward families and individuals who need it most. It would also effectively eliminate the car tax for many working families through a refundable income-tax credit while protecting municipal revenue.

The plan would also:

• Cap annual municipal property-tax levy increases at the greater of 2% or inflation, while allowing voters to approve exceptions for major projects.
• Eliminate occupational licensing fees for professions including electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, teachers and real estate professionals.
• Reduce Connecticut's Paid Family Leave payroll tax by 20%.
• Rein in the growth of government spending and demand greater accountability for taxpayer dollars.
• Target waste, fraud and abuse before asking taxpayers for more.

Connecticut doesn't need another temporary rebate or election-year gimmick. Families need lasting relief and a state government that treats every tax dollar as carefully as Connecticut families treat their own money.

Safe communities are the foundation of a strong Connecticut.

Senate Republicans have supported efforts to strengthen police and firefighter recruitment and retention, including tuition assistance and programs designed to help public-safety professionals purchase homes in the communities they serve.

They have also fought against policies they believe unnecessarily restrict law enforcement officers from doing their jobs. Senate Republicans proposed public-safety exceptions to legislation restricting cooperation with federal authorities, including exceptions involving violent and sexual offenders, terrorism concerns and imminent threats of violence.

Connecticut should give police officers the tools, training and support they need to protect the public while holding government accountable for maintaining safe communities.

That means recruiting and retaining qualified officers, standing behind the men and women who protect our neighborhoods, and making sure the law puts the safety of innocent people first.

Connecticut should not force families and small businesses to subsidize massive data centers while residents are already struggling with some of the nation's highest electricity costs.

The legislature created special tax incentives for data centers in 2021. Connecticut should go much further in protecting taxpayers and neighborhoods before approving additional large-scale data-center development. A moratorium on data centers should be considered as an option.

Before additional projects move forward, Connecticut should consider their impact on electric demand, grid reliability, local infrastructure, water resources, property taxpayers and surrounding communities.

Economic development matters, but it should never come at the expense of the people already living and doing business here.

Connecticut families shouldn't dread opening their electric bills.

Senate Republicans have proposed removing public-benefits charges from electric bills and moving legitimate state programs into the normal state-budget process, where lawmakers must debate their costs openly rather than burying them in monthly utility bills.

Their energy affordability proposals would also cap certain power-purchase agreements at 2.5 times the wholesale price of electricity and prevent PURA from creating programs that increase ratepayer costs without legislative approval.

Senate Republicans have argued these reforms could save ratepayers a substantial sum of money annually while bringing greater transparency and accountability to Connecticut's energy policy.

Connecticut needs an energy policy focused first on reliability and affordability.

Connecticut is a great place to live — but too many families are wondering whether they can afford to stay.

Property taxes, income taxes, car taxes, electric bills, housing costs and everyday expenses are consuming more of household budgets. Small businesses face many of the same pressures.

Senate Republicans have proposed a comprehensive affordability agenda aimed at attacking those costs rather than simply treating the symptoms.

Their proposals included:

• A $1 billion working- and middle-class income tax cut.
• Effective elimination of the car tax for qualifying working families.
• Limits on property-tax growth.
• Lower electric bills.
• Reduced payroll taxes.
• Elimination of numerous occupational licensing fees.
• Expanded access to association health plans for small businesses and workers.
• Greater scrutiny of government programs that increase costs for taxpayers and ratepayers.

The objective is not another one-time check from Hartford. It is structural change that leaves Connecticut residents with more money in their pockets year after year.

Connecticut needs more housing options that working families, young people, and seniors can afford. But the answer is not handing more power to Hartford and imposing one-size-fits-all zoning mandates on every community.

Housing decisions should remain where they belong: with our towns and the people who live there.

Every 17th District community is different. Our cities, suburbs, and rural towns have different infrastructure, schools, transportation networks, water and sewer capacity, and development needs. Local elected officials, planning and zoning boards, and residents understand those needs better than state bureaucrats.

In the State Senate, I will support policies that:

• Protect local zoning authority and oppose state mandates that override community planning decisions.
• Encourage housing development through incentives, not mandates, giving towns the flexibility to determine what works locally.
• Make it easier to build responsibly by reducing unnecessary state regulations, delays, and costs that drive up the price of new housing.
• Support infrastructure investment so communities have the roads, sewers, water systems, and services necessary to accommodate appropriate growth.
• Respect taxpayers by considering the impact new development can have on schools, municipal services, infrastructure, and property taxes.

Connecticut can increase housing opportunities without stripping towns of their voice. We should work with municipalities, builders, homeowners, and residents to remove unnecessary barriers and encourage responsible development, rather than dictate what every neighborhood must look like from Hartford.