FACT CHECK: Stefanowski Lies About Lamont’s Tax Record to Distract From Reckless Plans

Stefanowski is telling lies on the debate stage to distract from his reckless fiscal agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept 27, 2022

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Hartford, CT —  At today’s debate, Bob Stefanowski continued stooping to desperate attacks that have no basis in reality. The facts speak for themselves, Governor Lamont has cut more than $650 million in taxes for working people and middle class families.

As Hearst Connecticut Media reported, “claims that Lamont raised state taxes by $2 billion, or anything close to that, are just plain wrong.”

Apparently, Bob Stefanowski isn’t paying attention to the headlines and Governor Lamont’s fiscal record:

• Dan Haar Column: “Claims that Lamont Raised State Taxes by $2 Billion, or anything Close to that, are Just Plain Wrong.” [CT Insider, Dan Haar Column, 9/24/22]
• Republican American: Governor signs largest tax cut in state history. [Republican American, 5/9/22]
• Lamont proposes suspending CT gas tax, offering free bus rides for a month.  [CT Insider, 3/14/22]
• News 12: Gov. Lamont signs state budget that includes tax cut for working families. [News 12, 6/23/21]
• CT Mirror: State on pace for another multi-billion budget surplus. [CT Mirror, 9/21/22]
• WSHU: Connecticut receives record $3.1 billion payment into budget reserve fund. [WSHU, 9/21/22]
• CT Mirror: Wall Street agency gives CT its first bond rating upgrade in 20 years. [CT Mirror, 3/31/21]
• WSHU: Connecticut credit rating upgraded by S&P for the second time in two years. [WSHU, 5/24/22]
• Hartford Courant: Largest pension payments in Connecticut history to save taxpayers $11.5 billion over next 24 years, Lamont says. [Hartford Courant, 7/7/22]

1. “Claims that Lamont raised state taxes by $2 billion, or anything close to that, are just plain wrong.” [CT Insider, Dan Haar Column, 9/24/22]

2. A significant portion of that false figure, $516 million paid by hospitals to the state, was not actually a tax as hospitals received that money back in form of  a Medicaid reimbursement, “– so it doesn’t act like a tax – and the state benefits from the federal Medicaid payments.” [​​Hearst Media, 6/9/19; Hearst Media, Dan Haar Column, 6/9/19]

3. Stefanowski repeats a Republican falsehood that Gov. Lamont raised taxes by nearly $2 billion, but the vast majority of that figure was already existing taxes passed before his tenure that were already being paid by residents. [​​Hearst Media, 6/9/19; Hearst Media, Dan Haar Column, 6/9/19]

4. In 2022, Gov. Lamont signed a budget that features the “largest tax cut in state history”, totaling $600 million in tax cuts. Children’s health, early childhood education, pandemic pay, unemployment insurance and more all got boosts from the budget. [Republican American, 5/9/22]

5. Under Gov. Lamont’s leadership, Connecticut’s surplus has hit “record” and “unprecedented” levels, totaling $4.3 billion, allowing the state to pay down $3.5 billion in long term pension debt, “the largest pension payments in state history” saving taxpayers an estimated $11.5 billion over the next 24 years, amounting to $440 million annually. [Hartford Courant, 7/7/22; CT Mirror, 7/20/22]

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