House Republican Press Release

November 1, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Hamzy: Funding for Plymouth Landfill Closing Authorized in 2007 Bonding Package

The 2007 bond package approved this week by the Connecticut General Assembly authorizes funding to help pay for the closing of the Plymouth landfill, state Representative William A. Hamzy, R-78^th District, announced today.

The $2.82 billion bond package (Senate Bill 1502) approved by the state House of Representatives and the state Senate in a special legislative session Tuesday is a compromise package that authorizes significantly less borrowing than the measure that was approved in September by the majority Democrats on party line votes in both chambers.

Governor M. Jodi Rell subsequently vetoed the $3.2 billion Democrat measure, saying it would have authorized excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and would have unduly burdened taxpayers. She has said she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.

“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the bond package approved by the majority Democrats several weeks ago. I opposed that proposal because it called for $3.2 billion in new borrowing. Connecticut taxpayers already shoulder the third-highest per capita state debt in the country and the Democrat proposal would have made that burden harder to bear,” Representative Hamzy said.

“I supported a leaner bond package that was developed by Republican legislators that closely resembled the bill that passed Tuesday. Our proposal showed it was possible to put together a measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote.

“I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that eventually passed. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package,” Representative Hamzy said.

The bond package authorizes $439,025 to help pay for the closing of the Plymouth landfill.

“While it is good news for the town that this important project was included in the bond package, the funding cannot be released until the State Bond Commission signs off on it,” Representative Hamzy said. “I will be working with the Governor’s office in the months ahead to get the funding for the landfill closing included on the agenda for an upcoming Bond Commission meeting. Closing the landfill once and for all is consistent with the state’s environmental priorities. It is a critical project that needs to get started as soon as possible.”