By Kathy Kennedy
State Rep., R-119
Kathy Kennedy
“Are lawmakers doing anything about our utility costs?” said one constituent who was left wondering if she had to reevaluate her monthly budget to feed her family and keep the lights on. Whether it was in an email, Facebook group or protest, Connecticut residents deserve to know what their elected officials are doing to make our state more affordable.
The Energy and Technology Committee held a routine meeting on March 13 to vote on bill proposals that, if approved, would then be subject to debate in the House and Senate. One of these key proposals was Senate Bill 647, An Act Concerning Protections for Consumer Access to Affordable Electricity.
In this Republican-led bill, we addressed your concerns with utility rate increases and the public benefits charge by shifting these costs into the state budget process. This means that the public benefits costs will be paid by our state budget, taking the burden off of ratepayers while continuing to support residents who rely on these benefits.
Additionally, this bill would have been key to not overpaying for energy, studying alternative energy sources like natural gas and nuclear, and eliminating any unnecessary electric vehicle mandates that limit consumer freedom and economic development. Sadly, leaders on the Energy and Technology Committee thought differently.
Here’s what happened. A week before this meeting, the Energy and Technology Committee hosted a public hearing on this same bill. It garnered support from a remarkable 700-plus residents throughout the state, many from Milford and Orange. Yet to the majority party, that wasn’t enough.
Remember, this is an issue that affects Democratic, Republican, unaffiliated and unregistered voters alike; why wasn’t it passed?
When SB 647 was given the opportunity to move forward in the legislative process, majority Democratic leaders rejected our proposal. Not only was it rejected, but these same leaders refused to even allow this bill on the meeting agenda, leaving no opportunity for open discussion and a vote.
Ever since I was elected to be your voice, I have always worked hard to represent our diverse community of ideas and concerns, despite political affiliation. With a statewide concern like the rising cost of utilities, we cannot afford to put political parties before our constituents.
I want to thank all of my constituents who submitted public testimony, participated in public hearings and contacted me about this issue, because your voice matters. As we transition from our committee meetings to conversations on the House floor, I look forward to revisiting this affordable proposal and fighting for you.
As always, please never hesitate to contact me at Kathy.Kennedy@housegop.ct.gov or at 860-240-8700 with your questions, ideas and concerns. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and visit RepKennedy.com to subscribe to my brief email updates.