5 days Ago
The moment is now for our state to step up for our residents and our future. Even prior to this presidential administration slashing programs and millions in funding, many Connecticut residents were already feeling the effects of rising costs and just how difficult it is to make ends meet. This version of “making America great” is simply not working for working families in our state.
In Connecticut, we have “ fiscal guardrails ” that establish budget rules for our revenue and spending. In concept, these make sense because Connecticut needs to pay off our long term debt and maintain a strong savings account for a rainy day. But, with Connecticut’s strong financial position, if we continue to prioritize additional debt payments, while so many in our communities suffer, it is like paying extra to your mortgage while your foundation is caving in.
Plus, if we fail to make the public investments most needed on issues, such as healthcare and childcare, we will further jeopardize our economy in the future. For many people in our state, health care is already barely within reach. It doesn’t help that Connecticut has underfunded the state’s Medicaid program for years.
The rates we pay providers for the healthcare they provide hasn’t been increased in nearly 20 years, and in some instances in nearly 30 years. This means that many providers can’t afford to accept Medicaid, causing residents to be delayed or denied care. Now, with federal Medicaid funding on unstable ground, all of us are left wondering what our own healthcare future will look like, and what ripple effects it will have across our economy, our communities, and our public health.
Nearly a million Connecticut residents depend on Medicaid for their health insurance, including roughly 1 in 3 children in our state. We must fight to prevent cuts to Medicaid, and it would be foolish not to prepare for this by adjusting the guardrails. Likewise, too many families are in crisis as they try to find affordable childcare .
Connecticut has the 5th most expensive childcare in the country. With these high costs, families not only struggle to afford care but businesses struggle to fill their open positions. Not only can an investment in early childhood care and education help families and employers, but science has repeatedly confirmed that the earliest years of a child’s life is the single most critical window for their brain development.
This means that the highest rate of economic returns can come to our state from the earliest investments we can make in children from birth to age five. Between the House, Senate and the Governor, there are numerous proposals this session to address the need for more affordable childcare. But to make a difference over the long term, we need to adjust the guardrails and make meaningful investments in these critical areas.
We joined with legislative colleagues to propose common-sense adjustments to these “guardrails” earlier this legislative session. Our state can find the right balance of fiscal discipline and at the same time create the flexibility needed to respond to this moment and make the much needed investments in our residents and our state. We may not know exactly what the next federal action will bring, but we do know that both of us will be fighting for Connecticut families by advocating for a state budget that adjusts the fiscal controls for us to make investments in what our residents need to thrive now and in the future.
State Reps Jillian Gilchrest, 18th District, and Kate Farrar, 20th District.
