Nuccio Introduces New 'Lockbox' Bill

TOLLAND, CT — State Rep. Tammy Nuccio (R-53) recently introduced legislation intended to prevent the diversion of money from the Special Transportation Fund, which finances the state’s transportation infrastructure and is facing insolvency by the year 2024.

"While Governor Lamont and Connecticut Democrats argue the Fund is suffering from a lack of revenue, it is the historic mismanagement of the STF that is the great threat to its solvency," Nuccio said.

She continued, "The STF is projected to be insolvent by 2024 and, by all indications, the Governor and Connecticut Democrats intend to lean on Connecticut residents to fill in the gaps," said Rep.

Nuccio is a career insurance analyst currently serving her first term in the state legislature.

Nuccio said Lamont's support for the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative, which Lamont claims could raise $90 million for the STF by way of a surcharge on the price of gasoline, prices her point.

House Joint Resolution No. 5415 would propose an amendment to the state constitution ensuring that any revenues derived from transportation — like those from the motor vehicle fuels tax — could not be diverted to unrelated programs. Nuccio insists that, in a time when so many residents are being more careful with how they spend their money, the state government should be doing the same, especially with funding for aging critical infrastructure like roads and bridges.

"The idea of saving money is a nonpartisan one. There’s clear consensus in our community that Connecticut needs to be a lot more judicious about how it spends their tax dollars," Nuccio said. "In recent years, $1 billion in motor fuels tax revenue has been shifted to non-transportation budget line items while Connecticut Democrats have called for additional taxes to pay for unfunded infrastructure projects and repairs."

According to Nuccio, the state's greatest transportation needs are its crumbling roads and bridges.

"These needs aren’t addressed through the TCI, as new funding would go to rapid transit, bike share, and a struggling commuter rail system that is operating at just a fraction of its typical ridership," she said. "It's abundantly clear to anyone who has followed the sad saga of the past two decades that Connecticut's transportation system doesn't just have a funding problem, it has a spending problem."

House Joint Resolution No. 5415 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Transportation where it awaits further action.