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News 12 Staff

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I'm Mark Sudall. Welcome back to Power and Politics. State Senator Ryan Fazio joins us now. Welcome. Thanks for having me, Mark. So there's been a lot of talk in the news lately that uh you are considering a run for governor. Tell us about that and where you're at right now. I am considering a run for governor. It's been the honor of a lifetime to serve my home district in the state Senate for the for the past few. Years, but as I look at the state and all the challenges it faces the 3rd highest electric rates in the country, the 3rd highest taxes in the country, I simply believe that the state can do better, um, that we can make the state affordable, that we could create opportunity for all, that we could bring jobs and investment to Connecticut rather than seeing it flee to other states and. Um, that's what brings me to seriously consider, uh, a run for governor, which I think I have to make a decision about in the next month or so. So next month or so you hope you haven't filed paperwork yet, right? So that's not official yet, um, so I know at this point. We've got at least one horse in the race for the Republicans. Westport's Jen Tucker has announced she's running as a Republican, and of course Erin Stewart is still exploring that run. Where why do you think that you'd be the right candidate for the Republicans? Listen, I have respect for both the mayor and the first selectman. I have respect for the Democrats. Considering as well, uh, I'm not gonna make a decision based on anyone else. I'm gonna make a decision on whether I think that I could effectively serve, whether I could effectively lead this state, um, my home state, which has been struggling for many years where middle class families have difficult time making ends meet, um, where electric bills are not. Only making it impossible for people to put food on the table for their family and afford their medicines but also make it impossible for uh job creators to create good middle class jobs as well you know I've led the fight against the public benefits fees in the state Senate. I've fought for fiscal responsibility and tax cuts for the middle class in the state Senate. Um, so I would bring the same fight to the entire state if I were to make the decision to run because I believe Connecticut can do better by regular families. Now Governor Lamont is on our show today and he still hasn't officially put his hat in the in the ring here yet either to run again as governor and now we have a state rep Josh Elliott who's throwing his hat in the ring now uh as a progressive. Uh, is now the time you think for a Republican to be back in the, in the, in the governor's mansion? Yeah, I think it is. I think that regular people wanna see checks and balances and balance in their state government or any government. Connecticut has a 2 to 1 majority for Democrats in the state legislature and has had Democrat governors for the past 16 years straight. I think that when people are forced to work together, they're forced to negotiate and you have checks and balances that you have. Better outcomes. Just this year we saw a state budget that broke the spending cap, broke the volatility cap, and will increase debt spending and also increase taxes by $300 million. That was a party line vote. I don't think in the third highest taxed state in the country we can afford more tax increases, and yet that's what happened under one party rule. We need checks. And balances New England, which leans a little blue, has a history of voting for pragmatic Republican leadership in order to deliver balance and affordability and opportunity for the middle class. I think that's what we need in Connecticut in the next 4 years as well. Now, as you know, Jody Rowe was the last Republican governor here in Connecticut, and I think like you, someone who has who reached across the aisle and can work both sides, I think. Yeah, you know, I have, I have strong principles. I believe in limited government. I believe in affordability. I believe in equality under the law, um, and I think you can stand by your principles and also work effectively with anybody from either party or from any part of the state. I've built relationships with people from all different walks of life in the state government and the state. legislature um and at the same time I've always effectively fought for lower public benefits charges, lower taxes, limited government, freedom and prosperity for all people. I think that's the type of leadership that Connecticut needs and is looking for, um, while also someone who can effectively bring people together across different walks of life in our state. What are some of the things the governor and state Democrats you feel have not addressed? Yeah, well, in the past 6 or 7 years since the governor got elected and Democrats won large majorities in the state legislature in 2018, they've raised taxes by $700 million per year. They've raised public benefits charges by. $400 million per year and Connecticut's economic growth has been 41st in the nation. I for the life of me believe Connecticut can do better than that. We have great people. We have so many things working in our favor except state policies and state leadership that promotes growth and opportunity and affordability for people. If I were to run, I would do and fight for the same things as I have in the state Senate, a $1000 income tax cut for the average family making $100,000 in the state, a $700 or $600 cut in public benefits charges. For the average family in our state, improving access to health care and making health care more affordable for regular families we can do these things we just need the leadership and the will and the people in office who will do them. And make Connecticut affordable for all people. In about the 30 seconds we have left, the governor vetoed that controversial affordable housing bill. What becomes of this now? Well then, the legislature and the governor have said that they want to go back and negotiate a package. I've always believed that we can protect local control of decision making for towns and cities because the government that governs. to the people governs best while also forging state policies that are working in concert with our localities to make housing more affordable and more available, so I encourage the legislature and the governor to actually seek bipartisan solutions where everyone comes to the table rather than passing something in a special session that doesn't have that universal buy in. Ryan, thank you so much. Thanks for having me, Mark. All right, well, next sticker shock about your car tax bill.

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Well, your car tax bill is in the mail, but some drivers are getting a surprise. They owe more even though their vehicle is a year older. So what's going on here? News 12 Connecticut's John Craven explains. Well, some people's car tax bills are going up, and some are actually going down. Why? Well, it's all because Connecticut has a new formula for figuring out how much your car is worth. For some drivers, it's sticker shock. At Norwalk City Hall, Aramis Cardall is paying his car tax, but when he opened the bill, he got quite a surprise. I don't know why, but it went up. Tax collectors across the state say the new formula has drivers confused. We have been getting a lot of questions. Before your car tax was based on the NADA book value. Now assessors use the manufacturer suggested retail price adjusted down 5% each year. The new formula is more predictable. During the COVID pandemic, used car prices skyrocketed. And so did car taxes. Hopefully it's going to simplify things because it's just a straight percentage decrease each year. Most drivers are saving money. My car tax went down from 436 to 197. Wow, same car, same car. Under the old formula, a 2020 Honda Accord LX. It would cost you $313 in Norwalk. Now it's $240 but some drivers will owe more. For a Jaguar XF. The tax bill jumps from $377 to $512. It took me by surprise, the change. I guess that we have to wait. Maybe next year we'll see the difference. Now if you think your car tax bill is too high, you can challenge your vehicle's MSRP in Norwalk, John Craven, News 12, Connecticut. And drivers in Norwalk are seeing another change this year. This year's city car tax rate dropped. That's all our time. I'm Mark Sudall. Thanks for watching.

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Gov. Ned Lamont and state Sen. Ryan Fazio join the show. 

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