Every Connecticut Republican Who Voted Against New Funding for Their Own Towns

• Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, 27 Republicans voted against $270 million in combined municipal aid

• Republican no votes came from legislators whose hometowns stand to receive hundreds of thousands — in some cases millions — in new funding

• S.B. 1 passed anyway; their constituents will receive the money despite their representatives’ votes

The legislature voted Saturday to adopt a state budget with $190 million in additional education funding for Connecticut towns and cities. Although the budget drew bipartisan support in both chambers, a handful of Republicans voted against boosting funding for their district’s classrooms.

Senate Bill 1 cleared the General Assembly on back-to-back votes in the Senate and House over the weekend. The adjustments to the second year of the two-year state budget won overwhelming support from lawmakers and advocates for local taxpayers, who said the budget’s combined $270 million increase in municipal aid would relieve pressure on local property taxes.

“This additional investment of $270 million represents an important and welcome step toward addressing the growing fiscal pressures facing municipalities, school districts, and local taxpayers,” Joe DeLong, president and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities said, according to CTNewsJunkie. “By helping to close critical funding gaps, these resources will provide much-needed stability and help communities manage costs without further burdening property taxpayers.”

That broad consensus was reflected in the votes taken by legislators on Saturday. S.B. 1 passed 30-6 in the Senate and 127 - 21 in the House. Some Republicans voted against school funding for their own towns anyway. Here is every legislator who put partisan politics first, and the money their hometowns will receive despite them:

Senate

• Sen. Rob Sampson voted against $591,164 in new funding for his hometown of Wolcott (Waterbury, also in the senator’s district, will receive roughly $19.89 million)

• Sen. Jason Perillo voted against $498,576 in new funding for his hometown of Shelton

• Sen. Tony Hwang voted against $940,799 in new funding for his hometown of Fairfield

• Sen. Stephen Harding voted against $101,270 in new funding for his hometown of Brookfield (Torrington, also in the senator’s district, will receive roughly $3.50 million)

• Sen. Eric Berthel voted against $143,212 in new funding for his hometown of Middlebury

• Sen. Ryan Fazio voted against $272,010 in new funding for his hometown of Greenwich

House

• Rep. Tim Ackert voted against $379,369 in new funding for his hometown of Coventry

• Rep. Vincent Candelora voted against $342,390 in new funding for his hometown of North Branford

• Rep. Jay Case voted against $457,054 in new funding for his hometown of Winchester (Torrington, also in the representative’s district, will receive roughly $3.50 million)

• Rep. Tina Courpas voted against $272,010 in new funding for her hometown of Greenwich

• Rep. Anne Dauphinais voted against $956,879 in new funding for her hometown of Killingly

• Rep. Mark DeCaprio voted against $598,016 in new funding for his hometown of Colchester

• Rep. Doug Dubitsky voted against $221,891 in new funding for his hometown of Chaplin (Norwich, also in the representative’s district, will receive roughly $9.04 million)

• Rep. Craig Fishbein voted against roughly $1.12 million in new funding for his hometown of Wallingford

• Rep. Martin Foncello voted against $101,270 in new funding for his hometown of Brookfield

• Rep. Irene Haines voted against $177,714 in new funding for her hometown of East Haddam

• Rep. Arnold Jensen voted against $250,162 in new funding for his hometown of Oxford

• Rep. Tracy Marra voted against $89,712 in new funding for her hometown of Darien

• Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco voted against $591,164 in new funding for her hometown of Wolcott

• Rep. Tom O’Dea voted against $74,350 in new funding for his hometown of New Canaan

• Rep. John Piscopo voted against $261,988 in new funding for his hometown of Thomaston

• Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes voted against $277,357 in new funding for her hometown of Woodbury

• Rep. Amy Romano voted against $498,576 in new funding for her hometown of Shelton

• Rep. Donna Veach voted against $657,138 in new funding for her hometown of Berlin

• Rep. Steve Weir voted against $270,166 in new funding for his hometown of Hebron

• Rep. Lezlye Zupkus voted against $281,175 in new funding for her hometown of Prospect (Waterbury, also in the representative’s district, will receive roughly $19.89 million)

• Rep. Joe Zullo voted against roughly $1.14 million in new funding for his hometown of East Haven

By Hugh McQuaid