Connecticut Republicans, governor call health care handout a ‘rat’

HARTFORD — A last-ditch move Monday by Democratic leaders in the Connecticut General Assembly to extend state-funded health benefits to volunteers who serve on the boards of a select group of quasi-public agencies, following swift pushback from Republicans and Gov. Ned Lamont. succeeded in invalidating the proposal. .

The idea was one of dozens of policy riders attached to the larger policy. state spending package, HB 5523, was announced Monday morning, three days before lawmakers adjourned for work in this year’s short legislative session. But within hours, that language was removed from the large bill before it could be voted on in the House of Representatives.

House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said the decision to repeal the bill was due to cost concerns and confusion surrounding the four quasi-public agencies named in the bill. “Certainly, I think there was some work to be done and I think people acknowledged that,” Ritter said.

But the sudden introduction of the bill drew accusations of political cronyism from Republicans, who say the bill benefits political appointees approved by the General Assembly.

“This is something that hasn’t been vetted through the process, it just came out of nowhere, and the people listed in this document are hapless rats,” said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford. ) said. derisive words For policy changes that circumvent the regular committee process.

The Lamont administration also expressed concerns about the proposal, noting its potential conflicts with the Federal Employees Retirement Income Security Act and the cost of about $22,600 per person if they choose to buy insurance.

“This matter is currently under review,” Lamont spokesman Chris Colley said in a statement the same day.

There are 17 quasi-public agencies in Connecticut that receive public funding but typically operate outside of the direct control of state government. Instead, the board has the power to set its own budget and hire and fire employees.

This proposal applies only to officers of the following four quasi-public institutions: Connecticut Lottery Corporation. Connecticut Airport Authority. and the Connecticut Port Authority. Paid employees of these agencies are already considered state employees and are eligible for health insurance and other benefits.

According to one study, the annual cost of providing health coverage to these members can reach $1.1 million. bipartisan fiscal analysis It was released on Monday. Each quasi-public institution was expected to reimburse these costs into the state’s fringe benefits fund, the report said.

Candelora on Monday declined to speculate on the exact source of the action, but suggested to reporters that it came from a politically connected member of one of the affected boards.

“Maybe we need to look at the list of officers of these quasi-governmental agencies and see who has the authority to pass something like that in Congress,” the Republican leader said.

Meanwhile, Ritter noted that Republican-appointed members of these boards would also have benefited from the policy. He said the measure was originally intended as a tool to recruit volunteers to serve on government agency boards, which require specialized backgrounds and intense time commitments.

“If you look at the bulletin board, everyone probably knows someone there,” Ritter said. “Let’s just say this is something that has been talked about for several years, about getting people into more complex quasi-public agencies, about getting more talented people to step up and work on it.”

This change does not affect volunteers who serve on other public boards or committees, such as the Connecticut State University Board of Trustees or the Freedom of Information Commission. Members of boards and commissions that are compensated for their services, such as the Board of Pardons and Paroles, are already eligible to participate in state-sponsored health care plans.