Bryan Hurlburt – State Representative

A day after contacting the governor’s office, State Representative Bryan Hurlburt, who represents Ashford, Tolland and Willington in the General Assembly, helped secure an agreement that will keep Willington’s Interstate 84 rest stops open.

“I very much appreciate the willingness and flexibility of the administration to rethink this,” Hurlburt said. “We are always telling drivers to pull over and take a break if they are tired, so let’s not send a contradictory message.”

The Department of Transportation had announced the closing of both the east and westbound rest stops effective July 1 to cut an estimated $400,000 in maintenance costs, but Hurlburt argued that public safety and community concerns outweighed any estimated savings. 

“First and foremost, we must consider the safety of truck drivers and others travelling on the roads,” Hurlburt wrote in a June 7 letter to the Governor Malloy. “Over tired truckers and drivers are a serious safety concern.”

Hurlburt also noted that charitable organizations, such as the Boys Scouts and Willington Historical Society, often offer “coffee breaks” at the rest areas as fundraisers.

All of the state’s seven non-commercial highway rest stops were scheduled to be closed over the next two years at an annual saving of $1.3 million, with Willington’s being the first. The other stops are located in Danbury, Middletown, North Stonington, Southington and Wallingford.

Associated Press

HARTFORD – The Connecticut House has passed a bill allowing farmers to pay only one local health permit fee to sell their goods at farmers markets throughout the state.

Tolland Rep. Bryan Hurlburt said farmers are currently required to pay for a permit in each health district where they sell items at a farmers market. He said those fees can range from $50 to $100, making it expensive for farmers to set up shop in multiple markets.

Hurlburt said the bill will cut costs for the farmers and ultimately encourage them to sell their goods at more farmers markets. It passed unanimously Wednesday.

The bill allows a local district to take regulatory action if they believe a farmer is not complying with their district’s standards.

It moves to the Senate.

Legislation sponsored by State Representative Bryan Hurlburt, who represents Ashford, Tolland and Willington in the General Assembly, will help protect buyers of “rescue” dogs and cats by requiring sellers who bring animals to Connecticut from out of state to register with the Department of Agriculture. The bill (HB 5368) was approved on a bipartisan vote (143-2) by the House of Representatives with Hurlburt leading the floor debate.

“Unfortunately there are people who peddle animals for adoption or sale that they brought here under abusive conditions with little or no care,” Hurlburt said. “Many of these animals are being sold right out of shipping crates in parking lots with disease or injury without ever seeing a veterinarian.”

Animal importers would have pay an annual $100 registration fee before bringing any dog or cat into the state. Before offering an animal for sale to the public, the importer must have each animal examined by a veterinarian. The bill also prohibits importing of a dog or cat under eight weeks old with its mother and the sale of a dog or cat less than eight weeks old. Violators are subject to fines of up to $500 per animal. The provisions do not apply to sales to a licensed pet shop.

Tolland resident and veterinarian Gayle Block submitted testimony in support of the legislation to the Environment Committee noting she has seen a high volume of disease in imported animals that eventually end up in shelters or are euthanized.

Agriculture Commissioner Steven Reviczky of Coventry noted the lack of control of the influx of imported animals and wants to foster a close relationship with legitimate animal rescue organizations under Hurlburt’s legislation.

As many people are aware, the State of Connecticut has been struggling with a budget deficit of over three billion dollars for over two years. The global economic meltdown reduced state revenues dramatically and the need for increased services due to high unemployment and increased need left the state in a very fragile position. Governor Malloy was elected in November and had a short time to compose a budget that addressed the need to balance a budget, move off a reliance on bonding, and implement generally accepted accounting principles to ensure accuracy in the state budget.

Last week, the legislature approved a state budget for the next two years based upon Governor Malloy’s “shared sacrifice” proposal that balances state finances with spending cuts of $1.75 billion and revenues of $1.5 billion. In addition, the budget consolidated state agencies, reduced redundancies, and maintained important municipal aid to communities like the ones I represent.

In 2010 I voted against the state budget, mainly because it depended on too much borrowing, hidden fees, and one-time revenues which I believed would only exacerbate the budget crisis. This year, however, I made the tough decision to support the revised budget as the legislature was able to remove many provisions from the Governor’s original proposal that I felt unfairly hit the middle class.

Earlier this year I asked residents for their input through my survey regarding the state budget, their priorities, and cuts they would like to see made. From there, I was able to set priorities based on the great response I received. I focused on reducing the Governor’s overall tax increase significantly, eliminate the proposed increase in the gas tax, and maintain aid for our schools.

In addition, we restored $300 of the property tax credit that the Governor proposed eliminating, protected the back-to-school sales tax free week from the chopping block and insisted on keeping sales tax exemptions for many common services such as hair cuts.

As our towns are voting on local budgets, one thing that they could count on was a partner in the state for aid. All in all, the towns of Ashford, Tolland, and Willington will receive an over $463,000 in new state aid over the course of the budget. This new aid stabilizes our local property taxes and guarantees that any increase locally is not due to a decrease in state aid.

This is a budget that does a better job of protecting the middle class, preserves the safety net for our seniors and most vulnerable citizens, and unlike the budgets in New York and New Jersey maintains critical funding for our cities and towns. Real cuts have been made, debt has been reduced, our pension obligations fully funded, and the “Rainy Day Fund” has been restored. All of these aspects create a fiscally sound budget that fulfills state’s current and future obligations.

Making tough decisions is what the residents of the state expect their leaders to do, and this was a clearly very tough one. In the end, the budget meets the needs of the residents, put the state on sound fiscal policy, and required a truly shared sacrifice.

We are beginning to turn a corner that will help put the fiscal crisis of recent years behind us and allow our state to move forward with the business of creating jobs and encouraging economic growth.

State Representative Bryan Hurlburt, who represents Ashford, Tolland and Willington in the General Assembly, has set up an online survey on his legislative webpage and is encouraging constituents to offer their opinions on issues being worked on during the 2011 legislative session.

Survey questions mostly focus on the current state budget crisis. Participants are given choices as to what state spending they recommend being cut or protected and what taxes they think should be raised to help cover an estimated $3.5 billion budget deficit.

Hurlburt said the response has already been terrific and is pleased by the number of people who have taken the survey so far.

“Everybody knows the state is facing a budget crisis and it is very helpful to me to know peoples’ thoughts on the best way to solve it,” said Hurlburt, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Conservation and Development. “There is also a question on what issues people are most concerned about these days such as healthcare or crime.”

Questions range from cutting or maintaining funding for seniors and veterans’ services to aid to public schools and fixing roads and bridges. On the revenue side, respondents can consider changes on income and sales taxes and even if they favor allowing the sale of alcohol on Sundays.

State Representative Bryan Hurlburt, who represents Ashford, Tolland and Willington in the General Assembly, announced that Connecticut’s request for federal disaster aid in connection with the record snowstorm on January 12 was approved for Tolland County.

Funding was authorized for six of the state’s eight counties, with Windham and Middlesex counties being rejected. The towns of Tolland and Willington are in Tolland County, but Ashford is part of Windham County.

“This is great news for our community as local budgets for snow removal and related emergencies have been exhausted,” said Hurlburt, recalling that the January 12 storm dumped over two feet of snow on the area. “Frankly though I’m shocked and disappointed that Windham County was left out, and I support the Governor’s appeal. Mother Nature didn’t stop at the county line, so it doesn’t seem fair that help should.”

This round of federal aid is designated for municipalities and state agencies to help pay for emergency protective measures such as snow removal and other storm-related costs. Also, all counties are eligible to apply for additional assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.