HARTFORD – Today, members of the leadership of Connecticut's House of Representatives called for the state to “pause” its fiscal rules, urging the Governor to declare an emergency and a vote by the legislature.
“The ACLU of Connecticut called for an emergency fiscal declaration from the Governor in February,” said executive director David McGuire. “Now’s not the time for tinkering on the margins when our freedoms are at stake. The constitutional crisis at the federal level is looming, and if we do not act, Connecticut will face one of its own. We are already seeing the real-world negative impacts of these threats. Protect people now. The Governor and legislature must stand strong, prioritize civil rights over fiscal rigidity, and craft a budgeting structure with real flexibility to reject federal funding tied to harmful conditions that force us to betray our values and laws.”
“A budget that can’t protect our rights is a broken budget,” said public policy and advocacy director Chelsea-Infinity Gonzalez. “For months, the people of Connecticut have been calling for change. Today, we again urge our elected leaders to meet the moment: Adjust the fiscal rules to reflect our current reality."
The emergency declaration and vote is one method the legislature has to create conditions favorable to the people of Connecticut.