Somers worries state moving in wrong direction

State senator for Groton briefs constituents

Groton — Addressing about 25 constituents Monday night, state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, talked about bills passed this legislative session, the state budget situation, and what surprised her about her first several months in office.

And she didn't want to sugarcoat how she views the state's fiscal picture.

“I'm not somebody who wants to put my head in the sand. I want to look at the reality of where we are,” she said. “I don't want to see Connecticut become Detroit and unless we make these difficult decisions, that's where we're headed.”

Some of the questions asked at the meeting had to do with regionalization — Somers is in favor of removing barriers to such efforts if towns decide to share services — and with pension funding.

“We are a shrinking state,” Somers said, speaking about pension concerns. “We are losing population in those that are under 30 or over 65, so

“I’m not somebody who wants to put my head in the sand. I want to look at the reality of where we are. I don’t want to see Connecticut become Detroit and unless we make these difficult decisions, that’s where we’re headed.” STATE SEN. HEATHER SOMERS, R-GROTON

there’s less and less of us here to foot the bill for this ballooning payment.”

Somers held the town hall meeting at Groton Public Library on Monday evening, to answer questions from constituents and to talk about what has and hasn’t been passed in the legislature in recent months.

She gave the latest update on the state budget situation: Legislators might be called in on July 24, but they don’t know if it will be to talk about the budget or discuss overriding Gov. Dannel Malloy’s vetoes.

Somers hopes it will be the former.

As for opposition to the Senate Republicans’ proposed budget, she said, “You may not like our budget, but we have a budget, so let’s put it out there. If you don’t like it, put in an amendment.”

Somers discussed some of the goals in her caucus: implementing an education formula in which funds largely follow the student, not increasing taxes on cigarettes or pistol permits, restoring funding for veterans’ headstones, and eliminating public campaign financing, because of loopholes that hinder its original goal of creating an even playing field.

Somers said she has also been trying to educate her colleagues on the importance of the Naval Submarine Base to the state, and the misconceptions about the state and federal education dollars that come to Groton.

“They think that we’re wealthy,” she said. “They think that everybody lives on Groton Long Point.”

The Groton senator discussed some of the rude awakenings she faced since assuming office in January.

“We’re going to talk about things knowing we’re not going to vote on it and then put it to the side,” she said. “It gives an illusion of doing something, this illusion of busyness.”

But she also touted the passage of legislation addressing opioid prescriptions and Narcan regulations, brownfields, and eye care.