State voters ratify the transportation “lockbox” and another amendment to the state constitution.
Voters overwhelmingly ratified two amendments to the state Constitution Tuesday, including a new legal “lockbox” to safeguard funds earmarked for Connecticut’s transportation program.
Voters also ratified a second amendment that would prohibit the legislature from selling, conveying or swapping state land or buildings without first holding a public hearing.
Though final numbers hadn’t been tallied late Tuesday, unofficial results showed more than 80 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of each amendment.
“The voter support for the transportation lockbox is a step in the right direction for Connecticut,” said Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industry Association and one of the founders of Move CT Forward — a coalition of construction businesses, trades and other transportation advocates. “It is a signal of fiscal restraint and an indication that improving mobility is a priority.”
“This is an enormous victory for our state’s future as Connecticut desperately needs investment in transportation infrastructure,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a staunch advocate of the amendment, wrote in a statement late Tuesday. “While surrounding states have made real investments, Connecticut has allowed our roads, bridges, tunnels, and rails to fall into a state of disrepair, hurting our economy and making our infrastructure less safe for the traveling public. … This constitutional lockbox is a necessary step forward to strengthening our state’s economy and improving the quality of life for our residents.”
For years, transportation advocates have touted the “lockbox” as the best defense against the tendencies of elected officials to redirect fuel tax revenues for non-transportation purposes.
The “lockbox” language effectively states that once a revenue source — such as Connecticut’s 25 cents-pergallon retail gasoline tax — is dedicated to the budget’s Special Transportation Fund — it cannot be removed unless it is repealed entirely.
Critics countered that the “lockbox” language is a deterrent, but not a guarantee, against future legislatures and governors diverting transportation revenues for other purposes.
Shubert said Tuesday that while advocates recognize the lockbox is not perfect, it sends a clear signal to state officials that the voters give transportation funding a very high priority.
“Even with the lockbox, transportation funding remains unsettled,” he said. “Now it is vital to ensure that the revenue streams are not tampered with, and that the definition of ‘transportation purposes’ isn’t expanded to include a hodgepodge of General Fund items.”
Other amendment passes
The other new constitutional amendment ratified Tuesday would reform — but not end — the legislature’s longstanding practice of conveying surplus state property to municipalities and other entities in the waning hours of the annual legislative session.
The legislature traditionally closes each spring by enacting an omnibus bill with dozens of property conveyances. In most cases the property is not sold, but transferred to a municipality.
But while that bill is raised in a committee, it typically is chock full of last-minute additions that never have been subjected to a hearing.
“This was a huge victory for good government reform and the State of Connecticut,” said Eric Hammerling, executive director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. “Requiring public input and transparency in the state constitution when the fate of public lands hangs in the balance is critical, and we are thrilled the voters agreed.”