CTMirror.org
The legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee approved state income tax cuts Thursday for the poor and middle class and a one-time bailout for restaurants, largely funding them with two tax surcharges on the wealthy and a new levy on digital media ads.
The Democrat-controlled panel also endorsed a revenue package that includes a new highway use tax on large, commercial trucks and new state and municipal sales taxes on recreational marijuana.
But the package, which represents an overall state tax increase of approximately $600 million per year, also would shift more than $1 billion in revenues outside of the spending cap and tap more than $2 billion from one-time sources — moves Republicans said lack fiscal transparency and responsibility.