Gov. Dannel Malloy has unveiled a series of revisions to balance out the budget, and one of them includes a proposal for a deposit on liquor and wine purchases.
The governor’s office says by adding a bottle deposit of 25 cents to liquor and wine in addition to the one we already pay could generate millions for the state.
Right now, Connecticut is one of a handful of states where there’s a 5-cent deposit fee added to the price of any bottled water, beer or carbonated beverage.
The 25-cent deposit for wine and liquor proposal was just released as part of the governor’s “Restoring Balance to Fly 2019” plan and is one of 11 major revenue changes proposed. The governor’s office says these are minor revisions that would balance out the budget and reduce the year’s budget gaps by half.
The office says adding this deposit could raise about $13 million in the 2019 fiscal year. Connecticut’s original bottle bill became effective in 1980.
Some residents who spoke with NBC Connecticut said this amounts to yet another tax on Connecticut residents, but it may be unavoidable.
We already pay so many taxes in Connecticut. I guess it’s not that big a deal because it’s such a small tax,” said Reed Bobroff of New Haven.
“We’ve got to find money to right the ship. There are certainly other ways to do it. But they’re going to use whatever tools are at their disposal and I guess we’re their tools,” said Grant Faber of New Haven.
Note that the proposal is for deposits, so consumers can get their money back by returning and reclaiming their deposit.
For more on the budget proposal, click here.
