Republican Leader Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) is again calling on the governor to use some of the surplus to fund the energy assistance program this winter. He joins NBC Connecticut's Mike Hydeck to discuss the need the program has.
Mike Hydeck: So how should lawmakers manage the soaring surplus in Connecticut's coffers? State Republicans have been calling for bigger tax breaks. And now that the colder months are here, there's another concern that is front and center: home heating. Joining me now is Republican Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly from Stratford. Senator Kelly, welcome back to Face the Facts.
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WATCH HEREKevin Kelly: Good morning.
Mike Hydeck: So you have been talking recently in the last few months about the need to boost funding for the state's Energy Assistance Program. Is there more need this year than in years past? Is that why?
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SIGN UP Kevin Kelly: Yes. And what I've heard back in my district, I was at TEAM in Derby. They've experienced about a 12 percent increase in applications this year over last year, coupled together with the increase in home heating oil of about 15 to 20 percent. So even if people got what they received last year, they wouldn't buy as much oil.
Mike Hydeck: So the governor wants to wait until January, I guess, to tap into federal funds. You believe that's too late. Why?
Kevin Kelly: Well, first, I mean, the federal government cut this program by 40 percent in July, they then added more funds to reduce that cut to 26 percent. You know, and how many times do we have to continue to wait for Washington, a dysfunctional Washington by the way, to do something before we realize, you know, it's getting cold in New England. And it's not going to get any warmer in January or February. And so we need, if we're sitting on surplus, to put the money in, and actually not just funded at the level that it was last year, but I think we need to go to about 120 to 130 percent of that amount just to tread water. And when you administer these programs, there's a lump sum. And so it started in September. And what happens when you hear these families, I heard one in Derby the other day, and what they were saying is they had $3,000 worth of oil last year. This year, they were only getting $700. And that didn't even fill one tank and they're almost out already. Well, they're going to run out of oil in November, December. They can't wait till January. And because of that, I think we need to answer the call sooner rather than later.
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Mike Hydeck: So the need is there, we've established that. One of the other things that's kind of interesting, when you look at the numbers back in June, crude oil was at $123 a barrel. Now it's around $80. And it's been very volatile over the last month considering world events and events here in the United States with how much we pump and refine. Is it almost trying to predict where the market is going to go, about how bad it's going to get? I mean, that's not easy to do these days?
Kevin Kelly: Well, I don't think we need to look at the market. I think what we need to do is look at, we know what weather and winter in New England is, and it's cold. And if we don't address this need, this is one of the most important human services because if people are cold, that's the first thing they're going to do is they're going to heat their shelter. And so if they don't have the funds, then they're going to cut other things. They're going to cut their their rent payment, they're going to cut their prescriptions, they're going to cut their nutrition, or worse, they're going to go to another source, like let's just say heating their home with an oven. And this could put families at risk because they're going to have to get stay warm. And so Mike, we need to focus on what are the families that are in this situation going to do. Many of them are employed, many of them are our neighbors. And so with that in mind, I think it's only appropriate. What do we have in front of us? We know we have a surplus, okay, we have a historic Rainy Day Fund. But in the current operational budget, there's a surplus, we could fund this. And I don't understand why we're not because we're going to leave people with very, very poor choices. If you fall behind on your rent, you get evicted. Getting a new place, if you couldn't afford one month's rent, you're not going to get first, last, and a good credit score. This is the reality of families in this situation and we're gonna continue to be their voice at the capitol to make sure that that voice is heard.
Mike Hydeck: So more and more people on both sides of the aisle are calling for a special session. It looks more likely, even the governor is talking about it now. One more question before I let you go, 2017 that bipartisan budget was a real feather in the cap of your predecessor then Senate Leader Len Fasano. It paved the way for this huge surplus. But are we in a place where the guidelines for the Rainy Day Fund need to be amended, in your view?
Kevin Kelly: I'm not so sure we need to amend them. First, we have to extend them. They need to be reauthorized and I think the first step is to reauthorize them for another five years. Obviously they've worked. They've worked very well. We've started to spend down on our debt. We have a Rainy Day Fund at its maximum and that's due in large part because of this spending and bonding cap as well as the volatility cap that we all put in place. So they've demonstrated their their worth. And I think we need to continue and extend them further.
Mike Hydeck: And it seems like the governor is in agreement on that. Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, we have to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us on Face the Facts this morning.
