State Senator Tony Hwang voted against the proposed 2026 state budget adjustment, raising concerns about the transparency of the process and hidden costs in the plan, according to a May 2 statement. Hwang, who serves on the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, said he opposed the measure due to what he described as off-budget maneuvers and weakened fiscal safeguards.
Hwang said that changes in how Connecticut crafts its budget have undermined bipartisan cooperation and transparency. “This budget reflects a troubling shift away from the bipartisan, transparent process that once defined how we governed,” said Sen. Hwang. “In 2017, Republicans and Democrats worked together to craft a budget that respected fiscal guardrails and helped stabilize our finances. That model has eroded.”
He criticized lawmakers for releasing a lengthy bill shortly before voting began. “We are being asked to vote on a 717-page document; combining the budget, implementer, and bonding package just hours after its release,” Sen. Hwang said. “This is not transparency. This is not deliberation. This is not democracy.”
Hwang highlighted several fiscal issues with the proposal: $1.24 billion in spending outside of normal budgeting procedures; $747 million in net spending growth over two years; moving $971 million in hospital tax revenue into separate funds; an $813 million increase to volatility cap thresholds; new off-budget funding structures for municipalities; and hundreds of millions committed outside standard processes.
“We can say we are living within the fiscal guardrails, but the reality is we are inching closer to a point where those guardrails become meaningless,” he said regarding these shifts in financial management practices.
Hwang warned that these changes could ultimately lead to higher property taxes for residents as local governments bear more risk when costs are shifted off state books: “When towns face uncertainty, the fallout is higher property taxes on Connecticut families,” Sen. Hwang said.
He also expressed concern about consolidating major policy decisions into one package without adequate public input or committee review: “This bill combines the budget, implementer, and bonding package: three major policy decisions into one vote…That is a disservice to the people we were elected to represent.”
Hwang concluded by emphasizing his commitment to accountability: “My ‘no’ vote is not about partisanship. It is about standing up for transparency, accountability, and the people whose voices were never heard in this process.”
