Having just won a special election in the spring and joining the state's General Assembly on April 19, State Representative Tony Scott, whose 112th District overlaps southern Newtown, characterized his partial term as not his “official rookie year." Instead, the freshman state lawmaker is looking forward to his first full legislative experience and building relationships in Hartford next year.
With the late start, Scott, who represents the residents of Monroe and a portion of Newtown, said he missed the committee work that puts together bills for later voting. He stated that it is while working on committees that a lot of relationship-building with legislators on both sides of the aisle happens.
That is not to say that Scott did not accomplish anything to be proud of in his partial first term. On the day he was sworn in, he participated in a vote on a non-medical vaccine exemption bill, an issue he heard a lot about while campaigning for office.
The bill, An Act Concerning Immunizations, ends the ability to claim religious exemptions on school requirements to have students immunized. Scott said that representatives debated the bill until 2 am on his first day on the job. Scott voted against the contentious issue, but says,“The vote went the wrong way,” as it passed and was signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont.
“I’m happy on my first day I got to live up to a campaign promise,” said Scott. “It’s unfortunate we lost the battle, but I opposed it for the right reasons.”
Scott said the proposed elimination of the state’s longstanding religious exemption for childhood vaccinations has been met with frustration and uncertainty in his district over its long-term impact on education.
“I’ve heard from countless parents in Monroe and Newtown over the past few weeks about their concerns with this bill. I share their concerns, which have very little to do with the efficacy of vaccines and more to do with state government legislating away their right to make decisions regarding their own children’s health. As a father of two daughters — both of whom are vaccinated — I can relate to other parents who are frustrated and feel that their voices aren’t being heard on this issue,” Scott said.
A contentious public hearing on the bill earlier in the session saw many parents express their concerns with the bill’s mandate and impact. Although the hearing ran for nearly 24 hours, it was eventually concluded before many participants had a chance to speak.
The bill’s provisions, which would go into effect during the 2022 school year, could effectively un-enroll thousands of students from public and private schools, bar others from participating in day care and after-school care, and even restrict college and university enrollment based on vaccine scheduling. With the state already boasting one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, Scott says the proposal is a solution in search of a problem.
“Every time this legislature meets to debate and vote on bills, it costs the people money. Right now, our time and their money would be best spent addressing more pressing issues, like the financial toll this pandemic has had on nearly every resident, or the estimated one-third of the state’s small businesses that have closed their doors permanently. I urge my colleagues to reorient their focus towards the true task at hand: reopening our state and restoring its competitive edge,” Scott said.
Scott did vote in favor of the budget, as it kept “Newtown whole with funding,” but he voted against the implementer bill, which he felt was “lots of things thrown in there,” some of which he opposed.
Scott also voted against the bill legalizing recreational cannabis sales. While he stated he has no problem with legal cannabis, he said that it bothers him that the bill is a “money grab.” He supports the idea of legalizing cannabis, but doesn’t like how much of the bill will be implemented.
He was particularly critical of the fact that people with marijuana convictions on their record are set to gain priority for getting cannabis selling licenses under the bill.
“These licenses are going to make people a lot of money,” said Scott. “This is the grungy politics that get ground up in the gears.”
He also stated that local police chiefs have been critical of the bill, because police have no way to accurately test people who may be driving under the influence of marijuana.
“Even if an officer smells marijuana it’s not a good enough reason to pull someone over,” Scott said. “The police departments are really handcuffed.”
He supported a bill that would bring tax relief to senior citizens, lowering from 70 to 65 the age at which people can take advantage of senior tax relief of $1,000 for single residents and $1,250 for married couples.
“I ran on making things more affordable,” Scott said. “This will help make things more affordable for seniors. That’s one I’m proud of.”
Scott cosponsored a bill that would create a tax-preferred savings account for first-time homeowners.
House Bill 5027, a bill endorsed by both the Council of Small Towns and Connecticut Realtors, established a first-time home-buyer savings account, encouraging residents to save up for their first single-family home. Contributions to the account would be tax deductible up to $2,500 for single filers and $5,000 for those who file jointly.
With the housing market currently “exploding,” Scott said, “anything the government can do to help these people is a sound business decision.”
“We need to be doing everything we can to make it more affordable here without placing additional unfunded mandates on our towns,” said Scott. “This bill, I believe, strikes the right balance. This tax-deductible account gives prospective homeowners the tools they need to create generational wealth and enrich our communities.”
Scott said that while it might be a bit cliché coming from a politician, he wants to “make a difference” in Hartford, despite being in the minority party — Republicans are currently outnumbered 97-54. He said he looks for smart legislation that does “good things for the people.” That means voting for a lot of Democrats’ proposed bills, even though he feels like there may be “a lot of junk in there.”
“You want to look at the whole picture,” said Scott, “though there’s lots of frustration.”
Being in Hartford, he says, has been “eye opening, but humbling.” Scott is very much looks forward to next year’s session, where he can get in on the ground floor and start doing the work he believes his constituents want.
“It’s really exciting to be able to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said.
Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.
Rep Tony Scott is looking forward to his first full legislative session.
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