Proponents for the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) plan to use a special legislative session in September to implement the program in Connecticut, according to a key supporter.
Legislative leaders haven’t yet announced formal plans for a special session. But speaking at a July 16 meeting on waste management, Representative Joseph Gresko, D-Stratford, co-chair of the legislature’s Environment Committee, remarked:
“We are rallying as a group to try to get TCI called back in September special session. We are actively vote counting.”
TCI is a proposed multi-state agreement that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by artificially increasing the price of gasoline and diesel fuel. Fuel distributors looking to sell into TCI member states would first have to purchase a limited and later shrinking supply of credits. The proceeds would be spent by each state on a mix of environmental justice, transit, and other public projects. Governor Lamont’s office has estimated TCI would cost Connecticut drivers roughly $1 billion over the next decade.
Governor Lamont last year signed the TCI memorandum of understanding, and in February submitted legislation that would bind Connecticut to its rules. State lawmakers however did not act on the bill before session ended in June.
Gresko’s remarks line up with similar comments by TCI advocates, such as the Maine-based Acadia Center, which said in a blog post earlier this month:
“The current strategy is to lobby the decision makers in July in person (now that pandemic restrictions are being lifted) to ramp up their understanding of TCI for the September session. All eyes are now on Connecticut!”
TCI proponents have bristled at the characterizations of the program as a new additional gas tax, but even one of the speakers supporting TCI at the July 16 meeting, Bud McAllister of Partners in Healthy Communities, described it as Governor Lamont’s “gas tax.”
**Meghan Portfolio contributed to this article**
Irene
August 2, 2021 @ 10:13 pm
Implementing this program now isn’t in the best interests of the residents of Ct or Businesses! As it is, inflation is causing increased costs for everyone & is expected to be increasing throughout the year. Do not vote this in, people will be voting all of you out of office with your increasing taxes & expenses in the budget. People are leaving ct since they no longer can afford to live here. other States do not have ridiculous programs & taxes like ct.
Dorothy A Smulley
August 5, 2021 @ 1:22 pm
Representative Joseph Gresko is hypocritical on climate change. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has been filling in and altering known protected tidal wetlands designated as flood plains by FEMA. This CTDOT illegal activity was made known to Representative Gresko. Representative Gresko did nothing then and continues to do nothing at the present time. Why would Representative Gresko ignore such illegality while at the same time preach environmental concern? Bottom line, money. Representative Gresko along with many others will reap millions in their own pockets by taxing those of us on limited incomes. Connecticut is a disgrace.
Chris Hale
August 5, 2021 @ 3:58 pm
No new taxes . Gas is too expensive already !
Ann
August 5, 2021 @ 11:08 pm
I Don’t know anyone who is asKing to pay more taxes. Why is the only thing we ever hear aBout Are more bills for “more taxes?”and where does that money go???? I can assure you it doesn’t help the tax payers!! The blue states(ie. Ct) received money from DC, and we were ‘not’ In a defecit, so again: what is the need to raise our taxes????
James Decoster
August 6, 2021 @ 8:20 pm
Hocus pocus on TCI, just like every other untrustworthy Demoncrat irascible proposal. They have politically captured the covid-19 phenomenon by 85%, leaving the rest of the 15% to medical reasoning. Climate change is always accompanied by warm and cold periods of long duration… It does not come from human inyervention. Leave our liberties unscathed by inept Markist propaganda.
John F. Stephen
September 9, 2021 @ 11:27 am
Thank you Governor Lamont, Once again you have decided to place all your eggs in one basket and go against the people. Say no to TCI!! No more taxation without representation. In the future we will all wake up to no gas at the pumps. The government will force all people to buy an electric car. Write or call your Representatives from both parties…vote no to TCI.