By Tina Courpas
Six months ago, I stood before the voters of the 149th District, making the case for pragmatic, results-driven leadership in Hartford. The campaign was a hard-fought race, defined by conversations with residents about the issues that matter most—fiscal responsibility, local control, and the need for balance in our state government. In November, the people of Greenwich and Stamford placed their trust in me, and I am honored every day to represent them in Hartford.
The transition from candidate to legislator happens swiftly and the learning curve is steep for many reasons. One of those reasons is that Hartford doesn’t exactly function like the “real world.” In fact, sometimes it loses touch with a “real world” perspective.
Here are five initial observations about our CT General Assembly, from the perspective of both a State Rep. on the “inside” and as someone who promises never to lose touch with the “real world.”
The State Budget Involves Difficult Tradeoffs—It Can’t Be a Collection of “Wish Lists”
The biggest shock since arriving in Hartford has been how many legislators and advocates make compelling, impassioned arguments for their priorities—without addressing the fundamental question: how do we pay for it?
Here are some of them:
“All kids in CT should have access to free Universal Preschool so that they can have an academic head start.”
“Low-income tenants in CT should have access to free legal representation in landlord-tenant disputes.”
“We need more programs which invest in the arts in CT.”
“We need to invest in bike paths for our towns.”
Like you, I wish we could fund every single one of these ideas. The real question is how we balance our state’s priorities, recognizing that resources are finite, we cannot tax citizens to the sky, and we cannot bankrupt the state’s future. Every family, business, and adult knows that budgets involve tradeoffs. They are not wish lists.
There Is a High Degree of Professionalism and Civility in Our State Government
On opening day of the 2025 session, Speaker of the House Matt Ritter described CT’s rich history of civil discourse and ability to work in a bipartisan manner. I have been so gratified to see that, for the most part, he was right. Legislators disagree, set boundaries, challenge arguments, and express strong emotions, yet the Connecticut legislature maintains a high degree of professionalism. In general, the level of civility in the debate in Hartford is something of which we should all be proud.
In Hartford, There Are a Lot of Misconceptions About Greenwich
In Housing Committee last week, one witness said that Greenwich lacked adequate affordable housing because of “NIMBY, exclusionary, and racist” beliefs. I respectfully called him out on that statement. It is false and unproductive.
Greenwich is socioeconomically diverse, with 44% of public-school students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and over 40% identifying as nonwhite.
I have also heard that Greenwich does not “do its part” in the state – an equally untrue statement. Our town contributes 10% of Connecticut’s total income tax revenue under one of the most progressive tax structures in the country.
These misconceptions about Greenwich hinder good policymaking. An important part of my role is ensuring that my colleagues in Hartford understand the realities of our community rather than legislating based on false assumptions.
The Legislature Disregards the Existence of the Free Market When Convenient
When it comes to more government spending, the General Assembly seems to rely on the principle that the free market works. For example, “if we pay teachers more, more young people will enter the teaching profession.” True. BUT, when it comes to legislation that stimulates the growth of business in CT, the free market is completely disregarded.
For example, Connecticut charges CPAs nearly twelve times what New Jersey does for license renewal. Why would anyone want to be a CPA in CT with that kind of overhead? And yet that is CT’s law. (I filed a bill to change this.)
The free market works, and not just when it is convenient for legislators. We should use its principles to create economic incentives and reduce hurdles to stimulate our private sector in CT.
The Legislature Is Severely Lopsided. This Impacts Policymaking Materially.
Connecticut is a one-party state, with Democrats controlling the governorship, both legislative chambers, and key executive offices, giving them a trifecta and supermajority. This imbalance affects policymaking at every turn.
This imbalance lowers the standard for legislation, as supermajority-backed bills do not require thorough vetting to pass. Legislative imbalance also means less accountability in government. The party responsible for a “bad bill” a few years ago has the votes to squelch all calls for accountability today. Finally, legislative imbalance pulls our state to the extreme. Super-progressive policies can and are passed because even if the moderate Democrats and all Republicans try to pull a bill to the center, they are still outvoted.
Republicans in Hartford pack a huge punch relative to our numbers, as I imagine Democrats would if the supermajority were reversed. That is a good thing because balance produces better results. All constituents of the 149th have an open invitation to join me for a day in Hartford. Regardless of your political affiliation, you will see starkly and quickly how imbalance is not positive for any state.
Thank You to the 149th District
Thank you again to the 149th District for sending me to Hartford as your State Rep. I will continue to do all I can to represent you with integrity and excellence, fully immersed and committed to the world of our General Assembly. But I promise to always keep at least one foot firmly planted in the real world.
