Connecticut Gov. Malloy's General Counsel Promises Transportation Lockbox Is Airtight

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s general counsel has told state legislators that the proposed “lockbox” constitutional amendment for transportation funding is airtight.

Karen Buffkin said that the amendment, which will be on the ballot in November if approved by supermajorities in each chamber, will make sure that revenues designated for transportation will go into the special transportation fund. Malloy has proposed a 30-year, $100 million transportation plan.

“Once this passes, it requires no further action by the General Assembly,” Buffkin said. "This is also intended to stand the test of time.”

However, Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transportation Association of Connecticut, said, “MTAC believes the only way to protect transportation revenues are to specifically name those revenues in the Constitution. Otherwise, transportation revenues can be diverted before they are put in to the lockbox.”

Bob Pitcher, vice president, state laws, for American Trucking Associations, submitted testimony which read in part, “Nothing in the language of the proposal, we believe, would prevent a future Legislature from altering statutory language in such a way as effectively to remove one or more of the fund’s current sources of revenue.”

Last December, the state Senate unanimously passed a similar measure pushed by Malloy, but the House’s 100-40 margin was 14 votes shy of the necessary three-quarters.

Connecticut’s legislative session ends May 4.