Devin Carney (R/I) is seeking his third term as the representative of the 23rd Assembly District serving Old Saybrook, part of Westbrook, Lyme, and Old Lyme. Throughout his time in office, he has served on several committees: Transportation (ranking member in 2017), Environment, Finance, Revenue and Bonding, and the Higher Education and Employment Advancement. Carney also co-founded the bipartisan Young Legislators Caucus and the bipartisan Clean Energy Caucus and serves on the bipartisan Tourism Caucus.

“Connecticut needs experienced leaders, like myself, willing to cross the aisle and work for policies that are good for Connecticut and its residents, not just one particular party or a special interest,” said Carney, a lifelong Old Saybrook resident. “I’ve worked incredibly hard for the district over the past four years to provide transparent service to the people of the 23rd District, including frequent office hours and town hall meetings, and will continue to do so if re-elected.”

Carney is now a Realtor with the Coldwell Banker agency in town and also serves on the boards of both The Kate and Saye Brooke Village. He is a member of the Old Saybrook and Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce.

If reelected, Carney’s priority will be the economy, both at a local and statewide level. Locally he plans to focus on bringing new businesses to the area, new business development, and training residents in job that are in demand such as manufacturing and new technologies.

“Connecticut is one of the least friendly states for business and the state must do more to compete. Growing businesses will create jobs and bring new young families to the area,” said Carney. “If the state’s fiscal house is not in order, our state cannot grow. The legislature must prioritize spending on areas of importance like transportation, education, and helping our most vulnerable residents.”

Carney notes he will also implement policies that will keep seniors and retirees in Connecticut as well as work to preserve the area’s low mill rate, public education, and the environment.

“I have been a staunch advocate for the issues that matter most to the people I represent—the economy, taxes, jobs, [and] education—and will continue that focus,” said Carney. “I truly care about this community and want to see our state thrive. I was born and raised here, I was educated here, I work here, I own property here, and I live here, so I am fully invested in our community and I believe we must have someone representing us who is.”

Devin Carney’s stance on:

Tolls: “If tolls are going to be implemented, then the plan must be focused on out-of-state drivers. If we have tolls, then toll gantries should be limited and strategically placed with steep discounts for Connecticut drivers—I would certainly want to see a detailed map and outline of costs before supporting any legislation. In addition, if tolls are implemented, our gas tax must be drastically reduced.”

The State’s Economy: “The legislature must focus on growth. We can only do this if the legislature makes it less expensive to live and do business here. The state must implement zero-based budgeting and build a realistic budget based on the amount of debt that must be paid off each fiscal year. The state must reduce taxes to compete with other states. I supported reducing taxes on pensions and Social Security, reducing the estate tax, and reducing taxes on business. The state must also look at some of the policies within the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, such as reducing the number of income tax brackets and ideas of where to reduce state employee costs like removing overtime from pension calculations. The focus has to be on growth and making the state more competitive.

School Funding: “I am a strong supporter of ensuring the towns I represent receive their fair share of state dollars because taxpayers here pay a lot to the state. Governor [Dannel] Malloy wanted to eliminate education funding to 32 communities, including all of the four towns in the 23rd. I felt this was punitive and unfair. I supported a bipartisan budget that preserved dollars for the district. The state needs to do more to reduce the portion municipalities are required to pay for special education and the state needs to be more of a partner in funding these important expenses.”

Health Insurance: “There is some talk of ‘free’ healthcare for everyone, but the state is in so much debt that promises like these are empty. Until we get our budget under control, new, expensive state programs will only put the state into a worse fiscal position.”

Website: carney2018.com

Facebook: Carney 2018

Twitter: @repdevincarney