Rigby sworn in amid fiscal distress

WINSTED — Newly sworn-in state Rep. John Rigby (R-63) is well out of the starting gate in his position in the state Legislature, having been appointed to four committees. He is one of a handful of newly elected Republicans to get a private meeting with Gov. M. Jodi Rell about the daunting tasks ahead for 2009, including surviving a fiscal crisis.

“It’s basically out of the frying pan and into the fire,†Rigby said in a phone interview Monday, after being sworn in last week at the state Capitol. “Normally freshman legislators get onto three committees and I’ve got four, so I’m super busy.â€

Rigby was appointed to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, along with the Energy and Technology, Higher Education and Employment Advancement and Human Services committees.

“It’s conceivable that I’ll have meetings at the Capitol every day of the week, but it’s fortunate that my office is a 10-minute ride away.â€

Rigby works as a loan officer with Farmington-based Guaranty Federal and has said he wants to help the state realize both savings and economic growth. That may be easier said then done, as Connecticut faces a deficit of more than $350 million. That number may balloon to between $6 and $8 billion over the next two years.

In her State of the State address last week, Rell said many cuts will be necessary.

“The sacrifices will not be easy or painless,†she said. “The recommended two-year budget I present to you next month will reflect that. The cuts that must be made will be deep and they will affect every agency, every program and every service provided by state government.â€

Rigby said he agrees that cuts need to be made across the board and that the state income tax should not be increased.

“If you talk to economists, they all say raising taxes is going to have a negative impact on the state,†he said.

With this year’s state revenue collections sharply down from last year, the governor has suggested canceling state contracts for certain goods and services and the elimination of some deputy commissioner positions. A revised budget mitigation plan was expected to come from the governor’s office this week.

Rigby said he hopes to help eliminate redundancy in government, including in the area of social services, where both private and public organizations are funded with taxpayer money.

“Consolidation is a good word,†Rigby said. “But we have to avoid cutting key services and try to increase money for town roads, repairs and improvements. All the selectmen and women I’ve met with are concerned about it, and obviously education is critical. Towns rely on state money for these things.â€

Still, Rigby said he agrees that there are areas of the state budget that can be significantly reduced.

“Right now the governor is coming through with a mitigation plan for $363 million,†he said. “The governor has already taken some measures to try to reduce the deficit, and what she’s proposing is looking for money in line items that hasn’t been used yet. It’s kind of low-hanging fruit.â€

Rigby said he and five other freshman legislators had a face-to-face meeting with the governor last week, in which they were encouraged to ask any and all questions they had.

“My question to the governor was, ‘Do you see towns losing any educational cost sharing or road money?’ and she said, ‘Not for 2009,’†he recalled. “There are discussions going on between the state and various unions and the governor is trying to be as creative as possible.â€

One thing Rigby learned right off the bat as a new state representative is that his new health insurance plan is a nice perk.

“When I went to orientation and got information on our health insurance I noticed that our copay is $3 for generic medications and $6 for name brands. Nobody in the world has that kind of copay. I think we’re going to propose to raise those copays.â€

Rigby said he has not had any problems with his transition into office, despite a messy situation with his predecessor, Democrat George Wilber, who resigned amid allegations that he paid a woman $100,000 to remain silent about child sex abuse claims. The scandal effectively elected Rigby, who ultimately faced only a write-in challenger, William Riiska of Norfolk.

In the meantime, Rigby has numerous meetings scheduled in the coming days and weeks. He said he will have office hours at least once per month in each town in the 63rd district, including Falls Village, North Canaan, Colebrook, Winchester, Barkhamsted and Norfolk. Updates and contact information are available online at reprigby.com.