The longest stalemate over a budget in the history of the state of Connecticut is one step closer to being over. By a vote of 33-3 early Thursday morning, the state senate overwhelmingly voted to approve a bipartisan package. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was kept out of the negotiations and the process.
State Senator L. Scott Frantz (R-Greenwich) released the following statement regarding the budget:
This bipartisan budget makes significant structural changes and takes important steps to put Connecticut back on a path of fiscal responsibility.
These budget negotiations represent the first time in decades that Republicans have been able to take steps to help bring Connecticut back from the fiscal cliff. At the negotiation table we were able implement significant structural changes that will help put our state on a better fiscal path for future years. While it does contain nominal fee increases, it includes a strong spending cap – something that was promised to taxpayers more than 20 years ago and something that our state desperately needs. It also includes a bonding cap which is nearly $1 billion less than what Governor Malloy has bonded in recent years. This bonding cap will finally begin to rein in Connecticut’s out of control borrowing and ballooning debt.
In addition to the vital structural changes this budget avoids the devastating impact of the governor’s executive order. It also preserves a significant amount of municipal aid, avoids massive damaging tax increases, provides for municipal mandate relief and does not shift teacher pension costs onto our towns.
The bipartisan budget passed the State Senate in a vote of 33-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote.
