GOP Reveals Budget Proposal Two Days Before Possible Vote

Republicans in the Connecticut House of Representatives and the State Senate are united behind their spending proposal for the next two years.

Connecticut is in its 73rd day without a budget place since the fiscal year ended in June.

The GOP budget, presented by leaders from both chambers, has all of the elements that taxpayers like hearing. The GOP plan does not have new taxes, tax increases or cuts to municipal aid.

"We believe we have a budget that is real. We believe we have a budget that can go forward, that puts Connecticut on the right track,” Sen. Len Fasano, the top Republican in the State Senate, said. 

The plan depends on sweeping spending cuts to agencies across state government. They also include future savings from requiring teachers and state employees contributing more toward their retirement accounts and it looks into government waste and abuse.

There are also changes to local education spending, providing for a new formula that distributes education aid, while also providing the option for some school systems to hold back on hiring school system administrators.

When asked whether the budget was merely a wish list, knowing potential voters would like to hear the list of items in the budget, or whether it was a legitimate spending plan, Fasano said, "Every number in our budget has been, will have backup, has 100 percent backup. We will not put a number that is fuzzy out to you."

Gov. Dannel Malloy met with the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem of the Senate on Tuesday afternoon to discuss what a final budget may look like in time for a vote of the General Assembly by Thursday.

"I'm hopeful but there's no white smoke or there's nothing done but we'll see where this leads in the coming 48 hours," Malloy said.

In a statement, Sen. Martin Looney said, "This afternoon the governor gave Democratic legislative leaders his response to our latest spending and revenue proposal. Now we have to evaluate and develop a response to the perspectives he offered. Staff and legislative leaders will be working this afternoon and evening to finalize a budget agreement."

The goal from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, they have said, is to avoid automatic spending cuts to local education that would go into effect on October 1, per an executive order signed by the governor last month.

The GOP budget, Malloy said, he hasn’t reviewed in its entirety but did provide it long odds of ever reaching his desk.

"Every budget has a chance to pass, that’s why people buy lottery tickets, too," Malloy said. 

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