Connecticut Republicans saw their budget pass the Connecticut Senate in an unexpected and politically shocking development more than two and a half months into a budget stalemate. Then, the State House of Representatives passed the Republican-backed budget as well.
“I think they did it because they believe in the state and they want to put Connecticut first and they’re looking for a new direction,” said Sen. Len Fasano, R–Durham, the top Republican in the Connecticut Senate.
Three Democrats, Sen. Paul Doyle from Wethersfield, Sen. Joan Hartley from Waterbury, and Sen. Gayle Slossberg from Milford, all voted for the Republican budget proposal during a debate that was anticipated to send a Democrat-sponsored budget to the Connecticut House.
But the three members, who are known for being more moderate to independent decision-makers within the Senate Democratic caucus, all spoke on the Senate floor about wanting to see the state go in a different direction when it comes to taxing and spending.
Sen. Slossberg referred to the budget decision as being given, “two imperfect choices.”
Following debate, Sen. Paul Doyle conceded, “People won’t be happy with me but I think it was the best decision for the state of Connecticut.”
Doyle said he was not swayed by Democratic House and Senate members arguments over the past week that a vote against the Democrat-sponsored plan was an endorsement of Gov. Dannel Malloy’s executive order that mandates hundreds of millions in spending cuts to cities and towns on Oct. 1.
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Doyle said there is potential for a truly bipartisan budget.
“We can come back, take a break -- people are exhausted -- come back and work on a bipartisan budget,” Doyle said, crowded by reporters in a scene that more closely resembled Capitol Hill. “There’s a lot of good work in these budgets. If the will is there it can be achieved.”
Five Democrats in the House broke party ranks and passed the GOP budget before the session ended at 3:15 a.m.
Gov. Dannel Malloy released a statement in the hours following the budget’s passage, saying he would veto the plan, which he criticized as being unbalanced and depending on “unrealistic savings.”
UConn President Susan Herbst issued a statement this morning, calling the state budget the General Assembly passed "appalling to us at UConn."
She said it would cut state funding for the university by more than $300 million over the next two years and lead to closing regional campuses and several academic departments, and possibly even schools and colleges. She said it would lead to the closure of UConn Health and the elimination of several majors, graduate programs, many Division 1 Athletics programs and international programs.
Dramatic reductions to fundraising efforts and philanthropic giving.
Both the Democrat and Republican budgets made public in recent days were projected to be out of balance in the billions of dollars in future years, according to the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis.
Republicans were calling for the bill to be called for a vote and approved by the House of Representatives.
“If it is voted on by two different parties, it is therefore bipartisan,” Minority Leader Rep. Themis Klarides, R–Derby, said.
The Republican budget cuts agency positions across state government, requires higher contributions by teachers to their retirement, and places caps on borrowing and spending.
Democrats opposed to the GOP budget have said they are adamantly opposed to the cuts imposed on the state’s higher education system, and the changes to collective bargaining.
