The Democratic governor told lawmakers Wednesday, the opening day of the new legislative session, that he has “no desire to diminish the General Assembly’s right to set policy”.
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Len Fasano of North Haven and Rep. Themis Klarides of Derby, said the speech represents a continuation of what they saw as a willingness past year by Malloy to put a brake on spending. And Louisiana faces almost a $2 billion deficit next year.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be taking his state budget proposal on the road over the next few months, after a one-year hiatus from the tradition. “I’m willing to work with him on it”, Aresimowicz said. He said cuts to discretionary spending would amount to 15 percent over two years.
Malloy is pushing for the lock-box as he simultaneously touts a $100 billion plan to overhaul Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure. The next step is how to pay for it. State lawmakers are expected to take up legislation that would protect any revenues dedicated to transportation in a special so-called “lock box”.
The governor also called on lawmakers to not wait until the last minute to pass a budget.
A constitutional spending cap that limits year-by-year growth of state spending was first passed by CT voters in 1992, but legislators have never passed a bill that would give the state government the ability to enforce the cap.
“Connecticut is not going back to that prerecession reality”, Malloy said, referring to an era in which state spending could rise more freely without obvious effect.
While the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes said last year they planned to return to the General Assembly for approval this year for a casino, it’s questionable whether that will happen. The tribes now have a revenue-sharing agreement with the state that might be harmed by a third casino in CT.
Malloy’s budget was also criticized by a group that will prove crucial for the future of the state’s finances: public labor unions.
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“Handing over a lump sum to a department to run all their programs is transparent and the most efficient way to do this — its abdicating our responsibility as a legislature”, said State Rep. and House Speaker Brendan Sharkey. For example, he suggested withholding state funding for those cities and towns that refuse to comply with a common school calendar, a tool that can be used by multiple school districts to purchase transportation and food services together in order to save money.
