Lawmakers will end Connecticut’s legislative session on Wednesday without adjusting the state budget.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Democratic leaders reached a deal to use unspent federal COVID relief money. The deal spends about $360 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
During a media briefing on Monday, Speaker Matt Ritter said he’s not concerned about spending the money because Connecticut has a huge budget surplus.
“If we were running deficit after deficit, I would be very worried about that. The reality is that we are putting a billion dollars in the budget reserve fund and the rainy day fund. So, we are in a good spot to handle it,” he said.
“The goal would be to catch the leftover ARPA, give it to those and then whatever is left over the governor could spend however he wanted to,” Ritter said.
The deal allocates an additional $160 million to Connecticut’s public colleges and universities over the coming year. Nonprofit service providers get $50 million and the Care for Kids child care subsidy program gets about $21 million.
Republicans have criticized the move. They said it’s a budget gimmick that violates the state’s bipartisan fiscal guardrails agreement.
