Back from his week-long economic trip to India (with a broken arm from a fall), Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed on Monday afternoon that he planned to line-item veto two pieces of legislation that the General Assembly passed in his absence.
He said he was surprised that, while he was gone, the legislature voted to appropriate $40 million in special education funding and another few million dollars in emergency funds for nonprofits that Democrats say are at risk because of the Trump administration.
“You know, ‘Buy it now, pay later. We'll figure out how we're going to do it.’ That's just the type of budgeting that got this state into the ditch,” Lamont said. “Over the last 20 years, we've had five balanced budgets in a row, and I don't want to compromise on our sixth budget.”
The legislature could override his veto with a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate. Both bills, HB7066 and HB7067, passed with at least that much support.
“In the coming days, we will be speaking with Speaker Ritter and our colleagues in the Senate about the possibility of overriding this line-item veto,” Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said. “Connecticut’s students, parents, and educators are counting on us, and we remain committed to working with our colleagues to ensure that these children, families, and dedicated teachers receive the support they need.”
Lamont’s budget, which he proposed in January, includes additional funding for special education. He said the money would go toward worthy organizations but should be allocated through the budget process.
“We're going to have to sit down with the [legislative] leadership and say, there's a new reality, and we're going to have to collaborate on how we do this,” Lamont said. “I can't make up every dime of not-for-profit or university money, not to mention in my own departments that the federal government could cut.”
Lamont said it wouldn’t be a total veto—he would sign some of the legislation, like the parts that ban Chinese-made drones and allow the University of Connecticut to pay its athletes.
