Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont says he is ready to sign the $43 billion two-year state budget approved by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. Republicans allege it’s not balanced.
Senate Republican Minority Leader Len Fasano claims there’s a $450 million hole in the budget.
“This governor needs to veto this budget because he cannot, under operation of law, under the constitution of Connecticut, sign a budget which is not constitutional.”
Fasano says that’s because there’s no indication that state employee unions will approve pension savings included in the budget.
Lamont dismissed challenges made by Republicans.
“I’m ready to sign this budget. It’s a good budget. We got it on time. We have real labor savings in this as well. We have real reforms. We held the line on spending. We held the line on taxes.”
Lamont says the labor savings are from reamortizing state employee union pensions as well as healthcare savings. And it only requires the approval of union leadership, not the ratification by rank and file members.
Connecticut's budget director expects union leaders will sign off on the deal after the new state budget takes effect on July 1.
