Connecticut Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy might be meeting with state legislative leaders in the coming days to discuss Connecticut’s budget deficit. State Senate GOP Leader Len Fasano says this might help improve the public’s confidence in them.
Fasano, a North Haven Republican, who will lead his caucus in an 18-18 split in the state Senate next year, wrote to Governor Malloy recently asking for the meeting. Fasano says it’s necessary for lawmakers to meet with the governor because people are losing confidence in the state and officials need to show that all parties can work together to balance the budget.
“We’ve got to bring a message of hope, of bipartisanship, that we get it. That we are going to work on it. So people say, you know what, let’s let them work it out, let’s see if they can come up with a plan.”
Fasano says in the past Republicans were shut out of budget negotiations. He says they’re feeling a lot more confident now that they’re on par with the Democrats in the Senate.
A spokeswoman for Malloy says the governor appreciates Fasano's receptiveness to working with the Democrats.
Soon after the November 8 election, Malloy's budget office released an estimate showing a $1.3 billion shortfall in Connecticut’s $18 billion budget for next fiscal year.
