The Connecticut House of Representatives approved a $43 billion two-year state budget on a party line vote Monday night.
The budget contains some new taxes, a plastic bag ban and debt-free community college. Democrats say it also closes a projected $3.7 budget deficit over the two years.
House Democratic Majority Leader Matt Ritter says Governor Ned Lamont’s hospital tax agreement, the reamortization of the state’s teacher pension fund and growth in revenues will help close the gap each year.
“Those are the three linchpins of how you get to 1.5 billion. There are not massive cuts really to any social programs or to municipalities.”
House GOP Minority Leader Themis Klarides’ caucus voted against the budget.
“This budget spends more in both years than the previous year. Bonding is no lower really than anything else. And you are raising taxes. So I don’t think that anybody in this state needs to know anything else.”
The budget now heads to the Senate for action.
