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House and Senate Overwhelmingly Pass State Budget

Nearly four months after the start of the current fiscal year, the House and Senate passed the current bipartisan budget by wide margins today, Thursday, Oct. 26. The budget now moves to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his signature or veto.

The State Senate passed the budget in the early hours of the morning with a 33 to 3 vote. The House passed the budget later in the day with a 126 to 23 vote, making the budget essentially veto-proof if that support continues. With those numbers, even if Malloy choses to veto the budget, the legislature can call a veto override, a process that requires 24 votes in the Senate and 101 votes in the House.

Shoreline legislators have praised the bipartisan nature of the budget that will bring an end to the state's lengthy budget impasse. While members of both parties said certain issues required compromise, this budget includes cuts of five percent or less to the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant, an increase tax on cigarettes and hospitals, revisions to prevailing wage and binding arbitration laws, preserves the senior property tax credit, and while municipalities will not pay into teacher pensions, contributions from teachers will increase from six percent to seven percent of their salaries.

Prior to the vote, legislators had said bringing everyone to the table was the solution the state needed to ensure this budget passes.

"We have worked very had to this end keeping in mind that we need to achieve a veto-proof majority," said State Representative and Deputy Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-86). "By doing that we really tried to keep a balance where we could garner enough support and I am optimistic that we will pass this budget."

Check back for updates and specific town-by-town state revenue breakdowns.