The Senate gave final passage to the $37.6 billion two-year budget early Tuesday morning and it was still unclear if Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell will sign it.
The Senate vote was 22 to 13. Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, joined Republicans in opposition and Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington, did not vote because he was in Ireland.
“It’s not a perfect budget, but it’s an appropriate response to where the state finds itself today,” Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said. He said the budget strikes the right balance between spending cuts, tax increases, and borrowing.
“There will be no perfect budget in this the worst budget year in our lifetime,” Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said.
Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, said the proposal includes “too much spending, too much borrowing, too much in tax increases, and puts too much off until tomorrow.” He said he would like to see Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell veto the bill.
As of 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning there had been no word from Rell. Senators on both sides of the aisle made their last minute pleas hoping she was watching the debate. She was not at the Capitol early Tuesday morning.