
The Office of Fiscal Analysis was the only one of three budget forecasting organizations that showed up for a Republican-organized budget hearing Wednesday.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget director and state Comptroller Kevin Lembo were both unable to attend because of previously scheduled commitments.

Republican lawmakers said the reason they wanted to hold the hearing was to better understand Connecticut’s fiscal situation, but a top Democratic official called it a “political stunt.”
“What we’re trying to do is get the numbers out there, it’s not too late at this point, so that the voters can really understand what’s going on,” Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, said. “These numbers are not huge.”
Republicans have been critical of the how quickly the $130 million deficit Malloy’s budget office reported to commissioners on Sept. 6 disappeared. Most of the red ink was erased when the state received an unexpected $120 million legal settlement from RBS Securities Inc., a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
There were also a few increases in some other revenue categories, which contributed to lowering the projected deficit. On Oct. 20, Malloy’s budget office projected a small, $5.7 million deficit.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimated on Oct. 13 that the state was facing a $78 million deficit, and on Wednesday analysts said that number has already changed for the better. A favorable bond sale has improved the deficit by about $15 million better than what was projected.
Traditionally, the Office of Fiscal Analysis is more pessimistic about the savings the Office of Policy and Management will be able to achieve. Neil Ayers, director of OFA, said there’s about $80 million in savings that haven’t been allocated yet by the administration to the state agencies.
But assuming the administration will achieve the savings it’s promised, most of the discrepancy between OFA and OPM is on the revenue side of the ledger.
In November, OFA and OPM will have to agree on what those revenue figures should be. The process happens after the election on Nov. 10. It used to happen in October, but that was changed in 2012.
OFA and OPM also will meet in January and April to reach a consensus on the revenue figures.
“Time is our enemy,” Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said.
He said they should revise the consensus revenues to come in early October to “avoid these awkward meetings” less than two weeks before an election.
Democrats were critical of the hearing and only one, Rep. David Zoni, D-Southington, attended.
“This is nothing more than a political stunt from a Republican Party with no plan to move the state forward and dead set on opposing progress,” Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto, said. “It is yet another example of elected GOP officials using taxpayer resources to advance their campaigns.”
House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden, agreed.
“There are very specific timelines set in law for monitoring and reporting on the budget, making today’s concocted hearing just another example of minority Republicans shameless use of state resources in an attempt to help their failing election campaigns,” Sharkey said in a statement.
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said the numbers Malloy’s office released were “misleading and confusing.”
“The public and lawmakers deserve to know the true numbers so we can start looking for solutions as soon as possible. It was disappointing that Democrat leaders, chairs and officials did not take part in today’s meeting,” Fasano said.
More State Budget news

Lamont Signs Another 24 Bills Monday
Gov. Ned Lamont signed another 24 bills Monday, including one that changes what police have to do to inform a family after the death of a loved one, and one that increases funding for children’s mental health.
Keep reading
Stefanowski Talks Abortion, Employee Raises & Budget In First Press Conference
For a half-hour Wednesday, Bob Stefanowski stood outside the state Capitol and fielded questions on abortion rights and state employee raises in a sign the Republican candidate plans to run a more conventional campaign in this year’s rematch with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Keep reading
Lamont Signs The Budget
Alongside Democratic legislative leaders, Gov. Ned Lamont signed the $24 billion budget adjustment Monday that includes $600 million in tax relief. That’s more than they anticipated they would be able to offer Connecticut residents this Election year because revenue came in higher than expected, but it still creates about an $800 million deficit in 2024. …
Keep reading
ANALYSIS | It’s A Wrap: The Winners and Losers of the 2022 Session
It was a short legislative session, but the House and the Senate were able to move a lot of business this year, including the passage of a $24-billion budget with around $600 million in tax cuts.
Keep reading
Connecticut Acts To Help Its Lead-Poisoned Children
After decades of inertia, Connecticut is finally moving to help its thousands of lead-poisoned children and prevent thousands of other young children from being damaged by the widespread neurotoxin.
Keep reading
Bill Bolstering Contracting Oversight Board In Jeopardy After Lamont Administration Raises Concerns
It passed unanimously in the Senate, but a bill that would give the State Contracting Standards Board greater oversight over state contracting appeared stalled in the House Wednesday on the last day of session. “The governor and I have not talked about the bill,” House Speaker Matt Ritter said. “The commissioners have sent us a…
Keep reading
Senate Approves Tax Cuts, Sends $24B Budget to the Governor
The state Senate gave final approval late Tuesday to a $24 billion election year budget plan that includes around $600 million in tax relief while enabling the state to make an $3.5 billion payment on its unfunded pension debt. Senators voted 24-12 at around 10:30 p.m. to send the midterm budget adjustment to the desk…
Keep reading
House Green-Lights $24B Budget
On a party-line vote early Tuesday, the House passed a $24 billion budget adjustment package containing more than $600 million in tax cuts which Democrats heralded as “historic” and Republicans derided as temporary. Lawmakers voted 95 – 52 at around 12:20 a.m. to send the 673-page budget document to the Senate for consideration before the…
Keep reading
Budget Materials
The General Assembly is preparing to debate adjustments to the $24 billion state budget. Below are a few of the documents we’ve been provided as back-up materials. The budget, HB 5506. Town runs. Car tax impact on municipalities. Finance Committee Power Point.
Keep reading
Lawmakers May Vote for First Pay Increase in 20 Years
With legislative retirements mounting, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were considering Monday raising the salaries of General Assembly members for the first time in more than two decades and indexing their pay in the future. During a morning press briefing, House Speaker Matt Ritter told reporters that funding for pay raises had been…
Keep reading
Amid Surging Revenue, House Prepares to Vote on Budget Adjustments
Connecticut’s House of Representatives was expected to vote Monday on a $24 billion budget adjustment package, buoyed by revised revenue predictions that exceeded expectations by more than $350 million. The revised consensus figures released Monday confirm the surge in revenues that enabled Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative Democrats to reach an agreement last week on…
Keep reading
Dems Detail Budget Deal With $500 Mil in Tax Cuts, Extension of Gas Tax Holiday
Legislative Democrats and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration announced Wednesday the details of a $24.2 billion budget adjustment package, which they say provides around $500 million in tax relief including extending a gas tax holiday until December. Lamont and legislative leaders outlined the agreement during an afternoon press conference in the state Capitol building. Both chambers…
Keep reading
Health Care Workers Call for New Hires
After a record number of health care workers are expected to retire this year, health care staff called on Gov. Ned Lamont to commit to filling 1,000 vacant positions by August 1 of this year. A record 1,137 state workers who notified the state that they will retire this year comes at a moment of…
Keep reading
Senate Joins House And Votes To Give Raises, Bonuses To State Employees
The Senate gave final approval by a 22-13 vote on a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The plan, negotiated by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and a coalition of public sector labor unions, provides three years of 2.5% raises and step increases as well as a total of $3,500…
Keep reading
House Advances Labor Deal In Historic Vote
Lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives signed off on a plan to give state workers a set of raises and bonuses Thursday in a mostly partisan vote on a negotiated labor agreement. The House voted 96 to 52 in support of the deal with 1 Republican, Rep. Tom Delnicki of South Windsor, joining all Democrats…
Keep reading
Republicans Propose Last-Minute Tax Package
Legislative Republicans pitched a $1.2 billion tax relief plan Thursday which reduces state income, sales and gas taxes and proposes to join other states in suing the federal government to challenge restrictions on spending pandemic relief funds. House and Senate Republicans announced the plan during a state Capitol press conference Thursday morning. It cuts the…
Keep reading