
HARTFORD, CT — (Updated 5 p.m.) Unable to finalize a bipartisan agreement, the General Assembly won’t be voting on a two-year budget July 18, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said Friday.
Aresimowicz had said at the end of June that they were aiming for a budget vote on July 18—the day after rank-and-file union members finish voting on the two year $1.57 billion concession package. The savings from the labor deal negotiated by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy would be included in the budget proposal.
There are still several unanswered questions about various proposals put forward by both Democrats and Republicans.
In a phone interview Friday, Aresimowicz said they’re continuing to go through the budget and meet with legislative leaders and the Office of Policy and Management to get more clarity on various proposals.
Some of the outstanding issues include an Education Cost Sharing formula, crumbling foundations, municipal oversight, sales taxes, and other revenue ideas.
“It is no secret that there is disagreement among Democrats on taxes and spending,” House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said. “We want to pass a budget that does not include tax hikes, but preserves vital social services, and does not burden towns and cities. Republicans are willing to go forth with an up or down vote.”
Aresimowicz said they’re trying to include more Republican proposals in their budget to see if they can’t get enough support for a bipartisan package, but he can’t say they’ve been able to reach a bipartisan agreement on much of anything yet.
Aresimowicz said Democratic lawmakers in the House are still expected to come to Hartford July 18 for a caucus, but there won’t be any vote. They will go over budget proposals.
“Talks with the Governor’s office, Senate Democrats, and Republicans have all progressed, and we remain focused on a bipartisan agreement to the current budget challenge, but that result is not going to be ready for action by Tuesday,” Aresimowicz said. “We will caucus with our members and give everyone an update on exactly where we are, and also gauge interest in potentially overriding any gubernatorial vetoes. The significant progress we made this week, gives me further confidence we will have a budget adopted by month’s end.”
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said he’s optimistic they will have a budget by July 31.
Senate Republican President Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said it’s still “too early to tell” if Connecticut will have a budget by the end of July.
“I think they’re working on it in earnest,” Fasano said referring to the Democratic Party.
Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, was more optimistic.
“All of the parties have made significant progress,” Looney said. “We believe that it is realistically possible that a budget package could be voted on by the end of July.”
Kelly Donnelly, a spokeswoman for Malloy, said it’s regrettable that no budget has arrived at the governor’s desk. However, “we appreciate the clear intention from all caucuses to work in earnest towards that goal,” she added.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is expected to hold its annual veto session on July 24, which might provide another opportunity for lawmakers to gather in Hartford and vote on a budget.
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
Aresimowicz said they will discuss at least two of the four vetoes and see if there’s any desire to override them. He said there’s some conversation about the bill that changes Connecticut’s affordable housing laws and the one that would allow Bridgeport to build a thermal heating loop in its downtown district.
The House needs 101 and the Senate needs 24 votes to override a gubernatorial veto. The Senate Democratic caucus has yet to discuss Malloy’s vetoes.
Malloy has been overridden three times. His predecessor former Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell had 16 of her vetoes overturned.
Editor’s note: This story mistakenly said Malloy had not been overridden when three of his vetoes were overridden in 2016.
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