(UPDATED Friday, April 5, 11 a.m.) The Appropriations Committee on Thursday opted not to propose any budget adjustments to the two-year, $51-billion plan passed last year, leaving reporters and legislators struggling to remember the last time the committee had done that.
Rep. Toni Walker, a New Haven Democrat who co-chairs the committee, said that it was the “first time” in her 23 years in the General Assembly that she has seen the committee opt not to propose any adjustments or pass a legislative budget.
But she said it was for good reason.
“I think we did that because, in looking at what it would do to our revenues in having to open up the budget, and also in looking at some of the reductions that were proposed, we felt that we had established some very clear issues that we wanted to maintain in what we do here in Appropriations,” Walker said.
She added that the issues that are important to Connecticut residents have become clear: education and nonprofits.
“We have to listen to the people. That’s why we have the public hearings – we have to listen to what they are asking us to sure up and secure for them,” Waker said.
Gov. Ned Lamont proposed adjustments to the biennial budget during his State of the State Address in February, but the committee opted not to enact them.
The committee co-chairs spoke about why they decided not to propose any adjustments.
Sen. Cathy Osten, a Sprague Democrat and committee co-chair, said that the committee will not be issuing a legislative budget, but that there are policy priorities such as mental health services that the committee wants to emphasize.
Walker said that she and Osten had conversations with leadership, and that they reached the conclusion to use the underlying budget.
“Because it’s a good budget, it was a bipartisan budget, it was something the governor signed, it was a budget that addressed all of these things, and what we thought were the best things we could do,” Walker said.
Sen. Eric Berthel, R-Watertown, said that he was in favor of not passing any legislative budget through the committee, but that he was skeptical about the stability and integrity of the fiscal guardrails.
Berthel joined Republican leadership in releasing a statement Thursday that outlines Republicans’ skepticism regarding the current state of the spending cap. The fiscal guardrails, they said, are working, and “promises made to taxpayers must be upheld.”
“Punting on making adjustments to the budget – which is currently not in balance – shines a bright light on Republicans’ repeated skepticism that impactful decisions on the state budget will be decided by a handful of people behind closed doors,” the statement read. “That’s not transparency. That’s not respecting the sacrifices of taxpayers. But it sure looks like that’s what’s happening in Connecticut under one-party Democrats’ rule.”
Osten told the committee that they have no intention of bypassing the state’s fiscal guardrails.
Julia Bergmann, spokesperson for the governor, said in a statement that Lamont is remaining steadfast in his approach to the budget.
“As the Governor has repeatedly said, the two-year budget that passed less than a year ago on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis sent a strong message about our priorities by delivering the largest middle-class tax cut in state history, while making historic investments in K-12 and higher education, early childhood, housing, and social services. We will be sitting down with legislative leaders in the coming weeks to continue the progress we’ve made in the upcoming fiscal year,” the statement said.
The news that the committee opted not to make changes follows weeks of advocacy for funding from numerous constituencies around the state.
Gian-Carl Casa, president and CEO of the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, said that his organization will continue to make its case for more funding over the rest of the legislative session.
“Connecticut’s revenue system is delivering hundreds of millions of dollars more than is needed to fund the state budget, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future,” Casa said. “We appreciate that the Appropriations Committee and legislative leaders are working to find a way to allocate additional much-needed funding for some programs, and that nonprofit human services are one of their top priorities.”
The committee’s decision leaves the legislature waiting for state agencies to report back on how much of the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act they have allocated thus far.
