Connecticut's largely Democrat-on-Democrat budget tussle is essentially complete, with several different revenue-raising measures dropped in the interest of getting a final deal done.
"We have broad agreement with the Democratic leadership," said Gov. Ned Lamont (D).
House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) says the paperwork is being drawn up, and final votes should come in time for the end of the current session next Wednesday, June 9th.
"We still have a bonding bill to draft, and we still have the federal money (via the American Rescue Plan) to allocate," says Ritter, "but those things should be a little quicker than the Appropriations budget."
Those revenue measures were a major reason that negotiations went to overtime. Gov. Lamont wound up dropping a plan for emissions-related fees on gas producers, a plan derided by Republicans as a gas tax that would hit consumers. Democratic lawmakers gave up their plan to increase taxes on the wealthy-- a non-starter with the governor.
In the end, the two-year, $46 billion dollar plan includes no new taxes-- a priority for the governor, who faces a reelection bid next year.
Democrats hold the governor's office and both chambers of the State Assembly, but Republican leadership is taking credit for the demise of the governor's carbon emissions fees.
"We had gax tax rallies across the State of Connecticut," says Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford), "and we put together a petition of well over ten thousand... and urged people to contact the majority and the governor and I think that's what really got them back to reality."