Appropriations committee reinterprets the spending cap

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Democrat-controlled Appropriations Committee budget would spend nearly $300 million more per year than Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget and it reinterprets the spending cap to exempt pension contributions and other retirement benefits.

Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, and Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, the co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee said they don’t believe long-term indebtedness was meant to be included in the spending cap calculation. Under that interpretation their budget is $1.5 billion under the spending cap.

“It’s our interpretation on this committee and with this budget that the long-term obligations of the teacher retirements, jurors retirements, state employees retirements and other post-employment benefits represent long-term indebtedness that should not be counted under the cap,” Bye said Monday at a press conference prior to the Appropriations Committee.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.