Budget bill goes down to the wire, passes state Senate by two votes

HARTFORD, Conn. – After an all-night House session to approve a two-year, $40.3 billion state budget with a nearly $2 billion tax increase, the Senate voted 19-17 in favor of the plan after an exciting parliamentary climax and more than five hours of debate.

With the Republican minority in control in the waning hours of the legislative session, the legislature’s Democratic majority had few tools at their disposal to save the state budget that passed the House 73-70 at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Senate Democrats were about to “call the question” to force Republicans to vote on the budget —  a parliamentary measure that’s the equivalent of the nuclear option — and they narrowly avoided it.

Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano said the whole budget process has been ridiculous. He said the Democrats’ budget represents the “second largest” tax increase in Connecticut’s history and despite all the new taxes, they are projecting another deficit — $1.6 billion — in the following biennium. “I have never seen so many untransparent [sic] carrots given to lawmakers to vote for this budget,” Fasano said.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.