Lawmakers have yet to reach a budget agreement - well after the July 1 deadline.  Connecticut is one of only two states that began a new fiscal year on July 1 and have yet to enact a 2010 budget.  Governor Rell has now signed two executive orders so that the state can continue to pay bills until a budget agreement is reached.

The two most recent occasions when the state was without a budget for the new fiscal year occurred in 1991 and 2003.  On both occasions the legislature and governor issued continuing resolutions and executive orders respectively to cover state expenditures.

This winter and spring, Governor Rell,  Democrats, and Republicans all crafted budget proposals trying to close a huge budget deficit.  In the budget documents she has released, Governor Rell proposed slashing programs and services by a total of nearly $3 billion.  Democrats have described Rell’s proposed cuts as shredding social services and vital programs for citizens.  Legislative leaders continue to meet with the Governor, but there is still no word about when an agreement will be reached.

The political disagreements boil down to this: How much of the deficit will be closed by reducing essential services, such as education programs and social services, and how much will be closed by raising taxes.  CEA continues to push for a budget that is built on a realistic revenue stream – through progressive taxation – to help fund local public schools.   The association’s goal is a state budget that will sustain public schools through the severe recession and leave education on a solid foundation when the crisis has passed.

“The demands and high expectations of NCLB and our state’s accountability law have not diminished. Adequate state resources are critical for teachers and students,” said CEA President Phil Apruzzese.  Apruzzese continued, “We have never witnessed a situation like the current fiscal climate.  CEA members are urged to monitor legislative developments and contact their legislators as necessary at cea.org.”

Contact your legislators and tell them that the state must provide a realistic revenue stream to ensure strong schools.