The Connecticut House and Senate convened yesterday for a special session and quickly adjourned with no agreement in sight about how to reduce the growing state budget deficit.
The December 15 special session was supposed to deal with Governor Rell’s deficit mitigation plan that proposes cutting $337 million from the $37.6 billion budget.
As of December 1, the State of Connecticut is projected to end fiscal year 2010 with a billion dollar hole in its budget. This is a serious shortfall, and Governor Rell and some state legislators are looking to local towns to find money.
Of particular interest to you and other municipal employees is the fact that the governor’s plan cuts $84 million in funding for cities and towns. That’s another fiscal wallop that towns do not need. It also will set the context for municipal officials to set their expectations low when they are putting together budgets in the coming months for the 2010-11 budget year.
Also on the governor’s list is a more than $300,000 reduction in state funding for CommPACT schools. This reform model – backed by CEA and others – has also attracted corporate and foundation financial support.
CEA told key lawmakers in December that it would be a, “terrible shame if this stunning public-private partnership were to fall by the wayside.” Especially because it is making an extraordinary difference for children and teachers.
There has been no word on when another special session of the legislature will be called. For updates on Connecticut’s budget deficit and how it will affect the state’s classrooms sign up to get email updates from BlogCEA or subscribe to BlogCEA’s RSS feed.
The state of Connecticut needs to step up to the plate and fund education to the extent that the state has promised in the past. There is so much inequity in the state as the towns have different ability to fund the school system in their town. Thre have been laws mandating certain expenditures for schools and important reforms, but the state is remiss in providing the money that it had indicated it would provide. Our legislators need to say No! to Rell’s efforts to cut funding for cities and towns and to reduce state funding for CommPACT schools. Legislators should not hesitate to tax to a greater extent those persons who can afford to pay more taxes (such as billionaires) so that the children of this state get the education that they deserve and that has been promised to them.
We are the richest state in the country, where is all our money going??