State lawmakers finished up two lingering bills that spell out where to spend billions of dollars in bonding, and set standards for state contracts with private businesses.
The one-day special session comes more than three months after the General Assembly adjourned its regular session, passing a new, two-year $36 billion budget.
Both bills generated lengthy debates. It took the Senate several hours to pass a Democrat-backed $3.2 billion bond package on a 21-12 vote that fell along party lines. The House passed the bill on a mostly party-line 84-38 vote shortly before midnight.
Opponents, mostly Republicans, spent much of the night criticizing the bonding package for making too many financial promises that the state can’t keep or afford. The plan includes a new, $1 billion, 10-year initiative to improve the Connecticut State University system’s campuses and $1.3 billion over two years for local school construction projects.
The bill also authorizes $850 million over two years for transportation initiatives, including additional $150 million in funding for bridge repair in the wake of this summer’s deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse.
Democrats, who control the legislature, did not reach an agreement on the bill with Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell before they brought it up for a vote. Rell said Thursday she is “troubled” by the bottom line.
“What I see happening is a legislature that cannot stop asking for more pork, for more earmarks, trying to spend more money for some projects that have never been vetted,” said Sen. David Cappiello, R-Danbury. “I don’t think our constituents want us to do that.”
But Sen. Donald DeFronzo, co-chairman of the bonding subcommittee, said it’s been former governors, not legislators, who’ve borrowed huge sums of money over the years for their preferred projects.
“We have every right as a legislator to stipulate our legislative priorities as we have done in this bill,” said DeFronzo, D-New Britain. He said no one expects all of the projects in the bill to ultimately be approved by the State Bond Commission for funding. Rell sets the commission’s agenda.
“If it’s not in the bond package, chances are less likely that she’ll put it on (the agenda),” said House Majority Leader Chris Donovan, D-Meriden. The bill includes more than $100 million worth of proposals for bond funds from individuals lawmakers. The projects range from new fire stations to improvements to local museums.
Earlier in the day, the Senate quickly passed a bill setting standards for state contracts on a 33-2 vote. It took the House 5 1/2 hours to approve the measure on a mostly party-line 81-42 vote. Some lawmakers criticized the legislation for not immediately affecting contracts entered into by the General Assembly, attorney general, treasurer, state comptroller or secretary of the state.
The contracting reform legislation has been about 10 years in the making. It became a hot topic three years ago after former Gov. John G. Rowland resigned amid a corruption scandal involving a state contractor. The bill establishes a board that will oversee the contracting process.
It also creates a procedure for privatizing state functions. That process includes conducting a cost benefit analysis to ensure that state employees won’t be able to provide the same services less expensively.
“I think it’s a good first step. I’m sorry it took so long for it happen,” said Sal Luciano, AFSCME Council 4 executive director. But Luciano questions whether the legislation will lead to an accounting of how many privatized contracts the state has with various companies.
Michael O’Brien, executive president of the Connecticut State Employees Association/Service Employee International Union, said he believes the legislation will lead to state workers performing some of the jobs that have been outsourced.
“The bread and butter of inspections, day in and day out, should be done by our people,” O’Brien said.
