The head of the Senate Republicans is accusing the state’s largest business organization of giving in to General Assembly Democrats on their budget proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano said in a statement issued Monday afternoon that the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) was urging lawmakers to vote in favor of a budget that does nothing more than support the status quo. “They caved to the pressure of the majority party and are not acting in the best interests of those they are supposed to represent,” Fasano said.
CBIA president Joe Brennan in a phone interview said his organization wasn’t acquiescing. Earlier Monday, CBIA called on the General Assembly to approve the fiscal year 2017 budget agreement reached last week by Gov. Dannel Malloy and Democratic legislative leaders. Republicans had said previously they were left out of negotiations on the 2017 budget.
“We’ve shown over the last year we are not acquiescing or backing down,” Brennan said. “We fought hard this session along with the Republicans on spending caps and spending reforms.”
He struck a practical note, though, when he said with impending projected deficits of $1 billion each of the next two fiscal years, it was important to act sooner rather than later. “It’s a question of what is the best move going forward,” Brennan said. “The sooner we get savings on the books, the better.”
“By passing the no-tax-hike budget, lawmakers will begin the process of getting Connecticut’s fiscal house in order and addressing the greater challenges ahead,” Brennan said in a statement earlier Monday.
He added that the state must solve its budget problems without raising taxes to attract the investments needed for creating jobs in Connecticut.
