–After months of failed negotiations, the state Senate voted unanimously Tuesday for a bonding bill that authorizes slightly less borrowing than a bill the governor vetoed last month.
The House of Representatives was expected to approve the same legislation later in the day. Leaders of the majority Democrats said they’ve been told Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, will sign it into law.
“By moving this forward today, we can all be proud that we are meeting critical needs,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn.
The bill authorizes borrowing $2.9 billion in general obligation bonds for fiscal years 2008 and 2009, plus an additional $950 million in bond authorizations for major renovations and improvements to the Connecticut State University campuses. The $2.9 billion covers everything from local school construction projects to farmland preservation.
It marks a $200 million reduction from the bonding bill Rell vetoed. At the time, Rell said the bill was too expensive. Democrats, however, criticized her veto, saying she already could decide which projects get funded because she sets the agenda for the State Bond Commission, which ultimately distributes the money.
The impasse between Rell and lawmakers over bonding has dragged on since the legislature ended its regular legislative session in June. Since that then, some municipalities, including the state’s three largest cities, have had to seek short-term loans to cover the cost of continuing school construction projects.
This revised bonding bill includes $2 million to help cities and towns recoup any additional interest costs and other expenses stemming from the funding delay.
Sen. William Nickerson, R-Greenwich, the ranking Republican on the legislature’s Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee, said the impasse ultimately cost taxpayers that $2 million.
“I hope in another session that we can all agree in a collegial fashion to pass a bond bill in June,” Nickerson said. “There’s really nothing in this bill that couldn’t have been passed in June.”
Highlights of the bill include $864 million in special tax obligation bonding to pay for transportation-related projects, including the “Fix-It-First” program for repairing state roads and bridges and up to 38 additional rail cars.
Also, the bill scraps a $1 surcharge on daily commuter rail tickets.
Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, co-chairman of the legislature’s higher education committee, said she was pleased with changes to the massive 10-year plan to renovate the CSU campuses. Hartley said the latest version clearly identifies the projects under consideration, requires any changes to be brought before the General Assembly, and mandates an annual audit.
“It makes for a very strong proposal and one that I think we can all be proud of,” she said.
