Connecticut Senate Passes Malloy Budget, Next Stop: The House

Governor Dannel Malloy's  was adopted by the Connecticut Senate at around 3:12 a.m. Tuesday by a vote of 19-to-17, according to the Connecticut General Assembly website. It was a slim margin for the body, which is controlled 22-14 by Democrats.

The bill is now scheduled to move to the state's House of Representatives for that body's approval Tuesday at noon.

The bill needed 19 votes to be adopted. All 14 senate Republicans voted "no" on the plan, and three Democrats – Assistant Majority Leader Edward Meyer (D-Branford), state Sen. Gayle Slossberg (D-Milford) and state Sen. Joan V. Hartley (D-Waterbury) – joined them in voting against the bill.

Malloy praised the adoption in a 3:43 a.m. press statement.

“The Senators who voted for this budget early this morning should be commended for making the tough decisions necessary to begin the process of getting Connecticut’s fiscal house in order," Malloy said. "That was a tough vote to make, but it was the right vote to make.  It was a vote for an honest budget, one that’s balanced with no gimmicks, and one that will stabilize the state’s finances and lead to our ultimate goal: job creation.  I’d like to thank Senate President Don Williams, Majority Leader Marty Looney, Appropriations Chairman Toni Harp and Finance Chairman Eileen Daily in particular. They took the budget I proposed, they made it better, and they passed it.”