Enfield Representatives Stand by Veto Override
Hartford – State Representatives Carol Hall (R-59) and Greg Stokes (R-58) continue to support the push to override the Governor’s budget veto. On Tuesday the Speaker called the House into a special session in the hopes that a member who voted for the budget would make a ‘motion to reconsider’ and that the override effort would fail due to the lack of a 2/3 majority needed for passage. Members refused to make a motion, keeping the budget alive for consideration as bi-partisan negotiations continue.
The budget was initially passed by 21-15 in the Senate after three Democrat senators joined their Republican colleagues and passed the house 77-73-1 with five Democrats joining the other side of the aisle. As a result of the Governor’s veto and the continued lack of a state budget the Governor’s executive orders will take effect eliminating education funding for 85 districts and substantially reducing funding for dozens more. The budget that passed would have preserved local education funding.
“This is the only budget on the table right now, and it’s the right budget for Connecticut. The speaker knows that a majority of the public feel the same way. The speaker will try to spin our decision on Tuesday but the fact is that we kept alive the possibility of delivering a budget to the people of Connecticut,” said Representative Hall. “Both the regular and special legislative sessions have been characterized by false starts and procedural mishaps that have created gridlock and jeopardized Connecticut’s well-being. Our state deserves better, and we’ll keep fighting to deliver it.”
“I am disappointed with the Speaker’s actions, it was a highly partisan attempt to put an end to the override effort and kill the budget that passed in September. We did not fall into the trap. By not calling for a motion to reconsider we have kept the only budget to pass the House and Senate alive,” said Representative Greg Stokes. “I believe that the budget we passed back in September was the best way forward and should be the basis of negotiations going forward. This isn’t ‘silly’ as the Speaker said earlier this week, this is serious, especially considering the Governor’s executive orders that would cut 21 million dollars from Enfield schools.”