Reps. McGorty and Perillo Slam Governor’s Veto of Bipartisan Budget
Rep. Ben McGorty
On Thursday afternoon Governor Dannel P. Malloy delivered a veto of the bipartisan budget that passed the legislature during special session two weeks ago. State Representatives Ben McGorty (R-122) and Jason Perillo (R-113) blasted the action as sharply partisan and short-sighted, consigning towns like Shelton to steep cuts in education aid as the state continues to operate under the governor’s executive orders. The budget Governor Malloy has vetoed would have restored these funding cuts municipalities.
“It has come down to the governor preferring to run the state by cruel executive orders that slash education funding to our schools than to sign a budget that made some tough choices, but earned bipartisan support in both chambers to get to his desk,” said Rep. McGorty. “We are now the only state in the U.S. that continues to operate without a budget. The governor needs to recognize that the deal he negotiated with Democratic leaders with massive tax increases and new taxes on things like cellphone bills, that ultimately failed, isn’t the answer to our state troubles. I hope my colleagues in the General Assembly join with me in supporting an override of the governor’s veto to put this bipartisan budget in place.”
“This budget, which began as our proposed Republican budget, was first offered back in April,” said Rep. Perillo. “Unfortunately, Democratic leaders refused to call it then because they knew it would pass, just as it eventually did – with some Democratic support. While their leaders produced no budget of their own until we were over seventy days into the new fiscal year, they would apparently prefer to have towns like Shelton get their funding slashed than sign on to a budget that doesn’t raise taxes, makes some hard choices, and forces the state to live within its means. The veto of this responsible bipartisan budget is shameful.”
The General Assembly would need 101 votes in the House and 24 in the Senate to override Governor Malloy’s veto. A veto session is scheduled for October 10th.