CT Democratic leaders suggest passing only one year of the state’s budget plan

For the first time in decades, Connecticut Democratic legislative leaders are floating the idea of having lawmakers pass only the first year of the state’s next two-year budget plan.

Lawmakers have to pass a budget before their regular session ends next Wednesday. But Democratic leaders say they’ve yet to reach an agreement with Gov. Ned Lamont on the second year of the state’s biennial budget.

House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said the second year is out of balance because of a wage increase agreement reached to avert a strike by unionized nursing home workers.

“It threw a wrench into year two,” Ritter said. “The amount of money it took to settle that was not budgeted in the governor’s budget or the appropriations budget.”

“And we expressed to the governor that it’s difficult for