Connecticut Lawmakers Set To Vote On Revised Budget Plan

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Connecticut lawmakers are expected to vote on the latest version of a two-year Democratic budget proposal that received some last-minute changes after several major employers publicly balked at the tax increases.

Rank-and-file members of the House of Representatives were learning details of the new revisions Tuesday morning. The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn Wednesday at midnight.

Lawmakers had planned to vote Monday on the budget. But General Electric Co., Aetna Inc. and the Travelers Companies Inc. each issued rare public statements, criticizing the proposal. GE and Aetna both questioned whether they'd remain in Connecticut.

Listen to Connecticut Lawmakers Set To Vote On Revised Budget Plan

House Speaker Brendan Sharkey said some changes were made Monday night to accommodate the businesses.

Meanwhile, outpatient surgery centers are decrying a proposed 6 percent gross receipt tax on services, predicting facility closures.

Sen. Toni Boucher, a Republican who sits on the Finance Committee, said the budget, with its tax hikes, is the worst since Connecticut voted in the income tax. She said the Republican plan, which includes no new taxes, isn't being heard.

"The problem is the governor has shut the door on any proposals by the other side and has been extremely partisan," Boucher told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

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