HARTFORD -- Weeks before the state Legislature comes back into session, lawmakers have a major hurdle to tackle: a $1.3 billion budget deficit.
The governor's Office of Policy and Management released the numbers this week saying state obligations far exceed the amount of income that's projected to come in for fiscal year 2018.
"I think the big thing is to get to work right away, let's not wait until the session, it's only going to get worse," said State Sen. Rob Kane, R-Southbury.
The Republicans and Democrats come into the Senate evenly matched with 18 senators each this legislative year, and Kane says all options are on the table in order to have conservative voices heard. "Well, a deadlock might not be the worst thing because we can stop a lot of these failed policies from going forward." said Kane.
Last year, Gov. Dan Malloy's administration ordered drastic cuts and layoffs in order to curb state spending. Fiscal year 2017 is projected to end in a roughly $68 million budget deficit.
In order to tackle the bigger, $1.3 million problem looming for fiscal year 18, Kane said layoffs and union negotiations have to be part of the discussion.
State officials cite pension payments, growing healthcare costs, pending litigation, and lower than expected tax revenue as contributing to the massive gap.
Malloy defended his administration's actions Wednesday afternoon.
"Without partners, and when I say partners, I'm talking Republicans and Democrats and labor and other folks, it's hard to get it done by yourself," he told reporters. "We have obligations that my predecessors did not honor and they found ways to kick the can down the road. It fell upon my administration to straighten out the mess and I remain committed to straightening out the mess."
The CT AFL-CIO says any discussion on dealing with the budget shouldn't include the possibility of people losing their jobs.
"That's the irony," said Lori Pelletier, CT AFL-CIO president. "If you start layoffs again that's the very people who are contributing more and costing the state less that are going to go out the door so it's actually going to hurt the state more."
The Legislature convenes in January.
