Keith M. Phaneuf / CT Mirror

Measure would have boosted aid for magnet, charter, vo-ag schools

When Gov. Ned Lamont first declared that his new budget delivers the largest tax cut in state history, two things happened.

The new state budget includes policy language prohibiting the administration from reducing any departmental budgets as long as the state is in the black.

GOP says tax relief was too modest given massive budget surplus

$24 billion budget invests in child care and social services, allows CT to retire $3.5 billion more in pension debt.

The House of Representatives was expected Monday evening to adopt a $24.2 billion state budget that provides more than $600 million in income tax cuts, a car tax freeze, an extended gasoline tax holiday and other relief.The package, which would boost General Fund spending 6.5% above the current fiscal year, also makes new investments in child care, mental health, other social services and the state’s contracting watchdog agency.

Budget deal has $30 million for special pay for the thousands of health care and social service workers, grocery and department store employees, emergency personnel, utilities workers and others who operated essential services when COVID-19 struck Connecticut hard in 2020.

Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders have agreed on a new $24 billion state budget that features nearly $600 million in tax cuts, including up to $750 later this year for families with kids, and an extended gasoline tax holiday running through Dec. 1.The compromise budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 also freezes car taxes in nearly half of all communities and makes new investments in child care, mental health, other social services and the state’s contracting watchdog agency.