Governor Malloy was critical last week of the Appropriations Committee’s decision not to cut the entire $922 million deficit and pledged to issue a new budget proposal that tackles the entire scope of the deficit. He delivered on that promise today with a Revised Midterm Budget Adjustments Package. These adjustments are based on the budget the Governor delivered February 3, 2016, not on the Appropriations Committee budget proposal. The entire proposal can be found here: http://portal.ct.gov/uploadedFiles/Departments_and_Agencies/Office_of_the_Governor/Press_Room/Press_Releases/2016/04-2016/2016.04.12%20Governor%20Malloy’s%20Revised%20Budget.pdf

The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn at midnight on May 4. Governor Malloy threatened to call the General Assembly back into session the following day if they have not passed a balanced budget by that time.

Below are the key highlights of the Governor’s Revised Midterm Budget Adjustments that, in addition to his initial February proposal, further impact AFT Connecticut members.  As more details become available, we will share them with you. 

The Revised Midterm Budget Adjustments plan:

  • Includes no tax increases
  • Assumes a reduction of approximately 2,500 positions
  • Eliminates COLAs for private providers
  • Eliminates a $222 million sales tax revenue sharing account with municipalities and reallocates those dollars to fund:
    • PILOT payments
    • School Transportation

PreK-12/PSRP

  • Eliminates Interdistrict Cooperative Funding for Sound School in New Haven
  • Eliminates 2014 Summer School Pilot Program in After School Program
  • Eliminates funding for Career Pathways Collaborative (New Haven and CTHSS)
  • Reduces After School Programs by 5%
  • Eliminates the K-3 Reading Initiative
  • Eliminates Funding for Youth Service Bureau Enhancement
  • Eliminates Priority School District Extended School Hours and School Accountability Grants
  • Reduces funding for Charter Schools by $2M
  • Reduces ECS by $43M
    • Holds Alliance Districts harmless
    • Reduces the Minimum Aid Ratio from 2% to 0% , i.e. no funding for wealth districts
    • Reduces all other districts proportionately
  • Eliminates Before and After School Care for low income families
  • Eliminates Head Start Enhancements in New Haven, Ansonia, Shelton, Milford and Derby
  • Eliminates school readiness slots and converts them to school day spaces
  • Eliminates funding for Family School Connection
  • Reduces funding for Minority Teacher Incentive Program by $48K
  • Teachers’ Retirement Board (same as February proposal)
    • Cuts Retiree Health Service Cost $147K
    • Cuts Municipal Retiree Health Insurance Cost $54K
    • Assumes restructuring of TRB unfunded liabilities

State Employees

  • Assumes 2,500 position reduction through layoffs
  • Funds the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Office of State Ethics, and Freedom of Information Commission as independent agencies
  • Eliminates the Commission on Aging
  • Eliminates per diem payments to the Contracting Standards Board
  • Eliminates funding for eight vacancies in DAS
  • Reassigns state troopers ($781K worth) to achieve overtime savings
  • Reallocates staff between CHRO and Dept. of Labor
  • Closes the Department of Social Services’ Torrington regional office
  • Judicial Department
    • $20M cut to reduce growth in funding of personal services in Judicial Department (same as February proposal)
    • Consolidates Detention Center operations to Hartford assuming 130 positions associated with the Bridgeport Detention Center will be eliminated ($11.1M).
  • Asks non-union employees, appointees, and elected officials in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to pay 20 percent for their health care benefits, creating a savings of as much as $5.2M
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