Hartford, Ct. – Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statement.

“This budget is significantly better than the GOP proposal that passed the General Assembly in September, and it’s better specifically because of the actions of Democratic leaders. I applaud and thank those leaders for not resorting to personal attacks, but focusing on what matters: moving Connecticut forward.

“Because of Democrats, Republicans ditched their ill-advised plan to resort to Rowland-era gimmicks and underfund Connecticut’s pension obligations; this year we will once again be fiscally responsible and fully fund our pensions — something that had never been done until we elected a Democratic governor. Thanks to Democrats, we will make the necessary investments in higher education, while Republicans wanted to make draconian cuts to UConn, the state’s public colleges and universities, and even the financial aid necessary for lower-income students to access a college education. And thanks to Democrats, Connecticut’s groundbreaking clean elections program will remain intact, keeping special interest money out of state politics.

“This is not the Democratic budget we initially envisioned. However, we remain fiercely committed to making the necessary hard choices and leading with our values. We’ll continue to make steps toward putting Connecticut in a better place as we continue to do the work Republican leaders neglected for decades. We know that the governor and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly will continue to fight for the values we hold dear as a party.”