House Votes In Favor Of Deal Reached Between Gov. Rell And State Unions
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-session-vote.artmay15,0,7769312.story
Agreement Calls For $700 million in wage and benefit concessions
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING
The Hartford Courant
May 15, 2009
The state House of Representatives voted early Friday morning in favor of $700 million in wage and benefit concessions that were negotiated between the state-employee unions and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The vote of 127 to 9 marked one of the largest steps so far toward closing the state’s projected deficit of $8.7 billion over the next two fiscal years.
The approval required two separate votes, and the debate continued after 1 a.m. Friday on the second part. Only two House Democrats voted against the initial resolution, along with seven Republicans. On the second vote, the deal was approved by 122 to 10 with 8 Republicans joining the two Democrats who voted no.
House Republican leader Larry Cafero of Norwalk said some members of the general public remain unsatisfied with the deal in tough economic times. He noted that state legislators wait on line at pharmacies and see their neighbors paying much more for the same prescription drugs that legislators purchase.
“They’re shelling out tens and twenties, and we come up with three dollars or six dollars” for prescription co-pays for generic or name-brand drugs under the heavily subsidized state system, Cafero said.
The negotiated deal with the unions includes a one-year wage freeze for the fiscal year that starts July 1, along with healthcare concessions. The unionized employees must take one unpaid furlough day during the current fiscal year that ends on June 30 and three furlough days in each of the next two fiscal years.
The wage freeze and furlough days represent the largest savings in the package at $284 million over the current fiscal year and the next two years, according to calculations by the legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal office.
The agreement would also save $208 million through a retirement incentive program in the next two fiscal years as an estimated 3,000 state employees will be leaving their jobs. Another part of the deal calls for underfunding the state pension fund by $129 million through a deferral of contributions to the fund over two fiscal years.
“That’s not a savings,” said Rep. Shawn Johnston, a Democrat who often votes with the Republicans on many issues. He voted with Rep. Thomas J. Drew of Fairfield against the deal.
Rep. Tom Reynolds, a Ledyard Democrat, voted in favor of the deal twice, despite agreeing with the thrust of Johnston’s remarks.
“Many of these provisions are not savings,” Reynolds told his House colleagues early Friday morning. “They are deferrals of obligations.” Cafero said at about 1 a.m. Friday that the comments by two Democrats – Johnston and Reynolds – were “frankly, right on. .. They are accurate.” The two-part package, including a resolution and a separate bill, was delayed into the night by language problems and miscommunication among officials at the state Capitol.
Shortly before 10 p.m., House Speaker Christopher Donovan said he was still committed to trying to get the bill done before the House members went home for the night. Even Donovan was perplexed at some point by the delays.
“I want to get it done,” Donovan told three reporters in his Capitol office. Cafero had predicted that about 18 to 20 members of his caucus would vote in favor of the deal that includes a one-year wage freeze for unionized state employees and various concessions on health benefits. Cafero has heard complaints from constituents and others in the general public that the deal is not tough enough and does not save enough money for the cash-strapped state. With thousands of layoffs in the private sector and virtually no job security in some industries, some worried residents believe that a deal with two-year job security is quite generous.
“Especially people who just lost their job, they say, “Are you kidding me?’ ” Cafero said in his Capitol office. “Two-year job security?” Since the House adjourned at about 1:10 a.m. Friday, the House will not be in session later on Friday.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant
