The 2017 legislative session came to a close on June 10th, but the Governor and legislators could not agree on a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1. The state is facing a $1.7 billion budget deficit for the 2017 fiscal year. Legislators expect to return to Hartford for a special session before the new fiscal year begins. However, it’s uncertain if they will pass a budget at that time. Governor Dan Malloy is preparing to run the state without an approved budget. The governor has advocated a budget plan that would significantly cut municipal aide.
Before adjourning, the legislature passed House Bill 7229 that would authorize the creation of non-profit brownfield land banks. The land banks would work directly with municipalities to clean-up properties. The bill would also provide the land banks more regulatory flexibility and allow them to access state brownfield grants. Last year, a similar bill was passed by the legislature, but Governor Malloy vetoed it because of fiscal and taxation concerns. As of the time of this writing, the Governor has not signed the bill. It is unclear if the 2017 version of the bill addressed the Governor’s concerns. Stay tuned for more information on this important piece of legislation. CEDAS has advocated for land bank legislation for two years.
– Garrett Sheehan, CEcD