Martin Looney

Senate President Pro Temopore, Martin Looney, D-New Haven, urged lawmakers to consider legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in Connecticut, claiming it “could be a substantial revenue benefit to the state.” Chris Stiffler, an economist with the Colorado Fiscal Institute says the idea that it will bail out a state mired in deficits is not realistic. “There was this idea in Colorado that there would be an extra lane on every highway and an extra teacher in every classroom, but we’re not talking about those kinds of numbers.”

Last week, Yankee Institute President Carol Platt Liebau sent a letter to Gov. Malloy and lawmakers to offer support for many of their cost-cutting ideas. PDF Version: Budget Ideas from the Yankee Institute Dear Governor Malloy and Legislative Leaders, Thank you for your efforts to address the problems with Connecticut’s budget now, rather than waiting to make last minute cuts near the end of the fiscal year. We appreciate your bipartisan commitment to reducing spending.