Malloy’s seven vetoes will stand

Hartford — Connecticut lawmakers fell short Monday of overriding any Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s seven vetoes, sparking criticism from a top Republican who claimed Democratic senators are in “lock-step” with the unpopular governor who has become a key focus in this year’s election season.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano said he found it “pretty outstanding” there were not enough Democratic votes in the Senate to override vetoes of bills that had passed overwhelmingly in the chamber, just two months ago. For example, there wasn’t enough support in the Senate to override vetoes of proposals to place new limits on a plan to pay off $550 million of Hartford’s debt or prevent the governor from making mid-year cuts to local education aid. There was enough support in the House of Representatives to overturn Malloy’s veto of the education funding legislation, the only vetoed bill that had originated in the House.

“I think the Senate Democrats are in lock-step with the most unpopular governor in the country,” Fasano said.

Democratic Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney disagreed, saying Malloy provided a “compelling message” for why he vetoed certain bills. In other cases, he said Malloy was willing to negotiate an alternative bill that could be taken up in a special session, such as a bill that would have expanded a tax credit program to small businesses that hire manufacturing apprentices. Lawmakers may take up legislation concerning legalized sports betting and collecting sales tax on online purchases during that yet-to-be-finalized special session.