McKinney, Cafero Renew Call for Immediate Bipartisan Budget Talks, Demand Response from Democrat Legislative Leaders

Hartford, CT – State Senate Republican Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) and State House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero, Jr. (R-Norwalk) today sent a letter to Democrat leaders of the General Assembly, renewing their call for immediate bipartisan talks to address Connecticut’s budget crisis. The Republican leaders have not received a response from Democrat leaders to the letter they wrote on December 29th requesting a bipartisan meeting. Today Sen. McKinney and Rep. Cafero have asked for a formal written response to their appeal. They believe the meeting agenda should include two issues for which there is already bipartisan support: preserving funding for the Licensed Practical Nurse program; and reducing the cost of government by consolidating state agencies and functions. Senate President Don Williams (D-Brooklyn) has publicly expressed interest in working across party lines on both issues. The Republican leaders have offered to make themselves and their staffs available immediately to work with Democrats to close the deficit.