Tears Not Moving Senate Democrats.

Nix tears from the list of negotiating tools available to Senate Democrats to heave a budget across the finish line before the legislature adjourns on May 4th. The tears, nevertheless, have been flowing. On Monday, a gaggle of Senate Democrats let their leaders know that they were not onboard with a new proposal to close the gaps that keep appearing in spending plans as revenue reports disappoint.

The leaders need 18 votes and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman as a tie breaker to get a budget through the upper chamber. The challenge is corralling those 18 votes for a tough budget that Governor Dannel P. Malloy will not veto. That’s not one of the alternatives. Some Democrats are resisting going on record for a budget that makes cuts that will not be in the final version of whatever the legislature manages to cobble together fixes to next year’s ballooning deficit.

Enough Senate Democrats at Monday’s caucus refused to be stampeded into a vote that leaders had to cancel their trip to Malloy’s office to let him know they were ready to vote. Confused negotiations continue.