Both parties see the bill as a good step towards reasserting legislative control over the state’s spending.

By Hugh McQuaid, CTNewsJunkie.com 

The Senate gave final passage Tuesday to a measure granting the legislature the ability to review and modify Gov. Ned Lamont’s plans for spending $2.7 billion in federal COVID aid.

The Senate approved the bill unanimously one week after the House passed it without opposition. The legislation requires the governor to submit a spending plan to the leaders of the legislature’s Democratic majority, who would refer the plan to the Appropriations Committee for approval or modification and ultimately a vote by the General Assembly.

Senators from both parties supported the bill as a step towards reasserting legislative control of the state’s purse strings following a year during which Lamont operated with largely autonomous authority through the pandemic. Democrats asked that the bill be passed on the Senate’s consent calendar with little discussion.