Mark Ojakian, Gov. Dannel Malloy’s chief negotiator with state unions over $2 billion in savings and concessions, told reporters this morning that he believes the deal can be reached by next week, before layoff notices are sent to thousands of state employees. Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, responds that the budget votes being pondered for early next week, should be held off until the union deal is done. “If the state is as close to an agreement on labor concessions as the Malloy administration believes, then I hope Senate President Williams and Speaker Donovan will take the prudent course of action and wait to vote on the state budget until a deal with state employee unions is finalized,” McKimnney said in a statement.
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