Malloy: Budget continues plan to grow jobs

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says his new, two-year $43.8 billion state budget moves Connecticut closer to recovery from the recession, closing a projected multibillion dollar deficit and continuing investments in education and job development.

The Democrat told the General Assembly on Wednesday that such investments will be criticized, but he said "burying our heads in the sand is not a strategy" and the government should stimulate economic growth.

Acknowledging the December school shooting in Newtown, Malloy said "we gather today with wounds not yet healed." But he urged lawmakers to work with him to reach a final budget deal.

Malloy is going to need lawmakers' help. His budget relies on legislators approving changes to the state's constitutional cap on spending, a move that requires a three-fifths majority of the General Assembly.