A local lawmaker is calling for the General Assembly to meet now to get Connecticut's finances in order. 

Wilton state Senator Toni Boucher says the state has been in deficit every year since she's been in the Senate.  She says waiting is what got the state into this bind.  Boucher says the Democratic majority burying their heads in the sand and kicking the can down the road is the wrong approach to turning the books around.

Boucher says Connecticut still continues to recover from the economic recession that began in 2008, only recouping 76% of jobs lost.  She compared that to Massachusetts which has recovered 300-percent of job losses.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano is urging Governor Dannel Malloy to meet with Connecticut lawmakers to discuss the state's budget deficit problems.  Fasano, who will represent Republicans next year in an 18-18 split Senate, says people are losing confidence in the state and officials need to "show to the public that all parties can work together to face these challenges with a united front."

The Democratic governor's budget office estimates the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, will be about $1.3 billion in the red. 

The shortfall stems from a host of things, including payments due for teacher and state employee pensions. Malloy notes how previous governors underfunded those pension programs, helping create today's problem.  Scheduled debt payments and slower-than-anticipated revenues also pose challenges.