HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut state Senate is officially urging the U.S. Senate to hold confirmation hearings on President Barack Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

The Democratic-controlled Senate on Wednesday voted 19-15 in favor of a resolution that calls on senators to act on Merrick Garland's nomination.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff says Connecticut's resolution sends a message to Washington that obstructionism must end and senators should do their jobs. Minority Republicans in the Connecticut Senate criticized the resolution as partisan and unnecessary.

Danbury state Senator Mike McLachlan says it's not the job of the Connecticut Senate to tell the U.S. Senate what to do.  McLachlan says the Connecticut ignores federal law time and again, but now wants to tell them how to interpret the Constitution.  He said Connecticut ignores federal drug laws and immigration laws.

McLachlan says if the voters don't agree with the Senators decision not to hold hearings, they can let them know on Election Day.

McLachlan said he could only imagine the reaction of constituents when they hear about the legislature taking time out of their short session for this measure.  He thinks they're going to say that the legislature is out of its mind.  He says the appropriate thing to be talking about the federal government balancing their books.  If they don't have the money, he says they just print more.

He and other GOP senators say the legislature should instead focus on the state's budget deficit woes.