The Connecticut State Senate let legislation die on the calendar that would have extended the present rates of the municipal conveyance tax, as the General Assembly's 2010 session came to a close.

A bill to extend the rates for two years had sat on the Senate calendar for eight session days without action. The House had, earlier

Wednesday evening, passed an amendment to another bill that included a one year extension and sent that to the Senate - but the Senate did not act on that version of the legislation, either.

In the same eight-day period the Senate passed numerous pieces of legislation, - but did not act on the $25 million conveyance tax extension. Throughout the week, CCM lobbyists pressed the Senate for action on the conveyance tax, to no avail. The Senate also let the regional hotel tax die on the calendar, although it had previously passed the House.

Final passage was given by the Senate to other key bills for municipalities including two that had been recommended by the MORE Commission - one to provide relief from certain mandates and another to clarify that towns and boards of education have wide latitude to pool for health insurance purchases.

The House also led the way in passing not only the bills mentioned above but others that reward towns when boards of education coordinate school transportation contracts with other communities and another to allow towns to purchase pharmaceuticals through the State.

House Speaker Chris Donovan and Planning and Development Chair Rep. Brendan Sharkey made municipal legislation a priority in the session's final days - with the Speaker pushing action on MORE Commission bills and Rep. Sharkey personally lobbying the Senate for their passage. House Finance Committee Chair Cam Staples pushed the conveyance tax legislation in both chambers and passed it in the House when it became clear the Senate wasn't bringing up the bill that had sat on its calendar for a week. House Republicans had agreed not to "filibuster" the bill although many in their caucus opposed it, allowing it to move forward in a timely fashion on a hectic last day.

On Tuesday, at the urging of Sen. Jonathan Harris (D-West Hartford), legislative leaders had reportedly asked to include conveyance tax legislation in the budget agreed upon with the Governor, but she refused.

The legislature is expected to meet again, at least in June, for a veto session and perhaps other uncompleted business. Between now and then CCM will press them to extend the conveyance tax when they return.

CCM will provide you with more information in the coming days.

For more information, please contact Jim Finley (jfinley@ccm-ct.org) or Gian-Carl Casa (gcasa@ccm-ct