One's a city Democrat. The other, a suburban Republican. The two state legislators went toe-to-toe on the question of whom to fault for the collapse of a reading program and other New Haven budget woes.

The friendly but impassioned Crossfire-like exchange took place Thursday afternoon between New Haven State Rep. Cameron Staples, the legislature's finance co-chairman; and State Sen. Len Fasano, who represents Wallingford, North Haven and Cheshire.

Click here to continue reading Paul's report or click the play arrow to witness the exchange.

The debate on universal health care was postponed last year because the 2007 General Assembly wanted to study the issue before passing legislation like its neighboring states.

In the absence of a major statewide policy on access to affordable health care, the 2008 General Assembly did pass five smaller health care bills being praised by health care advocates.

With only a few days left in the session, the General Assembly was able to approve all five bills:

-A bill to establish a new Health Equity Commission, whose mission will be to eliminate disparities in the health status of minorities;

-A bill to expand a pilot program, known as Money Follows the Person, designed to help transition people from nursing homes to less restrictive community settings;

-A bill amending the Medicaid program to include hospice services for low income people who are terminally ill;

-A mental health bill that eliminates the requirement for a three-day stay in an acute care hospital setting before an insurance plan will allow coverage of medically necessary psychological services in a residential facility, and;

-A bill opening the state employee health insurance pool to municipal, nonprofit, and small business employees.

Democrats in the Senate and the House called separate press conferences Thursday to tout the successes of the legislative session, while Republicans in the House and the Senate held a joint press conference criticizing the majority Democrats for not adjusting the 2009 budget--an agreement that was reached in unison with Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said by sticking with the $18.4 billion state budget, which increases spending 4 percent, it means the state is "living within our means," not unlike Connecticut families. Speaker of the House James Amann, D-Milford, said the current budget does not create any new taxes, however, it does include an increase in the state's petroleum gross receipts tax and it may include the extension of the real estate conveyance tax, if lawmakers call themselves back into special session.

Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said he's disappointed Rell and Democrat-controlled legislature agreed to stick with last year's budget and ignore the GOP's alternative budget proposal that hinged on an early retirement program for about 4,200 state employees.

With a special session on the horizon and an ever-growing list of retirements the end of the session was bittersweet for many.

Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, who announced he would not seek re-election last month, described the past four months as a "rollercoaster ride." Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, said, "It's not the best session we've ever had." In fact, it was "less than stellar," he added.

Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said, "We got a number of good things accomplished," including the mortgage relief bill and a health care bill that provides relief to cities and towns. But there was also a list of bills lawmakers were unable to pass during the short four-month session.

A bill that would allow workers to accumulate one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked died Wednesday night.

The Paid Sick Days bill passed the senate, but was stalled for the second year in a row on the House calendar. Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, who championed the bill, said its defeat was making her sick.

"It's dead," she said as the clock approached midnight. "Next year."

There had been talk earlier in the day that if lawmakers intended to call themselves back into special session to extend the real estate conveyance tax then they could include Paid Sick Days in the call to special session. However, Democratic leadership in the Senate didn't want to make it part of the debate, since it had already passed the bill twice.

"This is a disappointment for the thousands of Connecticut residents who called, emailed, and wrote to their legislators in support of Paid Sick Days," Jon Green, executive director of the Working Families Party said.

At an early evening press briefing, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she would not be giving the traditional speech at midnight to adjourn the legislative session. However, she also noted that this is not like any other session she's ever experienced.

Usually during the final days of session lawmakers are scrambling to get their bills passed, but with the budget in place lawmakers have "too much time on their hands," Rell said.

"I've decided that everybody's temper is just getting a little too short right now and by midnight everyone is going to be a little tired and will want to go home," Rell said.

(Updated: 5 p.m.) Hours before the end of the regular legislative session, Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, announced that his caucus was in favor of holding a special session this summer to address the real estate conveyance tax, which will sunset if lawmakers are unable to pass a bill to extend it by midnight tonight.

Williams said Wednesday that his caucus is "worried about driving up property taxes."

The real estate conveyance tax levied on homeowners selling their homes brings in about $40 million in revenue to cities and towns across the state. Cities and towns love the tax because they can use it to reduce the local property tax burden. Real estate agents hate the tax because they say it takes sellers by surprise at closings.

Speaker of the House James Amann, D-Milford, met with Williams Wednesday afternoon and it looks like a special session is possible, but they were still working out the details. A call to special session has to be very narrow and only the items listed in the call can be debated.

Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said "they should run the bill now."

Late Tuesday night after the House recessed for the day, Speaker of the House James Amann, D-Milford, lingered on the dais.

With a budget deal in place getting bills passed has become increasingly difficult and has many rank-and-file lawmakers frustrated with the lack of action. When asked by a reporter why lawmakers should even come in Wednesday, Amann laughed.

"We did get a few bills done," he said. "There are still some important things worth fighting for." On the agenda in the House Wednesday is Paid Sick Days and Ethics Reform part deux.

Amann said he hopes lawmakers can sneak a few bills out here and there throughout the day. "And it's my last day," Amann said. To the surprise of many Amann announced last month that he wasn't seeking re-election next year, so Wednesday will be his last day as Speaker of the House. "I just want to soak it all in," Amann said.

The Democratic Black and Latino caucus in the House of Representatives was able to temporarily filibuster a bill that would prohibit having an open liquor, beer, or wine bottle in a motor vehicle while on a state highway.

The more than four hour debate, which mostly focused on racial disparity in enforcement of the proposed bill, came to a halt shortly after the Black and Latino caucus found some common ground with white lawmakers over the issue of tailgating at sporting events.

White lawmakers wanted to know whether the proposed open container law could be enforced at a University of Connecticut home football game, while Black and Latino lawmakers wanted a racial, ethnic, and gender impact study on implementation of the bill.

The bill was finally passed temporarily, while lawmakers tried to work out a compromise and give the bill final passage.

Earlier this afternoon the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives privately talked about a bill that would create a committee to work with the state's two tribal casinos on a smoking ban. The Democratic caucus decided not to bring the bill up for a vote Tuesday, which disappointed the union representing 2,600 table dealers at Foxwoods casino.

Julie Kushner, assistant regional director of the United Auto Workers Region 9A, said she's disappointed in Speaker James Amann for not letting lawmakers debate the bill in the waning hours of the legislative session. "I'm disappointed the Speaker didn't come through on his word," she said Tuesday afternoon.

Amann said the UAW asked him to support the bill weeks ago when the state still had a surplus. He said Tuesday that the Democratic members in the House overwhelmingly opposed it.