The Connecticut Senate passed a two-year, $51 billion state budget Tuesday, hours after the House overwhelmingly passed the same legislation which includes a historic cut to the state’s personal income tax.

The Senate began debating the bill late Tuesday morning, the penultimate day in a legislative session marked by bipartisan votes on some key bills.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 35-1.

The tax-and-spending package passed 139-12 in the Democratic-controlled House early Tuesday after a nearly three-hour debate that started late Monday. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, among the majority of Republicans who voted for the package, said he was pleased steps were taken to make Connecticut more affordable at a time when taxpayers are struggling with high inflation.

“I’m appreciative that this budget recognizes that pain and does incorporate broad-based tax relief for middle and lower-income individuals,” he said during the debate.

First proposed by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, the planned tax reduction is predicted to benefit approximately 1 million of the state’s 1.7 million tax filers by permanently lowering marginal rates for the first time since 1996. It’s being billed as the largest reduction since the tax was first implemented in 1991.

“This budget will deliver the largest personal income tax cut in the state’s history,” Lamont said in a written statement issued before the vote. “This is not a temporary tax cut – it is designed to be sustainable for years...

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