Error Shackles Connecticut to a Debt Limit That Lawmakers Had Loosened

  • Timing of deal means bond-sale limit applies to refinancings
  • ‘They’re going to have to watch their cash very carefully’
Downtown Hartford from across Connecticut River

Source: Through the Lens/Moment RF via Getty Images

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Nine law firms were hired by Connecticut and underwriter Bank of America Corp. to vet the state’s $492 million bond sale in June.

But none appear to have caught what could be a costly mistake: The contract effectively promises that Connecticut will stick to a strict $1.9 billion annual limit on a key type of debt sale, even though that cap was loosened by the state legislature.