HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ General Electric says the idea that it has been planning layoffs in Connecticut and plans to use the state’s just-passed budget as “cover” is completely untrue. State Senate President Martin Looney made that assertion Thursday morning, hours after the Legislature passed a two-year, $40 billion budget that had been criticized by Connecticut-based employers including General Electric Co. and Aetna Inc. GE spokesman Seth Martin says the company spoke out against the budget because it “needs to operate in a state that allows business to be competitive.” Aetna also has hinted the budget may make it rethink its presence in Connecticut. Looney, D-New Haven, says state business taxes are quite moderate and that companies are likely to benefit from some of the budget’s provisions, including a reduction in car taxes.
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