HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A key bloc of Connecticut state lawmakers has told Gov. Ned Lamont they like the idea of a 10-year transportation improvement plan, but don't like relying on tolls to partially pay for it.

Members of the Senate Democratic caucus met privately with the Democratic governor for nearly two hours on Wednesday, discussing his $21.3 billion CT2030 initiative, Lamont's latest scaled-down transportation initiative that proposes 14 bridge tolls.

Senate President Martin Looney, of New Haven, says the senators agreed that transportation is a major issue for the state, but the funding source needs to be "broadly palatable" to members of the General Assembly and the public.

Looney says there are "other options" that would not involve tax increases to help pay for wide-ranging improvements Lamont has proposed for highways to airports.

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