As it now stands, Gov. M. Jodi Rell's proposed budget leaves state aid to municipalities almost untouched. Except for cutting one-time increases of $45 million, it does not drop. Recognizing that cities and towns' expenses do not remain flat, the governor has proposed a number of state policy changes that, if enacted, could save municipalities hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, which represents most of the state's cities and towns, has embraced a number of the governor's proposals and repeated its call from past years for relief from other mandates, including one that adds millions to towns' construction costs.

The mandate changes proposed by Rell all deserve consideration. But one, suspension of binding arbitration for two years, has been described accurately as dead on arrival. The unions' grip is too tight on Democrats who control the General Assembly.

Rell's other proposals should give less offense, except to showboating lawmakers with pet legislation.

Among her mandate-relief proposals:

• Require a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature for the passage of a municipal mandate.
• Delay for two years the effective date of two laws that would transfer criminal cases against 16- and 17-year-olds to juvenile court and require schools to have only in-school suspensions of students.

Delaying the transfer of youths to juvenile court would save state and local governments an estimated $55 million. The in-school suspension policy is expected to add $4.5 million to a city's school budget.

In addition to these cost savings, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has renewed its call for relief from the state's prevailing wage law.

In past years, the change has been blocked by union opposition. CCM has proposed a moratorium on the law, which imposes union wages on government construction. The law can add as much as 30 percent to a project's cost.

The law ought to be repealed, not suspended. But, even a suspension of the law would mean that more construction projects could be launched under the federal stimulus appropriation and more jobs created. That might be enough to convince unions to accept a moratorium.