A legislative committee has agreed to release an additional $9.4 million in state bonds to complete repairs to Homer Babbidge Library.

The money is needed to finish the Department of Public Works project by April 1998.

"Let it be over someday, dear God," President Philip E. Austin told trustees last Friday.

The Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee voted 39-4 to authorize the bonds. The proposal now heads to the state Senate for action. Any bonding would then require the approval of the State Bond Commission.

The library opened in 1978 at a cost of $19.5 million. With the new sum, the cost of repairs will be $38 million.

"Without this money, the project would not get finished," Larry Schilling, executive director of facilities management, told trustees.

"How confident are we that this is it?" trustee Frank Napolitano wondered.

Lawmakers were not thrilled about approving more money.

"I don't want to see it come up again because I will never support it again," said state Sen. Alvin Penn, D-Bridgeport.