About 200 state troopers rallied outside the Capitol Monday morning to protest more than 50 planned layoffs that are part of a cost-cutting effort by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

Malloy's reaction seemed to shift throughout the day. He first indicated that the announced layoffs would be carried out because the troopers' union turned down a deal for a two-year pay freeze that would have led to a promised four years of no layoffs.

But during a midafternoon news conference on an unrelated issue, Malloy told reporters that he would confer with Department of Public Safety Commissioner Reuben Bradford before coming to a final decision.

At stake is the class of 56 new troopers who received notices six weeks ago that would be effective on Wednesday.

"I am looking at all my options," Malloy said. "We'll speak more ... on this in the coming days."

A few hours earlier, speaking on the north steps of the Capitol, Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union, said that state law is already being violated because the mandated total of 1,248 sworn troopers has been ignored in recent years and is now down to 1,083.