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Politics & Government

Lawmakers Offer Their Views on the 2011 Legislative Session

Lawmakers views on the recent legislative session seem to largely depend on their political party.

At the close of the 2011 legislative session, it appeared nuance had abandoned the Nutmeg State.

Connecticut had either just passed the most far-reaching, anti-business, left-leaning laws in its history or, it had enacted a rather progressive agenda that preserved programs while spreading the fiscal pain. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was either a business-killing bully or the state’s savior. In short, it seemed to come down to party perspective.

Each party’s respective websites reflected the divisive tone. “Malloy Gets What he Wants at Expense of Taxpayers and Their Employers,” according to the House Republicans website; “Historic,” according to the House Democrats.

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“For better or worse, we represent 1.3 million people in the state,” said state Rep. Bill Wadsworth, a Republican representing Farmington in the 21st House District. “Every one of our ideas was discounted 100 percent. That was the message we were given loud and clear.”

Wadsworth, a freshman, spent 11 years on the Farmington Town Council and enjoyed the majority. However, he said they tried to include different ideas.

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“I had the expectation that could happen. It didn’t,” Wadsworth said.

State Rep. Linda Schofield, a Democrat representing Simsbury in the 16th House District, said the divisiveness is par for the course.

“As always, constituents look at it as a mixed bag, depending where they are on the political spectrum,” Schofield said. “My town is fairly conservative so a lot of folks in my district are unhappy about the budget.”

Schofield said she voted against both the budget and the budget implementer.

To close the $3.65 billion deficit, the Democrat majority passed a budget that includes $1.5 billion in new taxes. The General Assembly also voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, approve mandatory paid sick days for private employers, and permit early release for prisoners.

“This was a session of promises made and promises broken,” said House Republican Minority Leader Larry Cafero, who represents Norwalk in the 142nd House District.

“We took office knowing a few things,” Cafero said. “The state was in bad shape, really bad shape. An enormous task faced us. The other thing we knew is we had a new governor, a Democrat for the first time in 24 years. That being said… I say we all sincerely wished this man the best. He’s a bright energetic man. We all had high hopes for a new day.”

Those hopes were dashed after Malloy released his proposed budget last February and refused to consider the Republican alternative, Cafero said.

But not everyone agrees the budget is bad. CTVoices, a Hartford-based child advocacy group lauded the budget and process.

“Overall, the Governor’s commitment to a balanced approach to this revenue problem that included new revenues meant that most critical services for children and families were preserved,” said Mike Sullivan communications director for CTVoices. “In many ways, preserving what we have and avoiding damage were incredibly important accomplishments of the session.”

In fact the General Assembly passed several pieces of legislation with widespread support.

Most lawmakers supported the $864 million UConn Health Center proposal, the new airport authority, and the state’s first energy bill in decades.  The Jobs Roundtable, Learn Here, Live Here got high marks from both sides of the aisle.

That these items passed reflects positively on Malloy, said Schofield. But a Quinnipiac University polls puts Malloy’s approval rating at 37 percent among Connecticut voters. Of those polled, 44 percent said they disapproved of Malloy’s performance. Much of this is because of the new taxes, and leads one party warning of voter grudge toward Malloy while the other says voters will learn to admire the governor’s leadership style.

“I have tremendous respect for the guy. I don’t agree with everything he did by a long shot,” Schofield said. “But he was very forceful and showed leadership.”

According to the House Democrats website, the session ended on time with a plan in place for the first time in 20 years. It said the “sacrifice was shared but fair, and government was made smaller and more efficient.”

Still some legislators wondered whether the land of steady of habits had gone off its rocker.

“Most of Fairfield County tends to be fiscally conservative. But the Hartford delegation tends to be more liberal,” said state Rep. Terrie Wood a Republican representing Norwalk in the 141st House District. “They are socialists – they want to cover everything for everybody - and that too me is not democracy. Most people want common sense and that is lacking.”

For the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, common sense decamped when the paid sick leave bill was passed. To CBIA, the mandate screams at businesses to stay away.

As legislators report back to their districts for the meet and greet season, a question mark hangs over the union concession deal. The administration said it would save $700 million in fiscal year 2012 and $900 million in fiscal year 2013.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis hasn’t yet confirmed the savings. Because the budget hinges on those savings, the GOP, and some Democrats, wanted the deal certified before signing off on the bill.

State Rep. Paul Davis, a Democrat representing Milford, Orange, and West Haven in the 117thHouse District, voted against the budget and the budget implementer.

“I’m just not 100 percent certain that all the concessions will result in the desired savings,” Davis said.

To get the savings, Malloy reached a deal with the unions for a four-year no-layoff guarantee regardless of the economy, no less than a 9.3 percent pay raise during the next five years, and continued longevity payments.

That unknown worries Schofield. She said if the unions don’t agree, its clear a special session will be called because the $1.6 billion will have to be made up.

Legislators are expected back this autumn to discuss jobs, in part because the state remains at 9.1 percent unemployment.

“We just spent five months doing a pretty good job attacking business, so I’m wondering what kind of olive branch we could put out there to change that,” Wadsworth said. “Unless he [Malloy] is rolling back taxes, or releasing mandates, unless that’s on the table, it just remains talk.” 

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