Session's Final Day
Photo by Steve Kotchko
Posted 6/13/11
There’s an old saying that no man’s life or property is safe as long as the Connecticut legislature is in session. Well, breathe easy, the 2011 General Assembly annual session is over. The final gavels in the Senate and House went down right around midnight June 8.
The following day brought the usual post-session “spin” news conferences by the parties involved—all eager to gain the best light in media reviews of the session.
Democrats who rule the roost at the State Capitol, in the Governor’s Office, and in the legislature, maintain this was a “historic” session. They said their leadership produced advances that will “stabilize the state’s finances, remake state government and create jobs.”
They cited Bioscience Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy’s plan to renovate, expand, and bolster the University of Connecticut Health Center, while creating thousands of construction and biotech jobs and “First Five”—the Governor’s plan to offer special incentives to the first five companies vowing to create 200 new jobs in Connecticut within two years.
Republicans lambasted the Democrat-run session, saying it produced a trail of “broken promises” from a Governor who said he would make tax hikes a last resort—then quickly proposed a $1.8 billion in tax increases. GOP leaders also noted Malloy initially rejected using new surplus funds for current expenses but later designated $369 million of that largesse to plug a hole in his budget plan.
There is some truth in the “spin” from both parties, but there is also cause for criticism on the behavior of Democrats and Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Dannel revealed himself to be a hands-on chief executive, an activist who said his only disappointment about the legislative session is that it ended. “I would have kept going—I like to work,” he said.
In accomplishing his goals, Malloy has been criticized as arrogant, pushy, and downright cocky. House GOP leader Lawrence Cafero (R-Norwalk) said Malloy’s attitude in dealing with the legislature is “it’s my world and you’re just livin’ in it.” There were reports that Malloy, determined to get his way on key legislation, visited the State Senate Democratic caucus several times, warning senators reluctant to go along by saying: “I remember.” Translation? If you don’t vote my way on this one, don’t come begging when your district needs something from the administration.
State Senate President Donald Williams (D-Brooklyn) denies that scenario stating: “It was not ‘my way or the highway’ (from Malloy). This was about putting good ideas on the table, working together to make them better, and then implementing them.”
Malloy’s major achievement from the session, a new two-year budget designed to end Connecticut’s multi-billion dollar deficit was approved but remains controversial—seen as unfinished and/or unreliable by its critics.
State employee unions have yet to complete ratification votes on $1.6 billion dollars in labor concessions needed to complete the budget. If the deal is rejected, an alternative will be necessary—and Malloy said that will be some version of the so-called “Plan B budget” with cutbacks in state government that will demand deep and long-term state employee layoffs.
Beyond the union vote, Republicans and editorial writers have gone off on the supposed “savings” in the labor deal, contending that hundreds of millions of dollars allegedly coming from a new wellness initiative and a suggestion box for state employees are nothing more than wishful thinking designed to plump up a shaky concessions package and balance the budget—on paper.
In remarks to the closing session of the legislature, Malloy said that his budget, with its tax hikes, spending cuts, and demands on state employees was a much-needed step to end the deficit, but he added: “Let us hope this is the last time we need to go down this road.”
If the labor deal fails, or the savings in the overall budget prove lacking, the deficit will re-appear like a bad cold that just won’t go away. Malloy and the Democrats who backed his plan will have come up with a new game plan and they’ll have to eat crow.
As for Republicans, it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and snipe at the quarterback and the team on the field. They produced a flashy YouTube video called “Broken Promises” that uses Malloy’s statements and newspaper headlines to create the image of a Governor who vowed transparency and honesty and instead produced proposals built on gimmicks and flip-flops.
When a party is in the minority, as Republicans have been for years, it’s understandable that you feel put upon by the majority. Malloy senior advisor Roy Occhiogrosso claims all of the GOP’s criticism is borne out of the “frustration” of not having any voting power at the State Capitol.
The best tradition of the “loyal opposition”, as the minority party often is known, is to scrutinize the initiatives of the majority party and offer viable alternatives that could get the job done in a better way.
However, this year, legislative Republicans—irked by being left out of leadership meetings with the Governor—chose to use a different tactic—endless debate.
Unlike some legislative bodies that set limits on debate, the Connecticut General Assembly employs wide-open rules allowing minority party members to talk as long as they want. The only way to combat extended debate is the so-called “move the question” motion which demands an immediate vote.
Democrats always have the power to use that motion, but they haven’t done so in decades, because it’s like pushing the nuclear launch button. Too much bad blood would ensue.
The power to talk may be the only weapon Republicans have, but this year they seemed to go over the top. In both chambers, but especially in the House, GOP lawmakers caused debate to run for four, five, six hours or more on bills favored by Democrats, though sometimes lengthy debate ensued even on bills that passed with strong bipartisan support.
Republicans asked bill sponsors a myriad of questions, sometimes repetitive, some picayune, before stating why they would not vote for the bill. They claim this insured the bill was properly explored, but it is hard to believe that after hours of public hearings and lengthy committee meetings these bills have not been properly vetted.
In any case the session is over and the game playing by both sides is done. The public is safe. Be mindful however, that Gov. Malloy already has decided to call the legislature into special session this fall to work on job growth initiatives.