Politics over Policy

Boucher: The people deserve representation. Today, they were denied.

Hartford, CT – State Senator Toni Boucher (R-Wilton) released the following statement today re: Veto Session of the 2015 General Assembly.

“The State Constitution clearly says the Secretary of State shall call the legislature in for a veto session. Today, we traveled to the state Capitol in Hartford to try and do the people’s business. What we saw, however, was politics over policy by the majority party.

“The Governor vetoed 9 bills which had passed the general assembly last month. Those bills had overwhelming support of members on both sides of the aisle. Instead of standing up for the policy in those bills, Democrats decided to let politics into the mix.

“A governor’s veto can be over-turned if two thirds majority of votes are cast supporting the policy in a bill. Despite the fact that the House did have bipartisan support to overturn a Malloy veto – many of the vetoed bills originally passed unanimously – it was not passed by a super majority.
“The vote failed because 68 members were not present to vote.

“Sadly, the bill that failed focused on whether an Education Commissioner should have a back ground in education. As a ranking member of the committee, I am disappointed that my colleagues across the aisle let this carefully crafted piece of legislation die because politics got in the way.

“In the Senate – we did not even get to consider any of these bills because the Democrats shut down the debate outright. We tried to open the floor to debate and were denied within 30 seconds!

“The unprecedented partisanship that has characterized the legislative body’s deliberations during the last month is outrageous. From shutting down debate, to negotiating the state budget behind closed doors to forcing monumental policy shifts onto the businesses and the people in the state with no chance for public comment. It is shameful.

“The people deserve representation. Today, they were denied. This polarized and politicized and closed door style of government does not develop trust and unite us for the benefit of the people. This has to change for the good of the state.”