Sen. Kissel Says Governor Rowland’s Resignation; “The Right Thing to do”

State Senator John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, said that tonight’s historic announcement by Governor John G. Rowland that he is stepping down as Governor of the State of Connecticut is the right thing to do and in the best interests of all Connecticut residents.

“I said back in January that for the good of the people of the state of Connecticut, Governor Rowland should step down from office,” said Sen. Kissel. “While this is certainly a sad day for all residents of our state I am pleased that the Governor has made this decision. This has been a long and painful process and with today’s announcement we can begin to move forward and heal the wounds that this scandal has inflicted upon our state.”

Senator Kissel, who serves as Deputy Minority Leader and ranking Senator on the legislature’s Judiciary Committee was the first Republican Senator to call for Governor Rowland’s resignation.

“Frankly, there was no end in sight to this controversy. Everyday it seemed as if there was another component being added to this scandal so it was not going to go away. In many ways tonight’s announcement is a relief because impeachment proceedings threatened to bring our state government to a halt,” said Sen. Kissel.
Sen. Kissel says that he has nothing but praise for Lt. Governor Jodi Rell and believes that she will do an excellent job as Governor. “I have known Jodi for many years and I have no doubt about her ability to serve as Governor of the state of Connecticut. I cannot think of a person that is respected more in the General Assembly than Jodi Rell, and because of that I believe that she is the best person to guide our state during these troubling times.”