Sen. Roraback Chosen to Serve on Campaign Finance Reform Working Group

State Senator Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) this week was one of twelve legislators chosen to serve on Governor M. Jodi Rell’s Campaign Finance Reform Working Group. Last Wednesday the Governor asked leaders of the General Assembly to appoint two members each to the Working Group whose task will be to reconcile the House and Senate versions of legislation aimed at overhauling the way campaigns are conducted in Connecticut. Senator Roraback, along with Senator John McKinney (R-Fairfield), were the two Senate Republicans selected by Senate Minority Leader Lou DeLuca (R-Woodbury). They will work with legislators from the three other caucuses along with representatives from the Governor’s office in an effort to craft a timely and comprehensive reform package.

“I am honored to have been chosen to represent my caucus in taking action on this critical issue. I have long advocated for prohibiting special interest money from being contributed to candidate’s for public office,” said Senator Roraback, who previously had served as Ranking Member on the General Assembly’s Government Elections and Enforcement Committee. “These reforms are needed immediately and there is no reason that the state can’t provide for them to be come effective for the 2006 elections if there is truly the political will to enact reform.”

Other state Senators serving on the Committee are Senators Andrew McDonald (D-Stamford), Senator Mary Ann Handley (D-Manchester), Senator Donald DeFronzo (D-New Britain), and Senator Gary LeBeau (D-East Hartford), who were appointed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Donald Williams (D-Brooklyn) and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven).

Speaker of the House James Amann (D-Milford) named Representative Christopher Caruso (D-Bridgeport) and Representative Tim O’Brien (D-New Britain) as his selections while House Majority Leader Chris Donovan tabbed Representative David McCluskey (D-West Hartford) and Representative Toni Walker (D-New Haven). House Minority Leader Robert Ward (R-North Branford) appointed Representative Rob Heagney (R-Simsbury) and Representative Livvy Floren (R-Greenwich) to serve on the Working Group.

Senator Roraback is currently in his third term representing the 30 th district communities of Brookfield, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Washington, and Winchester.