Fasano Hopes Legislators will Override Malloy Veto [Record-Journal]

Article as it appeared in the Record-Journal

A bill that would have prohibited the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education from closing any college campus without legislative approval was vetoed Monday by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The bill was prompted by the threatened closing of the Meriden branch of Middlesex Community College.

Malloy said he vetoed the legislation because limiting the board’s power would be “inappropriate.”

With the decision to close the Meriden campus reversed after the bill’s passage, some local legislators say the battle is already won. Others say the veto should be overridden.

Sen. Dante Bartolo­meo, D-Meriden, said the veto did not concern her as the fight to keep Middlesex open in Meriden was a success.

“(The veto) is not upsetting to me. We didn’t agree with what the Board of Regents was doing. It was wrong. We stood up and fought against it and we were successful,” she said. “I feel overall it was an incredible victory.”

State Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano said he hopes legislators will attempt to override the veto. He believes the Board of Regents is unnecessary.

“I understand the governor wants to be protective of a group that he put together that actually in my view is not necessary,” Fasano said. “It was his brainchild so I understand he wants to protect it.”

Fasano said the board’s decision to close Middlesex was a “disrespectful” response to budgetary cuts and an attempt to scare legislators away from future cuts.