Fasano Responds to Governor’s Refusal to Share Bonding Package Details with Republicans

Last week, Office of Policy & Management Secretary Melissa McCaw denied a request from Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) seeking information about the bonding package Democrat lawmakers and the governor have been drafting without Republicans.

Today, Senator Fasano responded to the governor’s administration. The text of Sen. Fasano’s response is below.

October 15, 2019

Secretary Melissa McCaw
Office of Policy and Management
450 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Dear Secretary McCaw:

I received your response dated October 10, 2019 to a Senate Republican leadership request for the draft bonding package Democrats are negotiating behind closed doors.

Frankly, I find your response to be outrageous and insulting.

Your letter suggests that you do not trust Republican leaders with the same information you trust Democrat leaders with. At the same time the governor talks about an open door policy, working together and transparency, you are outright denying my request for information that has been shared with Democrat legislative leaders, but which you clearly don’t want Republican legislative leaders to have.

You stated in your letter that you have no documents to disclose. However, on July 17, 2019 you wrote to me that you had exchanged spreadsheets on a bonding package with Democrat leaders of the bonding subcommittee, but you would not share those with Republicans. You indicated at that time that you “expected” Republicans would only be provided with the final bond bill once Democrats agreed to it prior to it being filed in a special session. Therefore, you actually do have documents that you could give Republican leaders but you have made a decision to deny us these documents. In your letter dated October 10, 2019, you now also indicate that you and the “legislature” have exchanged the level of aggregate authorizations you are comfortable with, but Republicans are again being denied all of this information. Not only are we being denied documents, we have also been denied the right to participate in conversations with you directly regarding the details you have talked to Democrats about. Let’s also be clear: these were not conversations or exchanges with the “legislature.” They were conversations with only those who are Democrats.

Your letter insinuates Republican legislative leaders are not trustworthy and therefore you will not be forthcoming with us. How can we then work with you on transportation and any other matter when we know that you will withhold information from us when you believe we shouldn’t know about it? If you can’t fully disclose information we can never have an effective working relationship, because you want to keep us in the dark, for whatever reason, while fully disclosing information to Democrats. If I can never be sure that my caucus is getting the real story and full details from the governor’s administration that creates an unworkable process. In all my years as a lawmaker I cannot recall a time in which I have ever faced such an inescapable conclusion that OPM is being less than forthright with members of the legislature.

I am perplexed by your response and repeated refusal to share information with Republican legislative leaders. I am again left asking how can I trust the administration?

Sincerely,
Len Fasano
Senate Republican Leader