Fasano, Witkos Demand Gov. Lamont Release Bonding Package Details

October 3, 2019

Today Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) wrote to Governor Ned Lamont to again demand copies of the bonding package Democrat lawmakers and the governor are crafting behind closed doors.

Senate Republicans have requested these documents at least three times as far back as July. Press has reported that Democrats are only $100 million apart in their one-party behind-closed-doors negotiations, therefore the majority of the bonding package must already be completed and agreed to.

“Either you need to deliver these documents to us as the Republican leaders of the Senate and leaders of a caucus that will eventually be voting on this package, or you need to explain precisely why you are hiding this information from the lawmakers who will be voting on it,” Fasano and Witkos wrote.

“We know that drafts have been exchanged by you and Democrat legislative leaders, as the OPM Secretary confirmed as far back as July. We know that you are now only $100 million apart as has been reported repeatedly. Why won’t you let Republican leaders know where the bonding that you have agreed to will be going? For all your talk about transparency and having an open door policy, we are not seeing that in action.”

Full letter below.

October 3, 2019

Governor Lamont:

We are writing to you yet again to demand to see copies of the bonding package that you and Democrat legislative leaders are crafting behind closed doors.

You have stated repeatedly that you believe in transparency and you want bipartisanship in Connecticut. Yet only one party is being included in this very important discussion about bonding. Republicans find ourselves asking, for at least the third time, for drafts of the bonding package in the works that you continue to say is nearly complete.

Your administration and Democrat lawmakers have indicated to members of the press that you are only $100 million apart within a $1.6 billion total bonding package. Therefore, there must be details about what the majority of bonding will be used to fund that you have already agreed to if the disagreement centers on such a small portion of that total number.

Either you need to deliver these documents to us as the Republican leaders of the Senate and leaders of a caucus that will eventually be voting on this package, or you need to explain precisely why you are hiding this information from the lawmakers who will be voting on it.

We know that drafts have been exchanged by you and Democrat legislative leaders, as the Office of Policy and Management Secretary confirmed as far back as July. We know that you are now only $100 million apart as has been reported repeatedly. Why won’t you let Republican leaders know where the bonding that you have agreed to will be going? For all your talk about transparency and having an open door policy, we are not seeing that in action.

Clearly, you and Democrat lawmakers have a plan for spending over a billion dollars in borrowed funds, but you want half the legislative caucuses that will be voting on the package to be kept in the dark.

To refresh your memory, Senate Republicans requested bonding package draft documents from both Democrat legislative leaders and the Office of Policy and Management on July 12, 2019 so that we could be made aware of what exactly you are negotiating behind closed doors with Democrats. We have been denied these documents by your administration and legislative Democrats. We referenced the fact that we were denied this information in a letter written to you on July 16, 2019 and to OPM on July 17, 2019. We again raised this issue in a letter sent to you on September 20, 2019, to which we have still received no response from you.

For someone who speaks so often about transparency and bipartisanship, withholding this information shows that your rhetoric does not match your actions. We hope you will rectify this situation and immediately share details about what bonding has been agreed to by one party behind closed doors.

Sincerely,
Len Fasano
Kevin Witkos