Kelly, Formica React to Departure of Governor Lamont’s Budget Director

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) released the following statement in reaction to Governor Ned Lamont’s announcement that Office of Policy and Management (OPM) Secretary Melissa McCaw will be leaving the administration. The announcement comes in the wake of a federal investigation allegedly examining the state’s school construction financing program overseen by OPM.

“We thank the Secretary for her time in service to our state and hard work on budgetary matters. We appreciate the desire of the executive branch to rebuild public trust, but the departure of another top-level staff member does not bring us closer to transparency or answers. We again renew our calls for bipartisan public hearings on the state’s school construction financing program. We need to know what problems exist in the system that allowed for alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars. We can’t fix the problems or correct wrongdoing without good information. It is also vital that the legislative branch take the lead, not the executive branch examining itself. The Governor and Democratic legislative leaders have all said they are not opposed to a bipartisan public hearing. We urge all caucuses to join together to immediately bring balanced, bipartisan, legislative hearings to fruition.”