Sens. Berthel & Perillo Stand Up for Utility Customers, Protest the Reappointment of PURA Chair Gillett

HARTFORD – State Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown), ranking member of the Executive & Legislative Nominations Committee, and State Sen. Jason Perillo (R-Shelton) today stood in solidarity with the valley region’s struggling electric utility customers by joining Senate Republicans in walking out of the Senate chamber during a vote on a resolution to reappoint Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chair Marissa Gillett to another four-year term. This move comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding her reappointment by Gov. Ned Lamont.

“I proudly walked out of the Senate chamber to send the message that I will not be complicit in any way with what’s happened today. Today’s Senate vote was the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes Democrat political maneuvering. We heard from the Governor himself that an ‘arrangement’ had to have been made to advance the Chair through the nomination process and secure Democrat holdouts. This is not how things should work. What is the ‘arrangement’ for the thousands of families and seniors struggling to pay their electric bills? The fact remains that they are still paying the tab while political insiders get their way.

“I am here for the people who elected me to represent this district, and I don’t want my constituents to be complicit in the sham vote that happened today,” said Sen. Berthel.

“Today at the Capitol, we witnessed a blatant abuse of power. High-ranking officials used the promise of employment as leverage to secure a vote in their favor. This is not politics as usual—this is corruption, plain and simple. It’s disgraceful,” said Sen. Perillo. “That’s why Connecticut Senate Republicans took a stand. We refused to vote on this matter because we will not be complicit in corrupt practices within this building.”

Gillett, whose six years as the utility watchdog have been plagued by staggering rate increases, struggled when pressed by Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) before the Executive & Legislative Nominations Committee in February to articulate her position on the dubious “Public Benefits” charges on electric bills along with the extent of her communications with the Governor’s office during the nomination process.

On the contrary, Sens. Berthel and Perillo, along with Senate Republicans, have been forthcoming on their plan (S.B. 647) to reduce energy bills in Connecticut that includes removing the “Public Benefits” charge. Legislative majority Democrats declined to advance the measure beyond a public hearing for consideration by the House and Senate.