State lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol today at the governor’s request for a special session on state bonding, but the majority Democrats say they won’t be doing much work.
“We’re going to bang in, bang out,” said Democratic House Speaker James Amann, referring to the tradition of using a gavel to begin and end a session.
State troopers went to lawmakers’ homes over the weekend to deliver subpoenas from Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell to attend the 10 a.m. special session. It comes only days after the General Assembly met in special session and approved a two-year, $4.6 billion package of bonding initiatives — including $3.2 billion in general obligation bonds for a multitude of capital improvement projects.
But Rell has said she will veto that bill because it includes too much borrowing that the state cannot afford. Instead, she wants legislators on Wednesday to vote only on funding for local school construction projects.
“The cities and towns have been promised this money. It’s a firm commitment made by Connecticut’s government and it’s an obligation of the legislature,” said Rell spokesman Christopher Cooper. “There’s no need to hold it hostage while the rest of the package is being negotiated.”
Amann, of Milford, accused Rell of playing politics. He said only 4 or 5 percent of the overall bonding package stems from funding requests made by majority Democrats for their districts. He and Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, want Rell to meet with them one-on-one to discuss where she wants to make cuts.
“We’re not going to do it with surrogates,” Amann said. “She needs to stand up and be governor.”
Although the legislature already passed a new two-year budget with Rell’s blessing, talks broke down this summer on the bonding package. Amann has accused Rell’s budget director of negotiating in bad faith by sharing details of the talks with the media — a claim that Rell’s office dismisses.
“She has no respect for this branch of government,” Amann said. “If she could erase the books today and call herself a monarch, she would.”
Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, said he agrees with Rell’s tactics. He said talks broke down because of Amann’s “take it or leave it approach.”
While McKinney said he doesn’t believe Democrats will take up any part of the bonding package Wednesday, he still holds out hope they will pass the funding for school construction projects across the state.
“My sincere hope is that everyone will take a deep breath and realize that these issues are too important to continue in political fighting, that the Democrats will disengage from doing a statewide media campaign about how projects are being jeopardized by the governor and sit down with us,” he said.
