Campaign financing landmark decision, Energy Star rebates, campaign updates
Here are the highlights from Connecticut’s political life from last week.
Senator Chris Dodd (D – CT) announced that the Connecticut Employment and Training Administration will receive $3.36 million in stimulus money through the U.S. Department of Labor for green jobs training.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) who is running for Senator Dodd’s seat, announced that he thinks that the Senate should block Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke from another term, while Senator Dodd supported Mr. Bernanke.
Representative John Larson (D, CT – 1st District) introduced the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA), a bill that would give access to public funds for federal election campaigns if a candidate reaches a certain threshold of support. This past week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v FEC that labor unions, corporations and other profit and nonprofit organizations can directly spend on political campaign commercials on behalf of a candidate and produce political ads. The decision, which was issued by a 5-4 conservative margin, is banning the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 sponsored by Senator John McCain (R – Arizona) and Russell Feingold (D – Wisconsin). Representative Larson pointed out that FENA would abide by the ruling.
Representative Joe Courtney (D, CT – 2nd District) announced that Connecticut will receive almost $8.8 million to help struggling families and seniors afford their heating and cooling bills. The money comes from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Emergency Contingency Funds, a program that was reportedly initiated in Congress in 1981.
Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that consumers could receive rebates of $50 to $100 for buying Energy Star appliances and $500 for Energy Star central air systems. The money for the rebates, valued at $3.4 million, comes from the federal stimulus package. The Governor’s website also informs that each Connecticut residence is permitted one rebate per replaced qualified appliance and up to three room air conditioners. For more information, go to www.ct.gov/opm/ApplianceRebates.
According to recent Quinnipiac University Poll results, Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont leads former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy in the Democratic primary for Governor by 27%-11%, with 44% undecided, leaving the other Democratic runners far behind. On the Republican side, Tom Foley leads Lieutenant Governor Mike Fedele 17%-8%, with 59% undecided and the other Republican runners far behind. Both Republicans slightly trail both Democrats in a possible general election with at least 20% of the voters still undecided. Regarding the Democratic primary for Attorney General, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz leads former state Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen by 62%-10%, while Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura got 3%. Meanwhile, state Representative Cam Staples (D – New Haven), co-chair of the legislature’s Finance Committee, entered the race for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton entered the race for the GOP nomination for Governor. He joins Lieutenant Governor Mike Fedele, businessman Tom Foley, MetroHartford Alliance regional chamber of commerce CEO R. Nelson “Oz” Griebel, former Representative, former state Senator and current professor on national security policy at the University of New Haven Larry DeNardis and Chester First Selectman Tom Marsh.
Mark Greenberg who is running for the GOP nomination for the Fifth Congressional Seat in Connecticut said that he is running for Congress because he thinks that “we need to bring basic business principles” to a Washington establishment, which according to him is filled with career politicians whose primary agenda is to be reelected only. He vowed to “get the job done” on behalf of the people and then not seek further career in politics. Mr. Greenberg’s opponents for the Republican ticket include state Senator Sam Caligiuri, Dan Carter, Kie Westby and Justin Bernier.
The budget deficit is estimated to be about $500 million not only by State Comptroller Nancy Wyman, but also by the non-partisan General Assembly’s budget office and the Governor’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM), as written in a letter to Nancy Wyman by Office of Policy and Manager Secretary Robert Genuario. Mr. Genuario pointed out that the largest decline is in the personal income tax – “$187.7 million due to disappointing estimated payments that were due on January 15.”
Meanwhile, State Comptroller Wyman announced that she is seeking reelection in 2010. State Representative Tom Reynolds (D – Preston) who ran an exploratory committee for her position endorsed her after her announcement. If elected, she will serve her fifth term in office.
A bipartisan group of 17 lawmakers met on Friday to discuss the financial impact on Governor Rell’s decision to unilaterally eliminate the $1.7 million licensed practical nursing program to help close the budget gap, as reported on CTNewsJunkie. According to state Senate President Pro-Tempore Donald Williams (D – Brooklyn) and state Senator Jonathan Harris (D – West Hartford), the Governor’s decision is short-sighted judging by expectations that it is an area where jobs are expected to increase by 16.8%