SB 1098 Voted Down and other news

In an effort to keep you informed on business at the Capitol, I will be emailing you periodically with a Capitol Update Report containing the latest news on legislation and other goings on here in Hartford. If you would rather not receive these email updates, please feel free to click on the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this message.
This was an exceptionally busy week in Hartford, but I participated in several events in particular that I’d like to talk to you about today.

Sen. McLachlan joined with dozens of protestors on March 11th at the rally in Hartford against SB 1098: An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating to Certain Religious Corporations.

First and foremost, Thursday morning I proudly voted down SB 1098: An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating to Certain Religious Corporations. This bill was a bizarre attack on our First Amendment Rights by seeking to take all financial control from clergy of the Roman Catholic Church and install it in a board of directors comprised of lay members elected from within the parish. The bill also sought to expand the Attorney General’s authority to investigate church finances. It was nothing more than a blatant attempt to impede upon the church’s autonomy. Fortunately, the bill is dead for the year and I hope it is never raised again.

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, I joined with other legislators in outlining the goals and objectives of the new Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes. I am proud to be a member of this newly created bipartisan commission. It is co-chaired by Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-Milford) and Representative James Spallone (D-Essex) and is charged with examining ways to streamline government and increase efficiency. This commission will also be responsible for producing a comprehensive report of its findings to the Governor and legislative leadership by July 1, 2009.

The commission will be hosting a number of public forums to give folks a chance to weigh in on changes they would like to see made in state government. While dates and times have yet to be announced for these forums, I encourage you to attend and voice your opinion. I also encourage you to visit the commission’s website at www.cga.ct.gov/gae/CEAO. On the site you can get more information on the commission and its mission as well as a listing of ways to contact the members with your suggestions.

Also on Wednesday, I gathered with a number of other legislators from the Danbury delegation in Hartford for an open discussion with students and faculty from Western Connecticut State University. The students and faculty were in Hartford to voice their concerns about a controversial proposal to shut down a campus in the Connecticut State University System.

Earlier this month, Majority Democrats unveiled their proposal to trim $2.8 billion dollars in cuts from the FY10/11 budget. In this proposal, they claimed closing one campus from the Connecticut State University System would save $28 million dollars. As a Danbury native, and supporter of Western Connecticut, this proposal is extremely troubling. I hope that rather than recklessly suggesting closing schools and universities, the General Assembly, instead, gets to work making the tough cuts necessary to close our budget gap.
As always, please feel free to contact me on any matter concerning state government. I can be reached at 860.240.8800 or via email at Michael.McLachlan@cga.ct.gov.