Senate Falls Short of Overturning Cabinet Veto
by Christine Stuart | June 23, 2008 7:49 PM
Posted to State Capitol
Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell stunned lawmakers a few weeks ago when she vetoed a bill to create a 25-member cabinet to study the funding woes of the nonprofit community groups that provide the bulk of Connecticut’s social services.
Not one Republican lawmaker voted against the bill the first time around, but on Monday attempts to override the bill fell short by one vote. Senate Republicans stood their ground and sustained Rell’s veto, a move that seemed to frustrate Democrats.
“Little more than month ago, each and every member of the Connecticut Senate cast their vote in favor of this legislation because it’s the right thing to do. We need to build a strategic plan to ensure that our neediest residents continue to have access to vital services from nonprofit providers,” Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said.
“It’s unconscionable that this bill was vetoed, and it’s equally unfathomable that this veto will stand. Instead of choosing to be proactive, we’ve chosen to ignore a huge, glaring problem. This is a loss for the entire state of Connecticut,” Slossberg said.
Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, who voted against the bill Monday, said on May 2 when the bill first came up for debate that, “I think this is a wonderful initiative. And again, I would commend Senator Slossberg for bringing it forward, and strongly support it.”
Sen. David Cappiello, R-Danbury, a longtime supporter of the state’s nonprofits, said Monday that there is no need to study this issue again, since it was already studied by the legislature’s Program Review and Investigations Committee in 1994. He said the legislature needs to get creative and find ways to increase funding for these nonprofits, which save the state money.
About $2.4 billion of this fiscal year’s $17.6 billion state budget goes to contracts with nonprofits, whose social workers are paid half of what state employees in comparable jobs earn.
Click here to read our previous report about Rell’s veto of the bill.
Comments (1)
Posted by: Jodzilla | June 24, 2008 11:56 AM
Shame on the Senate Republicans for not supporting the veto override. They voted not with their head and heart but with the Govenor and the state union lobbyists because re-election is more important than caring for people. They have had years to fix this issue and wimped out again. Your comments during the override discussion in the Senate were contrived and repetitive and in fact, incorrect. Thanks to Sen. Capiello who, even though he voted against the override, called a spade a spade by seemingly highlighting the fear of the Senators relating to their connection with their union constituents. A very special thanks to the work of Sen. Slossberg and Rep. Heinrich who know the issues and vote for what is right. Shame on the rest of you. And Gov. Rell, a special place on the Wall of Shame for helping draft the Bill and then vetoing it. I would love to see your appointment book for the last month.