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Westport & Weston To Stay In
Existing District – Norwalk & Wilton To Stay
In Existing District
Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) said she worked with other
legislators to help secure passage of legislation that
will preserve the two existing probate court districts
serving the families of Westport, Weston, Norwalk and
Wilton under a redistricting plan to take effect in
January 2011.
“This is the best possible outcome for the four
communities that have been served so well by the probate
court district that covers Westport and Weston, and
by the probate court district that covers Norwalk and
Wilton. Many of us worked together to make sure that
our new streamlined probate court system would preserve
these two existing probate court districts. It is important
for the probate court to have a deep knowledge and understanding
of each community’s unique issues. We therefore
thank the members of the redistricting commission for
their hard work and their efforts to meet the concerns
of our communities” said Senator Boucher,
whose district includes the communities of Westport,
Weston and Wilton.
‘Despite my opposition to redistricting the
probate court system, I appreciate the hard work of
the commission and am gratified that the plan we finally
adopted preserves the existing probate court districts
that cover Westport and Weston,” said
State Senator John McKinney (R-28), whose district
includes Weston.
“Geographically, the original four-town consolidation
was unworkable. I want to thank the commission for going
with the more reasonable approach of a Weston and Westport
Probate Court District,” said Representative
John Stripp (R-135). “We all understand
that the probate court system is out of money and needs
to be revamped. I applaud the reform.”
"I was glad to see that the commission agreed
with my testimony and proposed change to keep Westport
and Weston as a contiguous District," said State
Representative Joe Mioli (D-136), whose district includes
Westport. “Having a non-contiguous district with
Darien and New Canaan as originally proposed, would
have made things difficult for those who travel to use
the court and for the Judges running for office.”
Both chambers of the General Assembly passed HB
7001, An Act Concerning The Recommendations Of The Probate
Redistricting Commission, which calls reducing
the number of probate courts statewide from 117 to 54.
The legislation, now heading for Governor M. Jodi Rell’s
desk, will take effect on January 5, 2011. The General
Assembly passed the legislation creating the redistricting
commission earlier this year.
Connecticut’s 300 year old probate court system
has jurisdiction over a wide variety of matters including:
probating wills and the administration of estates; overseeing
testamentary and living trusts; determining title to
real and personal property; construing the meaning of
wills and trusts; appointing guardians for the mentally
retarded; appointing conservators of the person and
the estate of incapable individuals; committing those
suffering from mental illness, alcoholism, or drug addiction
to an appropriate facility; removing unfit parents as
guardians of their children; terminating the parental
rights of parents who cannot fulfill their parental
responsibilities; granting adoptions; and granting name
changes.
Press Contact for Senator Boucher: Catherine Sarault
– Catherine.sarault@cga.ct.gov,
860-240-8818
Press Contact for Senator McKinney: Brett Cody –
brett.cody@cga.ct.gov,
860-240-8806
Press Contact for Representative Mioli: Rose Ryan –
rose.ryan@cga.ct.gov,
860-240-8527
Press Contact for Representative Stripp: John Dooley
– john.dooley@cga.ct.gov,
860-240-8714
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