“I want to answer the questions now in order to clear the air and focus completely on the state’s business,” said Senator Cappiello, who is one of 11 Senate Republicans who have called for Governor Rowland to step down. “I will be in the House chamber during the Governor’s address and as far as I am aware, the Governor will outline his budget agenda in his speech before both bodies of the legislature, just as he always has. And I plan on applauding if his proposals are beneficial to my district and not applauding if I believe certain proposals will hurt my district, just as I have always done.”

“Certainly, others have assumed that because of the stance I have taken and disagreements I have had with the Governor, the situation will be uncomfortable, but I will not avoid doing my job because of the differences of opinion I have had with the Governor,” continued Senator Cappiello. “I was elected by the citizens of Danbury, Bethel, New Fairfield, and Sherman and I have a duty to represent them to the best of my ability. And a big part of that duty is to support ideas that are beneficial to the 24th district and oppose those that are not.

Senator Cappiello hopes the focus will remain entirely on legislative issues and not on the controversy surrounding the Governor.

“February 4th should not be about John Rowland, David Cappiello, or any other elected official individually. The focus of that day ought to be the critical issues facing the State of Connecticut and the legislature’s plan to address these matters.”