Senator Offers Amendments To Improve Contracting Bill, & Protect State Homeowners
From Eminent Domain

Senator Judith G. Freedman (R-26) today joined other Republican Senators in fighting to defeat a new contracting bill that fails the address the concerns expressed by Governor M. Jodi Rell, who has already vetoed two similar pieces of legislation.

Despite impassioned debate, the General Assembly passed the legislation.

“This is a bad bill for the State of Connecticut. It was a bad bill the first two times the Democrats pushed it through, and it is still a bad bill. Governor Rell has presented us with proposed legislation to reform the state contracting process, without jeopardizing the state’s ability to turn to the private sector when turning to the private sector makes sense. Instead, the Democrats chose to circumvent the public hearing process by insisting that we treat this legislation as an emergency that must be acted upon today. That is insulting. The only emergency is the Democrats’ desire to force this bad legislation down the throats of Connecticut citizens,” said Senator Freedman.

Senator Freedman offered amendments intended to improve the bill, including one that would have replaced the Democrats’ bill with the contract reform legislation proposed by Governor Rell. Another amendment would have imposed a moratorium on permitting owner occupied residential property consisting of four or fewer dwelling units to be acquired by eminent domain if the resulting project would be privately owned or controlled. The moratorium would stand until the General Assembly passed legislation to include standards on eminent domain in the Contracting Standard Board’s uniform procurement code. Both amendments, along with others offered by Republican Senators, were defeated.

“It is my hope that Governor Rell vetoes this legislation, just as she rightly vetoed the previous two, equally flawed, bills. We have several weeks left in this legislative session, plenty of time to consider the Governor’s bill, plenty of time to give state residents the opportunity comment on this legislation at a public hearing, and plenty of time to pass a bill that makes sense. There was absolutely no credible reason to circumvent the process and vote on this legislation today. Really, Connecticut residents deserve better from their elected officials,” said Senator Freedman.