This has been a tumultuous week in Connecticut government - one I never expected to see when I was first elected to the legislature.

Governor Rowland resigned under a dark cloud, referring only obliquely to his numerous ethical lapses. In many ways he had a good record in his public life but his personal life was deeply flawed.

However, we have three things to be proud of. The first is that the rule of law prevailed. The Committee of Inquiry on Impeachment was established on a non-partisan basis and it did its work fairly and thoroughly. Some of you have asked me why the Committee went into such detail. The answer is that to some extent their investigation was hobbled by the fact that 13 of the principal potential witnesses refused to testify, pleading their rights under the Fifth Amendment.

Second, the courts also did their job. The Connecticut Supreme Court summarily rejected the Governor's assertion that he was not obligated to honor the subpoena requiring him to testify and ruled instead that no one, including the Governor, is above the law.

Third, we can be proud of our new Governor Jodi Rell. I have known her since we first served together in the House of Representatives 18 years ago and I know she is the right person for the job. Jodi is a person of unshakable integrity and is widely liked and respected by both Republicans and Democrats in the legislature. Her first priority is to restore faith in government and a rigorous respect for ethics - thank goodness.

I look forward to working with Governor Rell in addressing the many issues which confront our district including the budget, transportation, medical malpractice, the environment and many others.