Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Check today’s list of bills in the Capitol mailboxes. The Blogster finds that Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, seems to be sponsoring many bills that could be translated to his run for the GOP nomination to challenge US Rep. Jim Himes in the Fourth District. Debicella has submitted legislation to “redefine” the state’s constitutional spending cap; requiring the Legislature to “ensure” balanced budgets; and exempting Social Security and pensions from the income tax. The latter, in particular, could be popular back home. But of course the Democrats won’t let it see the light of day.

 There’s a bill in the hopper, for action today, to expand COBRA benefits and contribute more cash to distressed municipalities including Bridgeport, New Haven and Torrington. The Legislature will also increase funding for eight other towns and cities including Hartford, Newtown and Watertown. All of this would occur in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The governor’s office doesn’t feel that the COBRA piece isn’t necessary and is more “feel good” than meaningful legislation for the Ds because the state Insurance Department has been moving ahead with similar plans to continue health benefits for people changing, or losing, jobs.

Coincidental to the start of the Legislative session tomorrow the Office of State Ethics just released a report indicating that last year a total of  $38.6 million was spent on lobbying, with a relatively meager $24,284.68 going to public officials. The information is included in the OSE report called the “State of Lobbying.” It is available on the OSE’s website, www.ct.gov/ethics.

Remember how majority Senate Democrats decided it was OK to create huge obstacles for minor parties to gain access to the ballot? It was nestled in that 2005 law that everyone patted themselves on the back about and was thrown out last year by US District ourt Judge Stefan Underhill in Bridgeport. Anyway, it’s on appeal now. Meanwhile, House and Senate Democrats still haven’t been able to get together a compromise fix. Supposedly, it will be announced in the Government Administration & Elections Committee tomorrow. Meanwhile, Gov Rell just announced her own proposal.

Including:

• “Eliminate additional qualifying criteria for candidates of minor parties and petitioning candidates.
• Provide grants in same amounts to all candidates – major party, minor party and petitioning.
• Defer the increase in grant amounts based upon consumer price index until 2014.
• Contributions from client lobbyists shall not be considered qualifying contributions for purposes of CEP.  (Currently, only contributions from communicator lobbyists do not count.)
• To the extent that provisions concerning excess and independent expenditures are found to be unconstitutional, temporarily suspend their operation until the issue is finally resolved.
• Reduce amounts of grants in response to a judge’s labeling of grant amounts as “windfall.”  The proposed reductions are as follows:

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  • Governor’s primary from $1.25 million to 1 million
  • Governor’s general from $3 million to $2.5 million

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  • Other statewide primary from $375,000 to $200,000
  • Other statewide general from $750,000 to $400,000

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  • State Senate primary from $35,000 to $25,000
  • State Senate primary dominant district from $75,000 to $50,000
  • State Senate general from $85,000 to $70,000

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  • State Rep. primary from $10,000 to $7500
  • State Rep. primary dominant district from $25,000 to $15,000
  • State Rep. general from $25,000 to $20,000″

The Blogster today has noticed Democratic and Republican staffers moving boxes of unaddressed mailing propaganda from their usual spots in the Capitol hallways, to behind doors in caucus offices. Capitol Police Chief Walter Lee, who took over after the recent death of Chief Michael Fallon, has ordered it as an added security measure for tomorrow’s opening festivities. In case you’ve forgotten, House and Senate members are allowed sdeveral pieces of taxpayer-supported mailers each year to send back to their home districts with tales of their exploits and “achievements.” Frankly, it’s called franking.

The Blogster finds it hard to believe that Attorney General Dick Blumenthal, who has researched the issue, will declare in a noon news conference today that Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz of Middletown has not practiced enough, or been “active” enough, under state statutes, to fulfill the lawyerly qualifications for attorney general. If he does say that Bysiewicz can’t run, it’ll be a wild story of calculated miscalculation on the part of Bysiewicz, who abruptly focused her quest from the governor’s race to AG after Chris Dodd announced he wouldn’t run for re-election, with the domino effect of Blumenthal seeking the Senate seat.

Janice Andersen, a Democrat hoping to take the state House seat vacated by John Harkins, who’s the new mayor of Stratford, filed a campaign-finance report with the State Elections Enforcement Commission that indicates a modest $3,847 raised, with about $2,915 on hand going into next month’s special election. Anyway, contributors have to list their employers and occupations. Nestled on line 88 is a a $100 check from Jim Miron, the erstwhile first mayor of the town who lost to Harkins in November. Under the line that requires an “employer,” the former pistol-packing mayor has listed “God” and under “occupation,” he wrote “None.”