Political Capitol

Sometimes being a reporter is akin to finding yourself in the middle of a dispute among family members or friends.

One side comes to you with their position. You nod, listen, ask some questions to get a better understanding, challenge some of their assumptions. Then a few hours later you do it all over again for the other side.

Such was the case tonight when, at 5:30 p.m., the legislature’s Democratic leaders headed up to the press room and gave reporters a general outline – not the actual legislation or too much specific data – of their plan to address the current fiscal year’s $1 billion deficit tomorrow.

Then just after 8 p.m. Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget staff and Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, arrived to give their decidedly different perspective on the Democratic proposal and how, from what they’ve seen, it paled to Rell’s and the GOP’s own deficit mitigation ideas.

McKinney in particular was angry that it was the evening before the General Assembly will be asked to debate and vote and the Democrats had issued nothing but a general framework. And both he and Genuario questioned some of the fiscal assumptions in the Democrat’s plan.

The Democrats earlier argued they actually thought-out their cuts and Rell made irresponsible choices.

And I think somebody stole someone else’s boyfriend or came to school wearing the same outfit or something.

When Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, and House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, outlined details of their 2008-09 deficit mitigation plan, they left out a Republican bid to raise revenues through round-the-clock liquor sales at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.

“Drinking and gambling all night is not a responsible response to our deficit crisis,” Williams told reporters.

The casinos believe that making them an oasis from the state’s liquor laws will lure more patrons, which will boost slot revenues, which will boost the state’s portion of those same slot revenues.

But lawmakers respresenting the districts around the casinos have major concerns about drunk driving.

Democrats did not completely rule out the possiblity the liquor sales would be considered to help balance the 2009-10/2010-11 budget they’ll be crafting over the coming months with Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, testified this morning before the legislature’s Higher Education Committee on a proposal by Rep. Jim Shapiro, D-Stamford, requiring UCONN study the “highest and best use” of the aging parking garage at the Stamford campus.

As we wrote about a few weeks ago, Shapiro believes that rather than simply spending money to upgrade the garage, the state would be better served determining whether the site might also accomodate badly needed student housing, classroom space and some retail for the campus community.

Stamford lawmakers believe the study could be done using in-house UCONN resources and volunteers from the community.

McDonald and the proposal got a generally warm reception. But Committee Co-chairman Rep. Roberta Willis, D-Lakeville, warned the Senator from Stamford she has no intention of supporting an upgrade of the UCONN campus in his city until the campus in her own district gets some attention.

“The Torrington campus will be taken care of first,” Willis said.

Things can get pretty heated during budget season, particularly when lawmakers have the opportunity to grill Robert Genuario, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget director.

Genuario, a former Norwalk state Senator, is often the face of the administration’s fiscal proposals/decisions. A pretty mild-mannered and well-respected guy, he is typically the one sent to sweat out legislative hearings, flanked by several staff members armed with binders and other data.

After a somewhat tense Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee hearing today, Genuario was grabbing something to eat in the capitol cafeteria. He had a light parka on and a passerby joked it must be his flak jacket.

Like the scripted wrestling matches her company – Stamford’s World Wrestling Entertainment – produces, the outcome of WWE CEO Linda McMahon’s appointment to the state Board of Education is predetermined.

McMahon earned the near-unanimous backing of the state Senate a few weeks ago despite some lawmakers concerns about her lack of academic knowledge and about the violent/sexual content of WWE’s live and televised programs.

Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell nominated McMahon, a Greenwich resident, to the school board. Supporters argue her outsider’s perspective and her business skills will make her a valuable asset to the board.

The House is likely to vote on McMahon’s appointment Wednesday.

Since one of the most vocal opponents is a House member – Education Committee co-chairman Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford – a pretty heated debate over McMahon will probably occur.

It might even appear at times as if sentiment in the House is turning against her.

But it is rare for the General Assembly to reject a gubernatorial appointment. And House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, told me this morning he plans to vote for McMahon and assumes she will have enough support from his colleagues.

“Would she be my first, second or third choice? Probably not,” Donovan said. “But it’s the Governor’s choice.”

Plus McMahon has the budget deficit on her side. The legislature Wednesday also has to grapple with passing a deficit-mitigation plan.

… because probably everyone who works in the industry is at the capitol speaking out against Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s proposal to cap the state’s film and television production tax credits at 30 percent.

If you handed out kilts you could easily film some of the battle scenes from Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart”. Instead the probably at least 150 film industry folks are wearing yellow stickers which read “Film Tax Credits = Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.”

They for a few hours milled around outside of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee’s hearing room and at one point were asked by staff to move to an overflow room to watch the proceedings on television.

When it came time to testify, committee members asked Kevin Segalla of the Stamford-based Connecticut Film Center and a handful of others to summarize the group’s concerns because there was not enough time for everyone to speak (several other bills were also on the agenda for a hearing).

Rell wants to cap the program because her administration is uncertain whether the state is recouping the lost tax dollars, which is a concern when the state is facing an $8 billion budget deficit.

And it would be unfair to say she is alone in these concerns. Members of the legislature’s Democratic majority have also been calling for cuts to the amount of credits that are issued, particularly now that their most vocal proponent – ex-House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford – has retired.

But opponents argue the cap will kill industry growth within the state.

“To change the rules mid-game would be very, very damanging,” Segalla testified.

Robert Genuario of Norwalk, Rell’s budget director, said the cap would be retroactive and impact $114 million worth of credits already applied for by various productions.

Genuario acknowledged this could potentially drive away some films that are potentially already in production in Connecticut or en route.

The Associated Press just reported that blogger, freelance journalist and activist Ken Krayeske just got in a little dust up with UCONN Huskies’ coach Jim Calhoun over the size of the latter’s salary in tough economic times.

I spoke to Krayeske a few times in 2007 following his very high-profile arrest during Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s inaugural parade while trying to take her photo. At the time the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, co-chaired by Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, was weighing legislation that sought to avoid what amounted to aggressive policing of activists like Krayeske at public events.

It never passed.

Our sports department mentioned the Krayeske/Calhoun dust-up and after reading the story I’ve got to admit I was a bit jealous. As a reporter I think it was a question worth asking and wish it was something I’d thought of. I’m not taking a position on Calhoun’s salary or that of the state’s other coaches, but why NOT debate it when the state is facing billions-of-dollars in deficits?

It will be very interesting to see if this leads to any discussions among lawmakers in Hartford. Of course this is the same General Assembly whose members schedule “HUSKY Days” at the capitol to honor Calhoun and the players and proudly pose with them for photos…

UPDATE: Courant columnist Colin McEnroe has his own interesting take that’s worth a read.

During a press conference at the capitol Friday I asked Congressman Jim Himes, a Democrat from Greenwich, if there was anything in the stimulus bill’s fine print that required state legislatures to vote on how to dole out the federal dollars for “shovel ready” infrastructure projects.

It’s so far been unclear exactly who holds the purse strings.

Himes said Congress left it up to state governors and he is “hopeful and confident” in Connecticut Rell will reach out to state lawmakers and municipalities in making her decisions about what projects to fund.

House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden at the same press conference added: “I expect us to have a role. Absolutely.”

Rell has already reached out.  And her office Friday released the following statement: “All of the funding (including transportation money) received through the Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be administered through a collaborative process.“

“The Governor has called on the working group to work collectively to identify all of the projects that will create jobs and help strengthen the state’s economy.”

“Governor Rell is interested in working with municipalities to help secure funding for their projects because we cannot look at these projects in a parochial fashion – this will be a comprehensive strategy to reinvigorate our communities and our state.”

Himes on Friday said he was happy he is not being called upon to weigh the merits of so many local projects against each other.

“Much of the work of the Congress and President is now done,” Himes told reporters.