There’s a quirky bill that was filed by three of the state Senate’s occasional troublemakers – Democrats Bob Duff, Norwalk, Joan Hartley, Waterbury, and Gayle Slossberg, Milford.
I say troublemakers because during recent legislative sessions they – along with Senator Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, before he took a job in new Governor Dannel Malloy’s administration – were pretty reliable critics of how their more liberal leaders approached the budget and taxation.
So it’s not really a surprise that Duff, Hartley and Slossberg are co-sponsoring a proposal to increase the powers a governor has to make tough cost-cutting decisions during dire fiscal times.
An Act Granting Power to the Governor to Balance the Budget is a placeholder bill, with the details to be filled in later this session depending on how Malloy in February proposes cutting the state’s $3.5 billion deficit and the reaction to his plan.
“While we have a governor who gets it and who’s going to present a budget that is difficult, it’s important that the legislature also own up to its responsiblities. And if they don’t, that power should go to the governor,” Duff told me.
I’ll be reporting more on this proposal over the weekend.
Malloy spokesman Colleen Flanagan said the governor appreciates the gesture but does not feel it is necessary.
That might be a wise move. After all, film fans know full well it only takes a little extra authority to transform this…
… into this …
UPDATE: Here’s the full report on this topic from today’s newspapers.
The Senators apparently want Malloy to make hard budget decisions so they don’t have to take the flak from constituents. Of course the Democrats in charge of the Legislture don’t seem to want to make hard decisions because it will get them into trouble with the unions.
Senators offer Malloy more power to cut budget
This is a proposed bill that deserves more attention – followed by a quick defeat.
As noted, Apparently it is a vehicle for giving the Governor the authority to make even deeper cuts to the state budget without legislative approval.
We (and our elected officials) would do well to remember the important words of Thomas Jefferson when considering giving the Executive Branch powers that rightfully belong to the Legislative Branch.
Jefferson said, “If the three powers maintain their mutual independence on each other our Government may last long, but not so if either can assume the authorities of the others.”
Concepts like line item veto or granting the governor greater ability to not follow the budget that has been passed and duly signed into law is a bad idea – regardless of who serves in the as Governor (or President).