Oxford-area legislators are calling for an override of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s veto of a bill that would have created an economic development zone around the Waterbury-Oxford Airport.
State Sen. Rob Kane (R-34) and three Republican representatives – Anthony D’Amelio (District 71), David Labriola (District 131) and Arthur O’Neill (District 69) – sent a letter Thursday to House Speaker Christopher Donovan and Senate President Donald Williams support the veto override when the General Assembly meets soon for its veto override session.
“Oxford, Middlebury and Southbury need jobs now,” the legislators wrote in their letter. “Ours is one of the fastest growing residential regions in the state, but we need more commercial activity. Providing incentives for the development of the area surrounding Oxford Airport will provide the economic activity our towns so desperately need.”
The bill, House Bill 6529, An Act Promoting Economic Development in the Area Surrounding Oxford Airport, would have provided tax exemptions and credits to business in the area of the airport.
Malloy, in his veto, said the bill was “premature” because the newly-created statewide airport authority will help decide how to develop regions around airports, including the one in Oxford.
The Republican coalition from the Oxford area immediately came out against the veto decision.
They said in the letter that the bill would have boosted economic activity in the towns they represent, would have provided local businesses an opportunity to expand their payrolls and create jobs and would have offset costs and burdens for local taxpayers.
“Speaker Donovan and Senator Williams, we have been presented with a golden opportunity: an opportunity to show that Connecticut is open for business,” the letter from the coalition said. “We can seize that opportunity by overriding this veto. We can show that the Connecticut legislature understands the need for jobs and job creation.”
A two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate is required to override a gubernatorial veto.
The bill originally passed the Senate unanimously and the House of Representatives by a vote of 137 to 1.
It was supported by both Democrats and Republicans, including Donovan, who is now running for the District 5 Congressional seat. D-5 includes the airport region.
Read the story here on Malloy’s veto.
Malloy spoke briefly about the airport veto decision with the Valley Independent on Wednesday during a jobs tour talk in Shelton.
See the interview here: