Friday, June 10, 2005

Campaign Finance Reform Not in Upcoming Session?

Oh, this is just great.

House Speaker James Amann said he expects that a special session - tentatively set in the House for June 23 and the Senate the next day - would focus on a series of bills that do not include campaign finance reform....

When asked if campaign finance needs to be done in the upcoming session, Amann, a Democrat, said, "Right now, no. ... It's been five months. People are tired." (Keating)

I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. So that's the end of campaign finance reform until at least 2007 (What? You thought they'd pass it in an election year?). I'm disgusted with Amann, Williams and the legislature in general right now. The House and Senate bills are absurdly close. Surely a compromise could be made... right?

Well, Speaker, I'm sorry you're tired. I hope you get some rest.

In fact, maybe you should consider retirement.

Source
Keating, Christopher. "Campaign Reform Not In Special Session." Hartford Courant 10 June 2005.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

An alert from the CT Citizen Action Group:

The legislature is coming into special session later this month to pass the:
· Bond Package

· Budget Implementers

· Energy Bill

Currently Senator Williams is the only one that has stated his support to include campaign finance reform as part of the call. Please call:

· House Speaker Amann (860) 240-8500 and

· Governor Rell 1 (800) 406 1527

Urge them to end the corruption and to pass public financing campaign finance reform during the special session. Please call today and help spread the word.

Genghis Conn said...

Thank you, Mike. A little pressure from citizens might help. It also wouldn't hurt to give your rep a call.
Senate
House A list of reps and their towns.

Anonymous said...

I am a good and Loyal Democrat but I am just disgusted at the Leadership of the Democrats in the General Assembly, What happened to campaign finance. Is this it? Is Amman so thirsty for Pac Money that he can't lift a finger to help out his fellow democrats trying to get elected or re-relected, who are out spent by republicans. I am sure he doesn't have any trouble raising money. I have been closely following the Secretary of State Race where the issue of Campaign Finance is probably brought up a few hundred times and even tho I hear Candidates like Rep. Andrew Flieschmen and Rep. Evelyn Mantilla talk a good deal on the campaign stump where are they right now. Both should be demanding that Campaign Finance be passed in the special session. This just makes me think that Hartford is just about the same old same old and that we need a new kind of leadership. I think that if Speaker Amman and Senator Williams can't pull off a simple thing like passing Campaign Finance with public financing of campaigns that we as democrat should look for different leadership. What about ethics reform, where did that go? Did Democrats learn anything from the Rowland Scandal? Remember we have the power in Hartford now, but we must use our power wisely.

Anonymous said...

In response to that last post, let me say that I know at least for Representative Fleischmann, it isn't just talk. Representative Fleischmann has worked tirelessly as an advocate in the general assembly for campaign finance reform, and has urged citizens all over the state to demand a special session to get it done. It is one of the primary reasons he is running for Secretary of the State.