For decades, Connecticut's delegations have been well represented at the annual meetings of the Council of State Governments (CSG) and the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL). Historically, these annual conferences have been known to attract many senior elected and appointed officials from both the legislative and executive branches in order to discuss hot button policy issues, many of which find their way to the halls of Connecticut's State Capitol the very next year.

While the typical overarching policy topics may not come as a surprise - economic development, healthcare, transportation, energy, the environment - officials must pay close attention to the snowball effect that these discussions have on individual states' policies. For example, in 2006, electronic waste recycling was fiercely debated at a prominent stakeholders meeting. Not coincidentally, this year, nearly every state in New England, including Connecticut, adopted electronic waste recycling legislation.

These conferences serve as a breeding ground for old and new ideas. Some have merit. Some should never see the light of day. Legislators must sift through the plethora of views, including their own, and decide what to back and what to block in their home states. It certainly helps a legislator to return to CT with a bundle of success stories from other states to support his or her next proposal. Or perhaps he or she will be armed with cold, hard facts to oppose a proposition. In any case, these marketplaces of political policy will certainly help prepare the general assembly for another legislative session.

If you are interested in attending or receiving more information on either the CSG or NCSL Annual Meetings, please follow the links below. If you have any questions, please contact James Desantos at (860) 560-0000.

Council of State Governments (CSG) 2007 Annual Meeting
Quebec City, Quebec
8/11/07 - 8/15/07

National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) 2007 Annual Meeting
Boston, MA
8/5/07 - 8/9/07

Most state legislators are glad that they have another 18 months before they have to run again for reelection. But then again, some state legislators can't seem to get enough of running for office! Recently a variety of legislators decided to give it a go for local office. Representatives Caruso, D'Amelio, Feltman, and Gonzalez, and Senator Finch are all running for the office of Mayor in their home towns. D'Amelio is running in Waterbury, Feltman and Gonzalez in Hartford, and Caruso and Fitch in Bridgeport. Rep. Fontana is also seeking a seat on the Board of Selectmen in North Haven. Municipal elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6.

North Haven
State Rep. Steve Fontana recently announced that he will run for selectman of North Haven. He joined the ticket after Police Commissioner Bernard McLoughlin had to drop out of the race due to personal commitments. Fontana will be the running mate of Democratic Selectwoman Janet McCarty. McCarty is running her fourth campaign against Republican incumbent Kevin J. Kopetz for the First Selectman seat. Fontana's popularity is expected to bode well for the ticket this time around. Fontana has been a member of the State House of Representatives for 11 years and is currently co-chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee. However, Republicans have already begun objecting because, if elected, Fontana intends to keep his seat in the general assembly and serve on the board of selectman.

Waterbury
The Waterbury mayoral race has an interesting twist, pinning a current legislator against a former one. State Rep. Tony D'Amelio (R) is challenging incumbent mayor and former state representative Michael Jarjura (D). D'Amelio was elected to the state house of representatives in 1996 and is now the Assistant Republican Leader. Jarjura was a member of the General Assembly for 9 years and served as co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee before serving as mayor of Waterbury for 3 terms. D'Amelio is up against a tough opponent. When Jarjura lost the Democratic primary in 2005, he staged a 30-day media blitz and historically won as a write-in candidate!

Hartford
The remaining legislators are involved in races that are a bit more contentious. The first is the heavily publicized mayoral race in Hartford. Mayor Eddie Perez has six challengers - and that's just from his own party. The other Democratic contenders include former State Sen. Frank D. Barrows, State Rep. Art Feltman, State Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, former Deputy Mayor I. Charles Mathews, political newcomer Raul De Jesus, and Rev. Patrice Smith, a youth advocate. While many predict that Perez will win the endorsement of the town committee, regardless, Feltman and Mathews have already vowed to run in the primary on September 11. Such splintering in the Democratic party may provide the perfect opportunity for a clever Republican. Republicans have endorsed J. Stan McCauley, the head of Hartford Public Access television, to take on that challenge. A great challenge it is, however, as Hartford has not elected a Republican mayor since 1969!

Bridgeport
The mayoral race in Bridgeport has been equally interesting to follow, with two very different state representatives from the same party running for the top spot. State Senator Bill Finch and State Rep. Chris Caruso both hope to pick up the ball dropped by incumbent Mayor John Fabrizi after he admitted using cocaine while in office and had to apologize for speaking on behalf of a sex offender in court. Finch has been a state senator for three terms, is Assistant President Pro Tempore, and is co-chair of the Environment Committee. He currently works for the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Caruso was elected in 1991 and is the co-chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.

Finch and Caruso are known for their very different political styles. Caruso's campaign says that Finch is too connected to the "political machine" to create needed change. Finch's campaign asserts that Caruso does not have the relationships necessary to get things done. This week, Finch received the nomination from the Democratic Town Committee. Finch is still expected to be challenged by Caruso during the primary on September 11. Charles Coviello, an official during the administration of Mayor John C. Mandanici in the late 1970s, is also running as a Democrat. Keith Rodgerson, a councilman who recently quit the Democratic Party, and a police officer, Milton Johnson, are both running as independents.

Legislators are not required to relinquish their seats in the general assembly in order to run for municipal office, so if they fail to capture the hearts and minds of the local electors, we will see them when the session reconvenes on February 6! However, if they are successful, it's more than likely that everyone, with the exception of Fontana, would resign their seats and a special election would be called by the Governor to fill the vacated seat.

That's the municipal scoop for now, but a lot can happen in the just over 14 weeks until Election Day! We will continue to follow all of the municipal races in CT and will keep you in the loop on all the emerging details.