New Economic Plan: Can Some State Reps
State economic plan calls for cutting back on the number of representatives
There could be a few empty seats in chambers if the Rell administration proposal to reduce the number of state reps is approved.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration wants to cutback on the cost of state government by cutting it, namely by cutting some of the state representatives.
The measure is part of a 542-page plan the state Department of Economic and Community Development released last week.
It does not offer specifics on how many of the state’s 151 rep seats to cut. Instead, the plan merely recommends to “reduce the number of state representatives to a number that is more proportionate to the population as a whole. For example, New York has a population of 12.8 million with an Assembly (lower house) of 150 members. By contrast, Connecticut has a population of 3.2 million and a lower house of 151 members.”
“As this document goes to print, the federal government and every state in the nation have grappled with the impact of the largest recession since the Great Depression. Public sentiment is dictating that governments at all levels must provide only those essential services
and must deliver those services as efficiently as possible,” ECD director Joan McDonald wrote in the report.
Rell is calling the proposal an "interesting idea," while the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House say there's no need for it.
The proposal comes after Rell, Republicans and Democrats battled over a budget during the longest impasse in state history.
House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, told the Waterbury Republican-American that he found the recommendation to downsize his chamber amusing.
"Does that mean they want to get rid of Democrats? Well, we can reduce the Republican Party. That would be fine," Donovan said to the paper, speaking in a tongue-in-cheek manor.
"I have been here for a while. It is a good fit it seems now," he said. "As a state representative, I know my district really well. People know me. I can walk throughout it and find out what people need. I think that is important. I think when legislators are not collected locally that hurts democracy."
The plan would require an amendment to the state constitution.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
Posted Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 9:12 AM EST
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