With a little over six weeks to go in the Legislative session, the House and Senate Democrats seem to be auditioning for the next freak reality show. Judging by their comments, votes and press conferences, you would think that Jerry Springer had emerged as chairman of the screening committee.

  It readly apparent that both the House and Senate Democratic leaders have no control over their members. There are no priorities or acknowledgement of the real issues or the reality people face each day. The House of Connecticut is on fire and the Democrats think we need a task force to study the need for smoke detectors.

But there is a central theme to their approach - let’s spend more tax money or soak those who make money, or at this point, have jobs that are not subject to the gathering storm of a recession. Soon, House Speaker Jim Amann and Senate President Don Williams will talk about the needs of those in trouble - whether it’s the collapse of the housing market, white collar layoffs or property tax hikes at the local level.

Amann will sneer “let those rich guys pay more, they can afford it,” but not tell us the taxing will probably start on families earning around $150,000 a year. Williams will call for a complete takeover of the private health care system by requiring small businesses  to provide health care or opt into the state program to “pool risk.”  Anyone with a room temperature IQ knows what that means - state run health care that will drive the cost up by thousands of dollars per person.

Democrats are already laying the ground work for another vote on increasing taxes on another front - the unquenchable needs of the non-profit industry. A story about tin cup rattling from these agencies across the state told of how thousands of working poor, indigent, mentally disabled people will be turned into the streets if the Legislature doesn’t radically increase funding.

State Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, earned the quote of the week by saying in response to this calamity that “if there is another blizzard, we should plow only one lane,” and give the balance to the non-profits. I don’t know how you response to something like that, other than to say he is lucky is father was born before him.

But fear not - the non-profits do have help, and much of it is taxpayer subsidized within the chambers of the House and Senate. Several Democratic legislators enjoy employment opportunities at these agencies and are more than ready to help through quiet suggestion to their colleagues or outright support, to make sure the coffers are filled.

But let us review the really good work of out-of-touch Democratic leadership at its best - the temporary defeat of the “three strikes” provision by the Judiciary Committee. With three exceptions, Democrats on the panel voted to kill a bill that would have required mandatory sentencing of three-time violent offenders to the can. Judiciary Chairman Mike Lawlor, D-East Haven, a former state prosecutor, said the law wouldn’t work because it removed a prosecutor’s discretion and could lead, to, and get this, people being acquitted at trial. 

 ”We are trying to fix something that we don’t know as yet is broken,” said Judiciary Co-Chairman Andrew McDonald,  D-Stamford.

Really? The criminal justice system isn’t broken? Nice to know that.  A member of the Petit family, where three of its members were murdered and burned in their Cheshire home disagreed.

 ”The three-strikes bill is about those who have offended society in a violent way three times. They just do not get it,” said Dr. Petit’s sister, Johanna Petit Chapman.

Lawlor and his Democrats colleagues think they have dodged an issue here, but they have merely added more kindling to the debate. But this is typical of a party that has been at the helm for 22 years and who has written all the laws governing crime and punishment. 

Once that vote was over, the Judiciary panel held a hearing on the issue of protecting transgendered citizens against discrimination.  Several people with gender identity issues testified and we will leave it at that. Such are the priorities of the Judiciary Committee.

Then, Thursday, there was a press conference to announce that State Rep. Dianna Urban, D-Stonington, is now branching out from her “bull-hook” period. House Speaker Jim Amann took to the podium and read a hostage note announcing Lady Di would be looking into animal cruelty and what more can be done about it. One can only imagine where Urban will take this, but it appears Jim Amann will do anything to keep her away from serious legislative business.

It appears this task force will study the studies that show that people that torture animals are indeed, sick, demented people and there should be stronger laws against it or counseling for youngsters that blow up frogs. 

During her brief remarks, Urban told of several instances of cruel behavior to animals that she said were not sufficiently punished, including one uncorroborated tale of a young man who put the pet Chihuahua in the microwave and cranked it to the popcorn setting.

Urban, we all recall, along with her boyfriend State Rep. Steve Fontana, D-North Haven, were the one’s who spent an inordinate amount of time lecturing Ringling Brotherson how to manage elephants last year. Their bill to abolish a tool, known as a bull-hook, was met by a convoy of small cars driving in tight circles while honking their horns and throwing confetti.

Urban is not alone, another bill out there in the litter box of life if legislation preventing the declawing of cats.

Time to go hide the Easter Eggs.

RESOLUTION CONCERNING CERTAIN CONVICTIONS IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

Resolved by this Assembly:

WHEREAS, in colonial Connecticut various men and women were accused by their neighbors and townsfolk of practicing witchcraft; and

WHEREAS, such accusations were made for a variety of reasons; and

WHEREAS, such accusations were sometimes made because a person was associated with the sudden and unexplained illness of another person, or predicted the illness or recovery from illness of another person, or had knowledge of past or future events; and

WHEREAS, such accusations were sometimes made simply because a person habitually muttered to himself or herself, or talked to unseen persons, or used vulgar language, or gave evil looks, or was a notorious liar, or was a nonconformist, or caused discord among his or her neighbors; and

WHEREAS, some of the accused persons were indicted and put on trial for practicing witchcraft; and

WHEREAS, these trials were conducted without the evidentiary procedures and safeguards that are standard in Connecticut’s criminal justice system today; and

WHEREAS, some of the accused persons were found guilty of practicing witchcraft and sentenced to death by hanging.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that although the facts of the accusations, prosecutions, trials and executions of persons for practicing witchcraft in colonial Connecticut cannot be undone or changed, the General Assembly declares its belief that such proceedings, even if lawful under the then existing law of the colony of Connecticut, were shocking, and the result of community-wide hysteria and fear, and that no disgrace or cause for distress should attach to the descendants of these accused and convicted persons by reason of such proceedings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the adoption of this resolution does not bestow on the state, any political subdivision of the state or any person any right that did not exist prior to its adoption, or authorize any suit or other proceeding, or deprive any party to a suit or other proceeding of any defense that such party previously had, or affect in any way the title to or rights in any real or personal property, or require or permit the remission of any penalty, fine or forfeiture previously imposed or incurred.

The race in the 24th Senatorial District to replace Senator David Cappiello took a twist today when announced candidate Mike McLachlan announced that he has met the qualifications for the Citizens’ Election Program.  The Danbury News-Times has the story:

“The greater Danbury area is truly the gateway to New England, but we must work aggressively to preserve this beautiful place we call home,” he said. “We must engage state resources to increase grant funding to our communities for open-space preservation efforts.”

The Citizens’ Election Program requires a candidate for the State Senate to meet two thresholds - first, to raise contributions from 300 individual contributors that reside within towns in the district, and second, to raise $15,000 in increments of between $5 and $100. Mr. McLachlan’s qualification means that upon being nominated by the Convention on May 13, he will receive $85,000 from the State.

The State of Connecticut was honored for being the “Safest State in the Nation” for kids, according to Parents Magazine yesterday.  So sayeth the article about Connecticut’s kid-related security:

The proof that it’s working: Kids in the state are far less likely to die from accidents; in fact, Connecticut has the second-lowest rate in the nation.

The always pithy Capitol Watch collected comments from Governor Rell on the topic, who said this:     “I very much appreciate this award, which should be shared with the forward-looking legislators, the dedicated state employees and — certainly — the millions of dedicated parents who have done so much through the years to build Connecticut’s reputation for protecting children.”

Other Governors or former Governors aren’t doing so well in this neck of the woods.  Yesterday, newly-minted Governor David Paterson announced that both he and his wife had “affairs”, though by rights, he was seperated from his wife at the time and they worked through their differences.  Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey confessed that he had a threesome with a former security guard.  And former Connecticut Governor John Rowland is being criticized by Rep. Chris Caruso and Rep. Diana Urban in relation to his new role in bringing business to Waterbury. 

Meanwhile, Governor Rell and her husband Lou celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary.

Here is a fun activity: compare this map, which reflects current state-by-state polling in a hypothetical matchup between Arizona Senator John McCain and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, to this one for McCain/Obama.

Also worthy of note, we’ve updated our General 2008 Election Map to reflect the “solid states”, those that are deep blue or bright red - Wyoming and Alabama (plus McCain’s home state of Arizona) are red, and Washington D.C., Illinois, and California are deep blue.  We’ll be updating this map further once the Democrats have a nominee and more state-by-state polling can occur.

Presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain is travelling the globe this week with Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Joe Lieberman.  Yesterday, the trio went to Iraq to get an “on the ground” look at how things are going there.  McCain met with General Petreaus and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki.

Today, they were in Jordan before heading to Jerusalem.  It appears that our own Senator Lieberman is doing a great deal to help McCain on the journey:

Later Tuesday, McCain received a celebrity welcome in Jerusalem, beginning a two-day visit to Israel with a stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. As his motorcade pulled up dozens of tourists greeted him and chanted “Mac is back,” as he shook their hands and posed for photographs.During his 90-minute visit at the memorial and museum, McCain was visibly moved, his eyes welling with tears as he viewed photographs from Nazi death camps.

Wearing a skullcap placed on his head by Lieberman, McCain laid a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jewish Holocaust victims and lit a memorial flame. Signing the Yad Vashem visitors’ book he wrote: “I am deeply moved. Never again. John McCain.”

Just over two weeks ago, we began circulating an online petition that calls on Democrat Speaker of the House Jim Amann to keep the In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants bill off the floor of the House.  As you may know, Bridgeport Democrat Felipe Reinoso re-introduced the bill in the State Legislature in February that would give illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at UCONN and the CSUS System. 

With Connecticut already rated 48th best state to do business by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2006, the proposition that the State should subsidize the higher education of illegal immigrants is viewed by many with skepticism.  When this identical bill was vetoed by Governor M. Jodi Rell in 2006, the Governor summed up her feelings on the matter in this way: “I understand these students are not responsible for their undocumented status, having come to the United States with their parents,” Governor Rell said. “The fact remains, however, that these students and their parents are here illegally and neither sympathy nor good intentions can ameliorate that fact.”

Since we began the petition, more than 1000 people have taken the time to add their name to the list.  This being our first major petition of 2008, we are quite pleased at the level of response.  We will bring you an update later in the week after we send the petition to the Speaker.