REP. CARUSO: (126^th)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move for acceptance of the Emergency Certified Bill in concurrence with the Senate and passage of the bill.

DEPUTY SPEAKER ALTOBELLO:

The question is on passage of the bill. Would you remark, Representative Caruso?

REP. CARUSO: (126^th)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this legislation addresses clean contracting standards for the State of Connecticut. The bill establishes a 14-member state contracting standards board as an independent Executive Branch state agency.

The board will have various responsibilities associated with state contracting processes, including reviewing, monitoring and auditing state contracting agencies' procurement processes.

State contracting agencies involved will be Executive Branch agencies, boards, commissions, departments, offices, institutions or council.

They will not include the Judicial Branch, Legislative Branch, Offices of Secretary of the State, the State Treasurer, Comptroller or the Attorney General with respect to their constitutional functions.

The bill will also allow the state contracting standards board to disqualify contractors and state agencies to suspend them. It requires all state contracts that take effect on or after the bill's passage to contain provisions to assure accountability, transparency, and results-based outcomes as the standards board prescribe.

The bill will require Judicial and Legislative Branches to prepare their own procurement codes by February 1, 2010, and state constitutional officers to each adopt similar codes by July of 2010.

It establishes a procedure for privatizing state contracts. The procedure will include a requirement for cost benefit analysis and business cases. And the bill will require the Department of Administrative Services to maintain a single electronic portal for posting most contracting opportunities in the state. I move adoption of the bill."

"Senate Bill Number 2103, AN ACT CONCERNING COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM FOR STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OFFICES.

. . .

REP. CARUSO: (126^th)

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, like many in this Chamber and in the Chamber of the Senate, were not extremely pleased with every aspect of this legislation.

I had great difficulty deciding whether or not I was to support this legislation tonight or vote against it.

I had great difficulty sleeping last night, as a matter of fact, to making that decision. And as you know, Mr. Speaker, I had gone to speak with you and the Majority Leader as well about several of my concerns in the Bill.

But this morning, Mr. Speaker, on the way to Hartford, it came to me after some thought that 15 years working on campaign finance reform in this Legislature, not only by myself but by other individuals in the Legislature who support campaign finance reform.

Mr. Speaker, sitting through countless public hearings, committee meetings, and votes, press conferences, seeing the Chairs of the GAE Committee one after the other presenting bills that did not pass.

Speakers of the House changing each year, and still no campaign finance reform. Governor’s vetoes, rallies, telephone calls, and working groups.

I felt it important that I support this legislation because, frankly, the stars are aligned with this legislation.

We often don’t get the opportunity with campaign finance reform to see both Chambers supporting a bill. We’ve gone from Nebraska to Arizona to Maine and now we’re in Connecticut.

And the moment is now, Mr. Speaker. There’s a ballad in the play, A Man of La Mancha that states this is the moment, and this is the moment, Mr. Speaker, to embrace public finance reform coupled with public financing.

Keep in mind, when this legislation is passed and signed by the Governor, within 12 months it will begin to be implemented. There are parts of this Bill that are extremely strong, Mr. Speaker, provisions that provide restrictions on lobbyists, on State contractors, on adbooks.

But there are also parts of this Bill, Mr. Speaker, that I have concerns with and that I have continued to voice those concerns and will continue over the next year.

Some of those concerns that I’ve raised before deal with the various political action committees and their ability to provide in-kind services to the participating candidates.

There’s concerns with the town committees’ ability to do or continue to do adbook for municipal races. There’s concerns with the limits that are placed on candidates as far as the grant amount for matching dollars against the non-participating candidate.

But those concerns, I believe, will be worked out. As Co-Chair of the GAE Committee, and as I have mentioned to you, Mr. Speaker, that next year in our Regular Session, I will work to raise these issues in committee and to seek appropriate changes.

But, Mr. Speaker, if I may, I’d like to point out some of the highlights of the Bill. The adbooks, lobbyist, and contractor contributions, as I mentioned, are prohibited.

There is a State contractor ban. The funding will create a Citizens Election Fund, paid for by using the property escheats. There will be qualifying levels in grants for participating candidates.

The Governor’s qualifying threshold will be $ 250,000. The primary grant will be $ 1. 25 million, and the general election will be $ 3 million.

The statewide candidates, there will be a qualifying threshold of $ 75,000. Primary grant will be $ 375,000. The general election will be $ 750,000.

For the State Senate race, the qualifying threshold will be $ 15,000. Primary grant will be $ 35,000, and the general election will be $ 85,000.

The House, the qualifying threshold will be $ 5,000. Primary grant will be $ 10,000, and the general election will be $ 25,000, Mr. Speaker.

Minor party and petitioning candidates will be able to access the system under a three-tiered grant process. Contributions for non-participating candidates will increase.

There will be spending limits placed in the Bill. Independent and excess expenditure, there will be matching grants. The timing of the matching grants will take place when candidates whose opponents have reached 90% of the spending limit.

There will be reporting in place in order to monitor the expenditures of the candidates. Caucus and leadership PACs, as I mentioned, will have the ability to participate.

There will be disclosure, which will be increased in TV, Internet, mail, and automated calls. And there will be prohibition from public officials from appearing in TV ads 12 months before an election.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the Bill has areas that we need to work on. I’m the first one to admit it and I know there will be some in this Chamber that will question some of those loopholes that I’ve mentioned, so I want to state that up front right now.

But for 15 months, I have worked tirelessly and passionately to bring a piece of legislation to this Body. I don’t think we would have been close as we are today if it wasn’t for the work of many people in this Legislature who believe passionately in public financing.

It’s our opportunity to take advantage of this moment, to pass this legislation, to build a foundation, and then make change.

And the change, as I stated, I will be more than happy to be part of in the next Legislative Session through the committee that I chair. Mr. Speaker, I move passage of the legislation."