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Published On: Mar 05, 2004 12:07 AM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Mar 05, 2004 12:07 AM
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
ARE DEMS BEING
HYPOCRITES?
Normally I would just provide a link, but I
wasn't sure how long AP would keep this story up. But this type of story could
be the building block on why the Guv won't be forced from office. Of course,
I've been wrong before!
Legislature not always swift to act on allegations of misdeeds
February 8, 2004
Associated Press
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer
Connecticut state Sen. Edith Prague was so angry with Republican Gov. John G. Rowland that she refused to even attend his state of the state address last week.
A day later, Prague was traveling on official business with a fellow Democratic lawmaker who had served from prison after his third arrest for drunken driving.
Rowland is under fire for accepting gifts for his Litchfield cottage from friends, employees and a state contractor and later lying about it. He is the subject of a federal corruption probe and a special state House committee is investigating the governor's conduct to determine whether he has committed any impeachable offenses.
He has not been charged with committing any crimes, or convicted. Nevertheless, Prague and many Connecticut lawmakers from both parties have called for Rowland to resign.
If the special committee recommends impeachment, the full House of Representatives will vote whether to send the case to the state Senate for trial. Of the 151 members of the House who may wind up voting on impeachment, one is charged with sexually assaulting a child and another has been convicted of drunken driving.
The House has declined to take formal action against several members arrested on various criminal charges in recent years. For Prague and many others, the difference centers on whether the conduct in question relates directly to the office.
The lawmakers were accused of crimes unrelated to their office that did not involve benefiting from their position, they say.
"It's a strange difference, but there is a difference here," Prague said.
"I think there is a distinction related to your employment and private misdeeds," said state Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, who sits on the inquiry committee.
Others see a potential double standard, depending on the evidence developed in Rowland's case and the ultimate vote.
"This body in many instances has felt the need to reserve judgment before taking some action against one of its own members," said John Pavia, a former prosecutor and an adjunct professor of law at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. "I think they have the same obligation with the governor."
No attempt has ever been made to remove a sitting governor in Connecticut. The Connecticut Constitution includes only three short paragraphs about the process.
A spokesman for Rowland declined to comment on the cases involving lawmakers.
Pavia, a Republican, has warned against creating a confusing standard.
"Who, for example, would ever be able to explain why the legislature moved to remove Rowland when it has never taken any action against one of its own members who is currently awaiting trial on multiple felony counts?" Pavia wrote in a recent newspaper editorial.
That was a reference to state Rep. Jefferson Davis, a Pomfret Democrat charged with sexually assaulting a child. Davis, who has pleaded not guilty, voted in favor of creating the committee that is looking into Rowland's conduct.
"I have continuing responsibility as a legislator," Davis said Friday.
Davis said he has not faced pressure to resign.
"The charges against me have nothing to do with my legislative work," Davis said.
On Thursday Prague, D-Columbia, was driving state Rep. Kevin Ryan, a fellow Democrat from Montville, to a union meeting. Ryan remained in the legislature while he served four months in prison for drunken driving and has since been promoted to co-chairman of the labor committee.
"I was angry at him when it happened," said Prague, sitting next to Ryan, whose license is suspended. "He paid his price to society and he's a very good legislator."
Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca, R-Woodbury, said the distinction underscores a double standard.
"She's right, they are different: One was convicted and the other has not even been indicted," DeLuca said. "They're using a ruler for one and a yardstick for another."
House Minority Leader Robert Ward, R-North Branford, said that in retrospect he wishes he had called for Ryan's resignation when he was sentenced to prison.
But Ward noted that Ryan has been re-elected, so the judgment of his constituents should be respected. He also drew a distinction between allegations of public corruption and other cases.
"I think the general sense was to allow the criminal justice system to work for offenses that didn't relate to public corruption," Ward said.
Ryan declined to comment. He did not cast a vote on the inquiry.
Connecticut lawmakers are not alone in showing a reluctance to take action against their colleagues.
"Sometimes legislators tend not to want to get into the private area," said Brenda Erickson, senior research analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. "It's a very difficult area, especially determining the private-public aspect."
Expelling a member is rare, but more than a dozen states have expelled lawmakers over the years, Erickson said. Others, including Connecticut, have censured members or taken other disciplinary steps, she said.
"I think they weigh it to determine how much it's going to impact the legislator's ability to be a legislator and the impact on the institution," Erickson said. "But the reality is if it's something that raises a lot of concern, most often the people are pressured into resigning and leaving."
In Wisconsin, legislative leaders sent a letter of reprimand to a member in 1995 after his third arrest for various violations such as drunken driving and marijuana possession.
Prague called Ryan's third arrest a personal problem. But when Republican Rep. William Varese was arrested on drunken driving charges in 1998, she asked him to step down from a committee and abstain from voting on her bill to lower the drunken driving threshold.
Prague was criticized by other lawmakers at the time. "I think it's wrong whenever a colleague gets involved in judging another colleague," said Senate President Kevin Sullivan, D-West Hartford.
House Speaker Moira Lyons, D-Stamford, said each case must be considered individually.
As Ryan prepared to head off to prison, Lyons said at the time she would not ask him to step down. Ryan had begun treatment for an alcohol problem, and had made special arrangements to ensure he stayed in close touch with his office, Lyons said.
Lyons said last week that there was no outcry for Ryan's resignation. Rowland admitted wrongdoing, while Davis has denied the allegations against him, Lyons said.
Lyons said lawmakers did privately encourage former state Rep. Donnie Sellers to resign after he was charged with taking a bribe in exchange for a pistol permit recommendation. Sellers resigned after his January 1997 conviction.
"I think the governor needs to be held to a certain standard. We all do," Lyons said. "We all have to get our day in court."
Scott McLean, associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac, said lawmakers are reluctant to pass judgment on colleagues.
"My sense of it is they all belong to a club," McLean said. "They don't want to start pointing fingers or removing one another because there is no clear end to it. He who lives in a glass statehouse should not throw stones."
Legislature not always swift to act on allegations of misdeeds
February 8, 2004
Associated Press
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer
Connecticut state Sen. Edith Prague was so angry with Republican Gov. John G. Rowland that she refused to even attend his state of the state address last week.
A day later, Prague was traveling on official business with a fellow Democratic lawmaker who had served from prison after his third arrest for drunken driving.
Rowland is under fire for accepting gifts for his Litchfield cottage from friends, employees and a state contractor and later lying about it. He is the subject of a federal corruption probe and a special state House committee is investigating the governor's conduct to determine whether he has committed any impeachable offenses.
He has not been charged with committing any crimes, or convicted. Nevertheless, Prague and many Connecticut lawmakers from both parties have called for Rowland to resign.
If the special committee recommends impeachment, the full House of Representatives will vote whether to send the case to the state Senate for trial. Of the 151 members of the House who may wind up voting on impeachment, one is charged with sexually assaulting a child and another has been convicted of drunken driving.
The House has declined to take formal action against several members arrested on various criminal charges in recent years. For Prague and many others, the difference centers on whether the conduct in question relates directly to the office.
The lawmakers were accused of crimes unrelated to their office that did not involve benefiting from their position, they say.
"It's a strange difference, but there is a difference here," Prague said.
"I think there is a distinction related to your employment and private misdeeds," said state Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, who sits on the inquiry committee.
Others see a potential double standard, depending on the evidence developed in Rowland's case and the ultimate vote.
"This body in many instances has felt the need to reserve judgment before taking some action against one of its own members," said John Pavia, a former prosecutor and an adjunct professor of law at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. "I think they have the same obligation with the governor."
No attempt has ever been made to remove a sitting governor in Connecticut. The Connecticut Constitution includes only three short paragraphs about the process.
A spokesman for Rowland declined to comment on the cases involving lawmakers.
Pavia, a Republican, has warned against creating a confusing standard.
"Who, for example, would ever be able to explain why the legislature moved to remove Rowland when it has never taken any action against one of its own members who is currently awaiting trial on multiple felony counts?" Pavia wrote in a recent newspaper editorial.
That was a reference to state Rep. Jefferson Davis, a Pomfret Democrat charged with sexually assaulting a child. Davis, who has pleaded not guilty, voted in favor of creating the committee that is looking into Rowland's conduct.
"I have continuing responsibility as a legislator," Davis said Friday.
Davis said he has not faced pressure to resign.
"The charges against me have nothing to do with my legislative work," Davis said.
On Thursday Prague, D-Columbia, was driving state Rep. Kevin Ryan, a fellow Democrat from Montville, to a union meeting. Ryan remained in the legislature while he served four months in prison for drunken driving and has since been promoted to co-chairman of the labor committee.
"I was angry at him when it happened," said Prague, sitting next to Ryan, whose license is suspended. "He paid his price to society and he's a very good legislator."
Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca, R-Woodbury, said the distinction underscores a double standard.
"She's right, they are different: One was convicted and the other has not even been indicted," DeLuca said. "They're using a ruler for one and a yardstick for another."
House Minority Leader Robert Ward, R-North Branford, said that in retrospect he wishes he had called for Ryan's resignation when he was sentenced to prison.
But Ward noted that Ryan has been re-elected, so the judgment of his constituents should be respected. He also drew a distinction between allegations of public corruption and other cases.
"I think the general sense was to allow the criminal justice system to work for offenses that didn't relate to public corruption," Ward said.
Ryan declined to comment. He did not cast a vote on the inquiry.
Connecticut lawmakers are not alone in showing a reluctance to take action against their colleagues.
"Sometimes legislators tend not to want to get into the private area," said Brenda Erickson, senior research analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. "It's a very difficult area, especially determining the private-public aspect."
Expelling a member is rare, but more than a dozen states have expelled lawmakers over the years, Erickson said. Others, including Connecticut, have censured members or taken other disciplinary steps, she said.
"I think they weigh it to determine how much it's going to impact the legislator's ability to be a legislator and the impact on the institution," Erickson said. "But the reality is if it's something that raises a lot of concern, most often the people are pressured into resigning and leaving."
In Wisconsin, legislative leaders sent a letter of reprimand to a member in 1995 after his third arrest for various violations such as drunken driving and marijuana possession.
Prague called Ryan's third arrest a personal problem. But when Republican Rep. William Varese was arrested on drunken driving charges in 1998, she asked him to step down from a committee and abstain from voting on her bill to lower the drunken driving threshold.
Prague was criticized by other lawmakers at the time. "I think it's wrong whenever a colleague gets involved in judging another colleague," said Senate President Kevin Sullivan, D-West Hartford.
House Speaker Moira Lyons, D-Stamford, said each case must be considered individually.
As Ryan prepared to head off to prison, Lyons said at the time she would not ask him to step down. Ryan had begun treatment for an alcohol problem, and had made special arrangements to ensure he stayed in close touch with his office, Lyons said.
Lyons said last week that there was no outcry for Ryan's resignation. Rowland admitted wrongdoing, while Davis has denied the allegations against him, Lyons said.
Lyons said lawmakers did privately encourage former state Rep. Donnie Sellers to resign after he was charged with taking a bribe in exchange for a pistol permit recommendation. Sellers resigned after his January 1997 conviction.
"I think the governor needs to be held to a certain standard. We all do," Lyons said. "We all have to get our day in court."
Scott McLean, associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac, said lawmakers are reluctant to pass judgment on colleagues.
"My sense of it is they all belong to a club," McLean said. "They don't want to start pointing fingers or removing one another because there is no clear end to it. He who lives in a glass statehouse should not throw stones."
Posted: Mon - February 9, 2004 at 12:57 AM