Senator McLachlan's Blog

Tax Freedom Day Comes LAST to CT!

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:39:00 +0000

Last year, “Tax Freedom Day” arrived in Connecticut May 5th.

Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay the year’s tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. On May 5, 2012, Connecticut had the dubious distinction of being the last state to achieve “freedom.”

This year, Connecticut has finally attained tax freedom on May 13. Again, we are the last state to be free of taxes for the year. It took us eight more days to accomplish that last place finish.

And your tax freedom could arrive even later in 2014. Why?

The largest gas tax hike in Connecticut history is scheduled to take effect July 1.

Taxes on businesses, which were supposed to sunset this year, might not.

State aid to cities and towns is being shifted and could result in higher local property taxes.

Connecticut could soon approve borrowing hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to pay for ongoing state expenses. Guess who will be called upon to pay off those maxed-out credit card bills?

Friends, we are heading in the wrong direction. State spending is out of control, and your taxes are hiked to pay for wasteful government programs.

Have you had enough?

I hope you will stand with me in demanding spending cuts and reductions to our highest-in-the-nation tax burdens.

How can you help?

Call your state legislators. Call Governor Malloy at 860-566-4840. If they don’t respond, keep calling them.

On this “Tax Freedom Day”, we recognize that our freedom is being eroded.

Together, we can reclaim it, but I need you to demand it.

Assisted Suicide in CT is a Bad Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:23:00 +0000

I stand in firm opposition to House Bill 6645, An Act Concerning Compassionate Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients. This legislation promotes the culture of assisted suicide in Connecticut, and tells citizens that suicide is an acceptable solution to life’s hardships.

I am adamantly opposed to this legislation and any attempts by government to authorize any form of assisted suicide. Suicide is wrong, especially when it is assisted by loved ones or physicians. Humans are given the gift of life. People like me who hold strong convictions in their faith believe that it is not our duty, or within our ability, to control the beginning or end of our life. With this legislation individuals will decide when their lives end, and they will be protected to have their loved ones assist in ending that life. As a faithful Catholic, I do not feel comfortable granting that authority to anyone. Life is the most basic gift of a loving God, to which humans have stewardship, not absolute dominion. No one, including the government, should ever intend to cause their own death or assist in the taking of another’s. I fear that with this legislation we are legitimizing suicide – a very dangerous precedent.

I am very concerned about the negative impacts this legislation would have on some of society’s most vulnerable populations - the elderly and the disabled. I am worried that this legislation will open the door for abuse of the elderly and disabled by allowing those around them to influence their decision to commit suicide for their own gain. This proposal has no safeguard for abuse, and there is a lack of appropriate monitoring of the mental capacity of those who will receive the lethal dose. Furthermore, there is no way of knowing when the lethal dose is administered or if it was done so voluntarily. With a lack of safeguards in place there is no way to know if suicide is what the person truly desired or if it is a priority of those around them.

In states where assisted suicide has been approved suicide rates have increased. Thirteen years after assisted suicide passed in Oregon, the suicide rate was 41% higher than the national average.

I am concerned that the same will happen in Connecticut. The Legislature should not create the culture of death that will surely come with this proposal. As elected officials and public servants we should be fostering a culture that supports those who are fighting death, whether they are elderly or sick. We should encourage them to fight with strength of character and to live the life that they have been blessed to have fully, to the very last breathe. We should not be encouraging them to give up and a way to tamper with their own fate.

I strongly urge you to contact your legislators and ask them to oppose House Bill 6645, An Act Concerning Compassionate Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients.

God Bless You, Caroline Phoebe Previdi

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I just left the Funeral Mass for Caroline Phoebe Previdi, age 6. Caroline was a first grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School and died tragically with twenty-six other victims at the hands of a madman. Last Friday was a day that broke our hearts in America.

I never met Caroline but her great-grandparents, Eugene and Phoebe Previdi, were special people in my life. Papa Gene was my first boss at age fourteen when he handed me a broom and told me to sweep a huge parking lot on a very hot summer day. I’ll never forget those blisters. I didn’t know then how Papa Gene’s lessons would impact my work ethic for many years to come. Aunt Phoebe was a gentle saint who always told me Papa Gene didn’t really mean the harsh things he said to get me to focus on my job.

Caroline Phoebe Previdi, her family, classmates and the Newtown community paid a huge price for a madman’s terror. I hope and pray this heavy price produces changes in America.

We must begin the debate – a civil discourse – about violence in America. Why do we accept violence in our culture with pre-teens becoming proficient in extremely violent video games and Hollywood releasing movies of carnage on Christmas Day. Why is New Haven considered the fourth most dangerous city in America?

I am a firm defender of the Second Amendment and believe many of the comments in the past several days about changing gun laws have been inaccurate and sometimes misleading. Yes, I agree we should look carefully at our laws – both state and federal – in the upcoming legislative sessions in Hartford and Washington. A civil discourse will be far more productive in finding solutions.

Earlier this year I began studying Connecticut’s assault weapons ban to better understand how our state has some of the strongest gun control regulations in the country. The state legislature enacted the ban in 1993. Congress passed a 10-year federal ban in 1994. Efforts to renew the federal ban have been proposed a number of times unsuccessfully.

I discovered a loophole in Connecticut’s assault weapons ban during my research and plan to submit a bill that seeks to correct the deficiency. Weapons manufactured prior to the ban may be dismantled to recycle the part containing the gun’s serial number and rebuilt with modern parts that would otherwise fall under the existing assault weapons ban.

Let me be perfectly clear about the assault weapons ban – it will not stop the classroom carnage visited upon Sandy Hook. The madman’s weapon is not classified as an assault weapon. Should we study that classification during our upcoming civil discourse? Yes. Should we review the size of ammo magazines and consider the former federal limitations be enacted in Connecticut? Yes. Should we honor the Second Amendment during our deliberations? Absolutely!

The serious problem with the gun control debate in light of the Sandy Hook tragedy is the absence of debating mental health in America. We must not seriously consider gun control without acknowledging the inadequacies of mental health policy in our country.

We have witnessed an alarming pattern with shooting rampages of overwhelming evidence of insufficient or un-prioritized mental health treatment for deeply troubled young men turned murderers. How can our country keep turning a blind eye to this healthcare tragedy? A civil discourse on this topic will tell us how to fix the challenges of access to mental health services and begin to address the stigma within our society that forces patients and their families to hide their affliction.

A third area for debate is school security. Surely much has improved in this area as evidenced by lockdown procedures that clearly saved lives in Sandy Hook. Can we improve? Yes and we may be able to make substantial improvements without breaking the bank. Once again a civil discourse will be far more productive in finding solutions.

In honor of Caroline Phoebe Previdi I am stepping out in search for workable changes to keep our schools safe. Papa Gene and Aunt Phoebe produced a very special family and I’m sure Caroline Phoebe Previdi’s parents and grandparents will be holding us all accountable in the legislature to make a difference with a bi-partisan approach to help stop a repeat of this terrible tragedy.

God Bless you, Caroline Phoebe Previdi.

Broken Hearts in America

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Our hearts are broken in Connecticut and across America. No words can explain the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Now is the time for prayer – prayers for the victims and their families and prayers for the Newtown community that they may begin the steps of healing.

Many people have asked me, “What can I do to help?” My first first answer is prayer. Those who wish to directly support the families may contribute here:

Sandy Hook School Support Fund
c/o Newtown Savings Bank
39 Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470

Online contributions through a secure website at the United Way

Stop the Release of Violent Felons From CT Prisons

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:08:00 +0000

Should a repeat violent felon be eligible for early prison release credits?

Should an individual who has been convicted not once, not twice, but three or more times of violent crimes be able to see his sentence reduced by weeks, months and years simply by obeying prison rules?

Many of you will be shocked and angered to know that the answer to those questions is “yes”, and it’s because of a new Connecticut law.

I was a staunch opponent of the bill when it was rushed through the state senate chamber last year. Anyone who read the bill could see that this legislation enabled the worst of the worst criminals – rapists, arsonists, child molesters, and animal abusers – to get substantial time taken off their prison sentences. Violent offenders would soon hit the streets and re-enter our communities, we warned. Public safety would be jeopardized.

Republicans were outvoted, and the bill became law. Hundreds of Connecticut prisoners were released every month, beginning last September. In June, a Meriden convenience store owner – an immigrant from Jordan named Ibrahim Ghazal – was shot and killed. The accused murderer had received nearly six months’ worth of early release time.

What happened in Meriden was a tragedy. The program which enabled Mr. Ghazal’s alleged assailant to get out of jail early needs to be fixed so that we can prevent future tragedies. As a member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, I participated in a Sept. 18 informational hearing to look for answers to some serious questions.

The state’s independent, non-partisan victim advocate provided those answers. She provided legislators with example after example of violent criminals who have been released early over the past year. More than 33 % of these criminals have been re-arrested or re-incarcerated in the past 10 months. That recidivism rate, Ms. Cruz warned, will only grow higher and higher as time goes by and hundreds of inmates are let out early each month..

Public safety should be a non-partisan issue. We all want our communities to be as safe as they can be. But as I continue to work to get this misguided law suspended for violent offenders, it has occurred to me just how far apart Republicans and Democrats are on this issue. Consider the example above of the three-time violent offender. In recent years, Republicans and I have called for a “Three Strikes” law in Connecticut which would bring a lifetime prison sentence for those who receive their third conviction for a violent offense like a home invasion. Current law in Connecticut would allow that same three strikes felon – someone who has compiled a scary history of violent crimes - to be considered for early prison release. The difference between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of violent crime is both dramatic and stark.

I want the public to know that I will continue to put the victims and their families above the violent criminals. What is taking place in Connecticut right now is a smack in the face to victims. I will not stop fighting for them, and I will not relent in my efforts to get the governor and the legislature to rethink this dangerous new state law and to suspend it immediately. If you agree with me, you can help me by signing my online petition at www.senatormclachlan.com .

Common Sense is Missing from Connecticut State Government

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 20:27:00 +0000

If you are in search of common sense decision-making these days, you may want to steer clear of the State Capitol in Hartford. Here are a few examples of why I feel Connecticut state government is on the wrong track.

Exhibit A is the new Connecticut law which allows violent felons to get weeks, months, and even years taken off their prison sentences. The measure became law even though Republicans warned it would enable rapists, arsonists, child molesters and animal abusers to become eligible for early prison release under the new Risk Reduction Earned Credits program. Now, we are seeing this law's impact. On June 27, a Meriden small business owner was killed at his convenience store. The man arrested for that murder was able to earn 199 days of risk reduction credits while serving time for a robbery conviction. Then, on August 25, an East Hartford convenience store employee was killed while working at the store. The man arrested for that murder was able to earn risk reduction credits while in prison earlier this year.

In an attempt to fix this policy, I have called for an immediate suspension of the program in order to review its treatment of violent felons. (My online petition to generate support for this initiative can be signed at www.senatormclachlan.com .) The architects of the flawed law, unfortunately, continue to defend it. They blame the police, prosecutors and judges for enabling the bad guys to slip through the cracks. The “system” is to blame, they say, even though they were the ones who have just made the system less safe. The policy will not be reviewed or changed. Instead, the governor will stick with it, hoping and praying – along with the rest of us – that the next murder or rape is not the result of an early release. We can all expect the finger-pointing to continue with each new violent crime.

Exhibit B is the $567 million, $1,000-an-inch taxpayer-funded New Britain to Hartford Busway. We are all aware of multiple state roads which need improvements. For many greater Danbury and Waterbury area residents, the jammed up stretches on Interstates 84 and 95 rank high among priority areas in need of attention. Yet to build the busway, the state is diverting money from road and bridge repair projects around the state. Wouldn't a better solution be to spend the busway funds on these pressing projects instead? I have not met a single person in western Connecticut who supports the busway project. That's why I backed a common sense motion to stop funding the busway and to redistribute that money for other transportation needs. That bid failed in the State Senate, so the busway continues to run full steam ahead.

Exhibit C is overall state spending. As any family knows, you can’t spend more than you take in. This spring, I backed a plan which took aim and waste and fraud in government and cut spending by hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, isn't it time the state put an end to longevity bonuses for state employees? Many taxpayers may be shocked to learn that their state government issues these bonuses twice a year to thousands of employees - the next round of checks will be sent out in October - yet the bonuses have nothing to do with job performance. While focusing on eliminating wasteful spending like these non-merit-based bonuses, Republicans and I also pushed to increase the state’s property tax credit and to exempt clothing and prescription drugs below $50 from the state sales tax.

Our proposal was rejected. Instead, our state government is spending your money faster than it collects. Spending was actually raised by $1 billion in the most recent budget. That spending has resulted in a budget deficit even though your taxes were just raised by record amounts last year. Connecticut now has the third highest state and local tax burden in the country and all that spending has put us in deep debt. How deep? $5,569 for every man, woman and child in Connecticut. Our credit card is maxed out, yet the borrowing continues in earnest. Last month, the state essentially wrote a $115 million check and handed it over to the largest hedge fund in the world so that it would stay in Connecticut. The hedge fund’s owner earned a $3.9 billion salary last year. That's "billion" with a "b." Wall Street wins, while Main Street loses.

The priorities in Hartford are misguided. The policies being passed at the State Capitol are hurting working families and endangering public safety throughout Connecticut. I will not stop fighting against measures which fly in the face of common sense, and I will continue to reach across the political aisle to try to arrive at common ground with fellow legislators. Maybe my persistence will pay off and some of my colleagues' positions on these crucial issues will start to evolve. But maybe not.

For those who share my frustrations about Exhibits A, B and C, consider this: Sometimes, when you can't change the minds of the folks who are in charge, you just have to replace them.

Democrats’ Candy Store at the State Capitol

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:45:00 +0000

A special session of the Connecticut General Assembly convened today just a month after we adjourned the regular session. Sounds mundane to most people outside the Capitol until they hear what’s really happening here.

The legislature is normally scheduled to meet February 8th to May 9th this year. Nearly 4,000 bills were submitted at the beginning of the regular session but less than 400 of these bills were approved by both houses of the legislature by the deadline on May 9th.

Bills that failed to make it across the finish line are often introduced again in future years – sometimes taking several attempts to make it across the finish line. This is a good process because the vetting process identifies weaknesses in legislative ideas and improves them before final approval. Bad ideas are hopefully weeded out by this process.

Today we have a “special session within a special session.” Archaic legislative rules allow the majority Democratic Party legislative leaders to sidestep the regular legislative process by taking a ride to the “candy store” today. We have before us 658 pages of legislation to vote on with only a few hours to research. Nearly one-hundred bills that didn’t make it across the finish line are back on the table. In addition, many initiatives before us now never saw the light of day before today.

Why would Democratic Party legislators claim transparency in everything they do at the Capitol but be so sneaky with a “special session within a special session?” The candy store is the reason. Load up everything you couldn’t get across the finish line in the bright light of a regular legislative session with public hearings and committee meetings and jam it into a special session within a special session.

My bosses – the voters of the 24th Senate District expect me to seek input on legislation before voting. When the Democrats “turn the lights off” at the State Capitol for their “special session within a special session” to ramrod legislation in the dark they are ignoring our constituents.

My vote today is a firm NO.

Enough to Give You an Upset Stomach

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:22:00 +0000

The “shenanigans” with state bonds are “enough to make you vomit.”

So says a now-retired State of Connecticut employee who oversaw bond-funded grants from the Department of Social Services for 19 years.

That statement should give us all pause.

State bonds are the state’s credit card. Just about every month, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy leads a meeting of the State Bond Commission to discuss which projects to put on that credit card. Most of these are low profile capital projects like school construction and road and bridge repair. Others are more high profile projects that raise taxpayers’ eyebrows, such as the $600 million New Britain to Hartford Busway.

Still others are what are called “pork” projects. One of those pork projects recently made many, including that retired state employee, feel sick to their stomachs.

What was it?

$300,000 for the New Haven People’s Center, an organization run by officials in the Connecticut chapter of the Communist Party USA.

The fact that your tax dollars are slated to help fix the roof at the Connecticut chapter of the Communist Party USA is odd enough, but even more peculiar is that state agencies do not have any documentation about the organization or the request for the $300,000.

So what’s going on?

Taxpayers, what we have here is an iconic example of an earmark. It reveals how your state government allocates money in a frivolous way.

This money for the Connecticut chapter of the Communist Party was not run through the normal process of vetting.
The People’s Center’s finances were not reviewed.
The project was never weighed against other projects.
It is not clear who exactly will have oversight of the state funds if they are approved.

The good news – if there is any in this tale - is that this money hasn’t been approved yet. The good news is that this information is now out in the open before it can be quietly approved.

The next bond commission meeting is June 4.

Between now and then, I will continue to ask the following questions:

Why is this group getting our taxpayer money?
Doesn’t the state have thousands of better ways to spend this money?
Why doesn’t this group provide their own money for the repairs, via traditional fundraisers?
Why should your tax dollars be used to fund the roof repair of any political party? No party should get state funding.

Shenanigans indeed. I hope this story did not create too much nausea out there, but I feel it is an instructive one. We need to send people to Hartford who value the taxpayers. In the meantime, I promise you that I will continue to fight for better accountability with your money.

Nightmare at the State Capitol

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:18:00 +0000

Maturity is absent at the State Capitol two days before the 2012 legislative session crashes to an end. Governor Malloy and Democratic majority leaders released their education reform "compromise" at a 10pm press conference. No Republicans present.

The 185-page education reform bill was released to the minority Republican legislators at Midnight. Ninety minutes later debate began.

The Democratic majority leadership and Governor Malloy should be ashamed of themselves. Claiming victory by crafting such important legislation in a back-room vacuum is disgraceful!

I will listen intently to the debate and study the bill. Unfortunately, I can't get feedback from my constituents at 2am. The only opinions I can enlist at this time are the lobbyists and special interest advocates. Though I value their opinion and information on legislation I always rely on feedback from residents in my district - my bosses - before voting on such important legislation.

My bosses are sleeping right now. This feels like a nightmare at the State Capitol.

Without reasonable input from the people most impacted by this proposal the Democrats are asking legislators to "fly blind" on a vote. I don't fly blind.

When will this irresponsible, one-sided legislative process end? When will the voters hold the Connecticut General Assembly accountable for acting without listening to our constituents?

Education reform is not the real story for the 2012 legislative session. The real story is an abhorrent legislative process driven by the majority Democratic leaders. Politics at its worst.

Connecticut Highest in Taxes AGAIN!

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

How ironic that May 5th is Tax Freedom Day® in Connecticut. Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. Connecticut is the last state to reach Tax Freedom Day this year!

The real irony is that Governor Malloy and the Democrats' largest tax increase in the history of the State of Connecticut has still generated a deficit of $280 million! Tax Freedom Day for Connecticut residents next year will come even later in the calendar after this massive tax increase is considered.

Governor Malloy and the Democratic majority leadership in the Connecticut General Assembly are completely disconnected from the reality of our struggling residents and businesses. Everyone outside of government cut spending in their budgets to match their decreased earnings. Connecticut Democrats refuse to make the difficult decisions to reform our state government and cut spending.

Who would’ve guessed Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey would ever be more competitive than Connecticut? I hope Nutmeggers will wake up and demand change!

A Lifesaving Initiative for Infants

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:12:00 +0000

The Connecticut State Senate approved Senate Bill 56 tonight - An Act Concerning Pulse Oximetry Screening for Newborn Infants. This is a priority of my constituent, Marie Hatcher, the proud mother of Mathew.

Marie Hatcher is a special lady with amazing persistence. Marie discovered that congenital heart defects are sometimes undiagnosed in newborn babies. Thankfully, that was not the case with her son Matthew but discovered during pregnancy. Matthew has experienced a lifetime of doctors and hospitals in his short life and thankfully he is getting the very best medical care for his heart defect.

Unfortunately, many cases of congenital heart defects in babies are not recognized until after an emergency health event or even death. Pulse oximetry screening is the current technology to identify defects at birth and the cost is only ten dollars ($10) per newborn. Marie thought this was a travesty and should be corrected so she contacted me to ask for my support of legislation mandating the screening.

Fast-forward to tonight and another positive step in the legislative process. The unanimous vote in the Senate moves the bill to the House for approval and hopefully on to the Governor for his signature.

Matthew's Hearts of Hope is the non-profit organization organized by Marie Hatcher to advance the cause of heart defect screening. Please consider supporting this worthwhile effort and say a prayer for Matthew.

Democrats' Constitutional Loopholes?

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:30:00 +0000

A year ago I supported a bill which sought to fully implement Connecticut's Constitutional Expenditure Cap of 1991 by enacting definitions. Unfortunately, the bill last year died in committee, as similar efforts of mine met a similar fate in two prior years.

Connecticut’s spending cap is guided by the State Constitution as well as General Statutes. The statute was a part of the income tax compromise of 1991, which looked to generate about $1 billion in new taxes for the state. To assure that the state would not engage in runaway spending, the General Assembly passed, and then the electorate ratified, the Constitutional Expenditure Cap.

The cap limits the allowable growth in appropriations by the state to no more than the greater of either the five year average growth in personal income, or the most recent calendar year’s increase in inflation.

Since the inception of the Expenditure Cap, personal income growth has served as the cap’s allowable growth. However, now the state has seen two years of negative personal income growth which will take a toll on upcoming Expenditure Cap growth rates. For the next few years we will see the lowest allowable growth, so low that the secondary growth rate of inflation is expected to be the limiting factor in Fiscal Year 2014.

It is time that we enact fully the intentions of both the General Assembly and the voters of 1991.

We have been fortunate not to have seen a financial climate where personal income tax levels are so low. However, now that we are realizing this climate, and we need to best prepare for the consequences of such. It is time that we fully implement the Constitutional Expenditure Cap by enacting the appropriate definitions. We owe the citizens of Connecticut a government that is reasonably and responsibly spending its funds. The Expenditure Cap was enacted to create a system that would promote such responsibility; we need to now adhere to that.

The legislature is considering a new bill this year at the request of Governor Malloy that will result in setting a certain class of appropriations being exempt from the spending cap. These payments include those above the actuarial required contribution for the State Employee Retirement System and Teachers Retirement System, payments above the annual cost of retiree health benefits to reduce Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) and payments for the annual deferred charge required for implementation of state finances to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) accounting.

My opposition to Senate Bill 21 does not mean I am against making additional payments to State Employee or Teacher Retirements Systems or I do not believe our state finances should be in accordance with GAAP accounting, these are very important to our state budget. However, I do not believe we should be exempting only certain expenditures from our spending cap and any additional appropriations for retirement or payments for GAAP conversion should be made within available appropriations inside our state constitutionally mandated cap. Governors and legislatures should be encouraged to move our finances towards GAAP and to reduce the unfunded ratio we currently have in our retirement systems, but in achieving these goals they should be done while living within the cap.

My primary concern for this proposal is if we start to select certain appropriations to be exempted from the spending cap we set the precedent to possibly allow further exemptions in the future. What are the next exemptions deemed important enough to circumvent the cap?

We should be working to strengthen the cap as one of our budget controls, not adding exemptions.

Obama Ignoring Religious Liberty

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:34:00 +0000

The following Op-Ed was published in The News-Times on Sunday, February 25, 2012:

The recent furor over the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services new regulations for ObamaCare demonstrates the clear violations of religious liberty proposed by President Obama.

Many argue the issue is all about healthcare choice but somehow have misunderstood that the objections are rooted in defense of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The issue is the survival of constitutionally protected freedom that ensures respect for conscience and religious liberty.

Cardinal Dolan of New York stated, “Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights."

Cardinal Dolan said in a Wall Street Journal opinion, “This latest erosion of our first freedom should make all Americans pause. When the government tampers with a freedom so fundamental to the life of our nation, one shudders to think what lies ahead.”

Catholic and other religious institutions will soon be legally required to provide services which violate a fundamental principle of their religious beliefs.

This should be a battle cry for all faith institutions – the First Amendment of the United States Constitution is under attack.

The mandate infringes on the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion and also violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Our government should be protecting freedom not violating it and American citizens owe it to their country to strongly object to this violation of the United States Constitution.

“This ruling is a violation of religious liberty, an infringement on the conscience rights of individuals and institutions that contribute immensely to the common good,” said Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

One of the most troubling facts about ObamaCare is that nearly 2,000 exemptions have been granted to unions and corporations like McDonalds.

Why are religious institutions not granted similar exemptions?

Many lawsuits have been filed by Catholic schools, healthcare organizations and the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) seeking to strike down the mandate. The Beckett Fund is assisting with the lawsuits and has developed compelling arguments challenging the constitutionality of the Obama Administration’s actions.

Religious freedom prevailed in a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of the United States last month. The case determined the government may not tell churches (in this case a Lutheran school) whom to hire or fire as ministers.

This week the United States Senate is expected to vote on the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (S.1467). The proposal will ensure that Americans “retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions.”

Please call Senators Lieberman and Blumenthal at the U.S. Capitol (202) 224-3121 and urge them to support this measure.

This “one-two punch” of major news brought me back to 2009, when I stood with thousands of members of the faith community on the steps of the State Capitol in Hartford.

We stood together in strong opposition to Senate Bill 1098. That bill was a flagrant and unjustified attack on the Church’s constitutionally protected autonomy.

The bill would have removed all financial control from clergy of the Catholic Church and installed it in a board of directors comprised of lay members elected from within the parish. The bill would have also expanded the state’s authority to investigate Church finances.

We fought and we won. After tremendous opposition, the legislature tabled the bill.

More than two years later, I remain encouraged that so many Catholics, and many people of other religions, made the trip to Hartford to speak their minds on that controversial bill.

I also remain hopeful that people of all faiths will stand up now to oppose President Obama’s national attack on religious freedom.

The recent Supreme Court decision was another victory for religious liberty. The ObamaCare health mandate was a defeat, but we pray it will be just a temporary one.

I urge you to contact me at Michael.McLachlan@cga.ct.gov or call (860) 240-0068 with your thoughts, ideas and comments on how I can help you at the State Capitol.

George Washington's Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:37:00 +0000

By the President of the United States of America,a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God,to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits,and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was,that is,or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner,in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness,and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgression -- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws,discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed -- to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Geo. Washington

Connecticut Democrats' Train Wreck

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:42:00 +0000

Connecticut Democrats think taxpayers should pay $443 million dollars to create 600 jobs. Are they for real? You bet they are! That is $738,333 for each job.

Jackson Laboratories is slated to get 17 acres of prime real estate and a free new building. The Connecticut taxpayers will be their largest shareholder in this new venture.

Private investors consider investments like this all the time but they get a return on their investment. In the medical research field a private investor would get a share of royalties earned and equity in the company.

Connecticut Innovations (C-I), the quasi-government, taxpayer-funded incubator charged with coordinating this government giveaway is changing their business model for this boondoggle. Current investments by C-I require equity and royalties in return for their investments. Not this time!

Connecticut Democrats are authorizing a major investment of taxpayer's money with no similar return on this investment! The new taxpayer-funded building and operations will be tax-exempt!

This proposal lacks common due-diligence for similar private sector transactions.

The Connecticut Democrats' Train Wreck is in the ditch again.

George Washington's Sacred Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:23:00 +0000

"The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people."

George Washington
First Inaugural Address
April 30, 1789

Time for Collective Bargaining Reform

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Many politicos in Connecticut are convinced Governor Malloy owes his Election Day victory to the unions. The mobilization of ground troops in the closing weeks of the campaign was monumental, even breathtaking. Residents in the big cities answered their doorbell on Election Day to respond to a union member's offer for a ride to the polls. Credit where credit is due – the unions outmaneuvered Tom Foley.

Governor Malloy clearly paid back the unions with his budget proposal. Leave a hole in the budget to fill with union givebacks and $180 million in cost savings from an “employee suggestion box.” Rattle the saber to appease the taxpayers by threatening layoffs if the unions don’t pass concessions then negotiate a sweet deal guaranteeing no layoffs. Private sector unions have never had management on their side like Malloy was for the state employee unions in 2011.

Suddenly Malloy was the poster boy for Democrats – negotiating union deals, raising taxes and RAISING spending. People started whispering Dan wants to be president!

Fast-forward to last week. The Malloy dirigible crashed to the ground. The helium leaked out and the hot air could not keep the ship of state afloat.

Now the state budget is a shambles. The Governor says 5,500 state employees will get pink slips. Connecticut economists suggest the multiplier effect of Malloy’s layoffs could mean a double-dip recession and as many as 16,000 newly unemployed.

The time is now to pull in the reins on the state employee unions in Connecticut. They elected our governor, were handed an early Christmas present and demanded more. Now, 15% of their membership will be kicked out of their jobs because last-in-first-out rules protect the majority.

SEBAC is a disaster for Connecticut. The organization is not effectively protecting their membership. Their rules are unworkable as we see by the failure of the concession agreement when nearly 60% of union membership voted to approve them.

Chris Powell of the Journal-Inquirer stated in his editorial, “With its extravagant laws for collective bargaining for public employees, Connecticut has put itself under minority rule in the extreme. First the sovereign people have to get the permission of their employees just to operate a government. And then that government's operations are largely determined by a minority of those employees.”

The time is now to reform collective bargaining for public employees in Connecticut. The taxpayers of Connecticut cannot sustain the current system.

CT Dems Manhandle Gov't Watchdogs

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:03:00 +0000

Today I raised questions about a Malloy administration proposal that consolidates nine state watchdog agencies under one umbrella.

The bill, debated in the Senate today for over six hours, consolidates the Office of State Ethics, State Elections Enforcement Commission, Freedom of Information Commission, Judicial Review Council, Judicial Selection Commission, Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, Office of the Child Advocate, Office of the Victim Advocate, and the State Contracting Standards Board.

This proposal undermines the watchdogs' independence.

The independence of these watchdog agencies has worked well for many years. Politics does not come into play in the operation of the agencies. Their decisions are independent ones. This bill violates that independence and it will call into question whether the watchdogs' decisions are based on politics or not. These watchdog agencies have restored the public's confidence and faith in government.

Taxpayers should be confident in these agencies. Once in a while, you get a bad apple politician who breaks the public trust. These agencies - because they are separate and independent from politics - restore that trust. This is about the integrity of what we do in government. The bill represents a good attempt to make government more efficient, but I have concluded that the big three watchdog agencies - Office of State Ethics, State Elections Enforcement Commission, Freedom of Information Commission - must be separate.

The current firewall between the agencies would also be torn down by Governor Malloy’s proposal. The potential conflict of legal matters could find one state watchdog agency suing the other. I'm concerned that the legal staffs of these agencies, for instance, should not be sharing legal responsibilities across agency boundaries. I don't think those firewalls were considered in the crafting of this bill.

I also have grave concerns over how confidentiality would be protected under the new agency consolidations.

There are many unanswered questions. For example, how will conflicts between these agencies be resolved? What are the rules? Who is in charge? Who will we be sure that hearings are fair? The bottom line is this: there are certain parts of state government which need crystal clear definitions - Ethics, Elections and Freedom of Information must remain beyond reproach. This law would take us in the wrong direction.

CT Democrats Expanding Government!

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Connecticut Democrats keep marching down the road to larger, more expensive government. Today, the State Senate debated a bill to create a new state insurance exchange. Many questions remain unanswered after nearly three hours of debate.

Senate Bill 921 creates a new “quasi-government” organization that is granted power to “charge assessments or user fees to health carriers to generate necessary funding to support ongoing operations.” The bill also allows the new organization to borrow money. The major problem with this plan is there are no clear boundaries for this new government agency’s spending and borrowing.

The new assessments or user fees proposed in this bill are paid by “health carriers” but that translates into Connecticut residents paying the cost of this new government agency. The Democrats at the State Capitol claim this proposal is required under ObamaCare. Unfortunately, the final rules from Washington are not in place and Connecticut Democrats are jumping forward to expand state government.

A lengthy debate in the Senate made it perfectly clear this plan is premature and is perhaps misguided. ObamaCare mandates states to spend millions of dollars on the expansion of new government bureaucracies – translation – more costs to state residents mandated by ObamaCare.

Can someone please tell Governor Malloy and the Democrats in the state legislature to stop spending money? PLEASE!

Connecticut Democrats Want Early Release for Violent Felons

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Today in the Connecticut State Senate is painful to watch. The majority Democrats and Governor Malloy are approving a new program of early release for prisoners. The most alarming part about the program is the list of violent criminals that will qualify for this misguided idea.

Here are the crimes that qualify for the Democrats early release program:

Manslaughter
Assault
Threatening
Strangulation
Sexual assault
Promoting prostitution
Kidnapping
Burglary
Arson
Robbery
Stalking
Trafficking in persons
Employing a minor in an obscene performance
Promoting a minor in an obscene performance
Importing child pornography
Possessing child pornography
Criminal violation of a protective order
Criminal violation of a standing criminal protective order
Criminal violation of a restraining order
Act of terrorism
Contaminating a public water supply or food supply for terrorist purposes
Damage to public transportation property for terrorist purposes
Abuse in the first degree
Injury or risk of injury to, or impairing morals of, children. Sale of children.
Abandonment of child under the age of six years
Manufacture of bombs
Firearms trafficking

I am voting no and I urge you to call Governor Malloy at (860) 566-4840 and tell him to stop this bad idea with his veto of HB6650!

Legislature Resurrects Old Failed Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Connecticut’s legislature has far too much time until Midnight on June 8th to continue killing jobs in our state. That is when the Connecticut General Assembly adjourns the session for 2011.

Now that the bogus budget was passed with no Republican votes and plenty of smoke and mirrors the Democratic majority legislative leadership has turned their sights on every idea that has failed in the last several years.

Let me share with you some of the legislative ideas burning the midnight oil at the State Capitol in Hartford:

Transgender Rights
Decriminalization of Marijuana
Mandate Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave – requested by the unions
Captive Audience Meetings – requested by the unions
Repeal of the Death Penalty
Provide In-State (discounted) Tuition for Illegal Aliens

Dozens of other pending bills will mandate businesses in Connecticut must spend more money to comply with new state laws. That translates into fewer new jobs created.

Dozens of pending bills mandate local government to provide new programs and services without providing state funding. That translates into higher local property taxes.

The faster the closing bell rings at the State Capitol the better. Somebody bolt the Capitol doors shut until next year so the Democratic majority leadership and the Governor can’t call the legislature into special session and create more wreckage for Connecticut.

Connecticut Democrats Ignore Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:30:00 +0000

How ironic that today is Tax Freedom Day® in Connecticut. Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. Connecticut is the last state to reach Tax Freedom Day this year!

The real irony is the Connecticut State Senate is scheduled to vote today on the largest tax increase in state history. Tax Freedom Day for Connecticut residents next year will come even later in the calendar after this massive tax increase is considered.

Governor Malloy and the Democratic majority leadership in the Connecticut General Assembly are completely disconnected from the reality of our struggling residents and businesses. Everyone outside of government cut spending in their budgets to match their decreased earnings. Connecticut Democrats refuse to make the difficult decisions to reform our state government and cut spending.

Who would’ve guessed Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey would ever be more competitive than Connecticut? I hope Nutmeggers will wake up and demand change!

The No Tax Increase Budget Alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:52:00 +0000

I joined Republican legislators this afternoon at the State Capitol to introduce a no-tax-increase budget alternative. Governor Malloy’s budget proposal includes a $1.9 billion tax increase – the largest tax increase ever proposed in Connecticut.

The Republican Alternative Budget significantly reduces the size and cost of government while protecting the social safety net and preserving state aid to municipalities. The proposal reduces the state government workforce by five percent – focusing on management positions for elimination.

Republicans are providing the tough medicine Connecticut needs to emerge from this fiscal crisis. State government is broke because our government leaders have a spending addiction. The Republican plan significantly reduces government spending by eliminating government waste and redundancy. We balance the budget by not raising taxes. This is a common sense solution which paves the way for economic recovery and will help make living and working in Connecticut affordable again.

Details of the Republican Alternative Budget available here

Governor Malloy's Train Wreck?

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Governor Malloy’s assistant, Roy Occhiogrosso, released an alternative budget proposal from the Governor’s office yesterday. The Associated Press reported “Connecticut cities and towns would lose one-third of their state aid under a contingency plan Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has requested in case there is no agreement on $1 billion in union savings and concessions to help balance his budget.”

This proposal represents a 36% cut in municipal aid from the state. Danbury would lose $10.4 million in the alternative budget proposal.

This proposal is a train wreck. All Governor Malloy is doing is proposing local municipalities lay-off teachers, police and firefighters. This is pitting state government employee unions against local government employee unions.

Governor Malloy is playing politics at its worst – threatening local governments that currently run far more efficiently than Connecticut’s state government – when he has proposed no significant state government efficiency reforms or reorganization.

State government employees have a zero unemployment rate. Governor Malloy is protecting state employees at all costs while local governments struggle to balance their budgets.

Governor Malloy’s alternative budget proposal is simply passing state government’s bloated inefficiency on to local property tax payers.

I look forward to presenting the Republican’s alternative budget proposal in the next several days that recognizes the urgency of Connecticut state government reorganization.

Happy Tax-Freedom Day! EXCEPT Connecticut

noreply@blogger.com (Senator Michael McLachlan) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Today, April 12 is the nation's Tax Freedom Day®! Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. This year it was 102 days.

Unfortunately, in Connecticut, Tax Freedom Day® does not arrive until May 2 - the latest in the United States of America. Yes, Connecticut is the most expensive place to live if you pay taxes.

The amazing part about Connecticut being number one Tax Freedom Day® is that "prize" is BEFORE we calculate Governor Malloy's proposed tax increases of $1,500,000,000. I guess next year we will wait until July for Tax Freedom Day® next year.....