Callahan, Republicans Call for Investigation into Lamont’s Handling of School Construction Projects
Hartford – Republicans announced earlier this week that they are requesting a special investigation into the state’s school construction bidding processes. According to State Representative Pat Callahan (R-New Fairfield), this an issue that the legislature must address swiftly to restore the public’s confidence in state government.
“Allegations of bullying, cronyism, and awarding no-bid contracts are all issues attributed to the fact that the legislature has been on unequal footing from the executive branch since the onset of the pandemic. All Connecticut residents should be disturbed knowing that there is little transparency on how their money is spent on massive construction projects,” explained Callahan.
Majority party leaders gave the governor unprecedented ruling power over the last 24 months, setting the status quo for state-wide policies to circumvent the legislature and be set through executive orders and private deal making. Callahan points to a Memorandum of Understanding that transferred decision-making capabilities from the Dept. of Administration Services to the Office of Policy and Management – the governor’s budget team – regarding school construction projects.
“It’s safe to say that most people are unaware of how our state awards construction contracts. It takes a lot of resources to update school buildings and facilities, which is a good reason for us to have well established bidding procedures, contingent upon public and legislative review, before contracts are finalized. Unfortunately, it is unclear what criteria is being considered to award these contracts. As a result, it’s a tough sell to claim that there’s nothing nefarious going on with the administration’s handling of the contracts,” Callahan said. “What else is going on that we don’t know about?”
Callahan and his colleagues identified other times that the legislature has invoked its right to investigate ethical matters. Since there is a precedent, Callahan believes a committee should be established and required to report its findings to the legislature.
“We are experiencing the dark side of unilateral rule. My voting record reflects that I have been in full support of restoring all three branches of government, reinstating the public’s voice to the decision-making table. We owe it to our residents and business owners to identify any corruption and eliminate it. We must investigate,” concluded Callahan.
The legislature is expected to convene for a session day on Wednesday, March 2nd. Callahan is hopeful a nonpartisan resolution will be discussed on the House Floor to kickstart the investigative process.
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