HARTFORD  — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and state Rep. Craig Fishbein, House Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement today in response to a Judicial Branch decision to implement new procedures providing police more access to juvenile arrest record information:

“These welcomed policy and procedure changes implemented by the Judicial Branch are a direct result of the outcry and advocacy from scores of Connecticut residents who are fed up with our state’s…

Read More

HARTFORD — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly on Thursday issued the following statement regarding Gov. Lamont’s planned executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccination for most state employees as well as K-12 teachers and staff:

“We fear the governor may have opened a can of worms by issuing this executive order that will surely trigger many immediately unanswerable questions from workers and entities impacted by it—from how much it will cost employees…

Read More

HARTFORD—The continuing flow of alarming crimes committed by teenagers, from shots fired at property owners to stealing vehicles with children inside, prompted House Republican leaders, flanked by caucus members Tuesday, to unveil proposed statutory and policy changes aimed at curbing a crisis that has residents throughout Connecticut clamoring for reforms to the state’s juvenile justice system.

“People throughout this state are frustrated if not frightened, and we believe we’ve reached a point in…

Read More

HARTFORD — House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora on Thursday announced that he has appointed state Rep. Greg Howard of Stonington as the leading House Republican on the General Assembly’s Public Safety and Security Committee.

In his new role as Ranking Member of the committee, Howard will spearhead policy initiatives on behalf of the 54-member House Republican Caucus.

“Representative Howard’s real-world experience as a public safety professional combined with his deep commitment to on-the-ground…

Read More

HARTFORD — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora on Wednesday announced that he has appointed state Rep. Robin Green to a leadership position within the caucus, naming her an Assistant Republican Leader.

“Robin has distinguished herself within our caucus as someone who is capable of bringing people together, and that’s a critical skill when it comes to building consensus on increasingly complex issues under consideration in the legislature,” Candelora said. “I’m looking forward to see what Robin…

Read More

HARTFORD — House Republicans on Wednesday kickstarted the call for immediate legislative action on the juvenile crime crisis that has gripped communities throughout the state, officially launching a petition effort to bring all state lawmakers into session to implement reforms.

“This crisis has gone too long without meaningful intervention from the legislature, generating not just more citizen concern but dire outcomes for defenseless victims,” said House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, who…

Read More

HARTFORD — House Republicans on Wednesday called for immediate action on the juvenile crime crisis affecting communities throughout Connecticut, with caucus leadership requesting a special legislative session to implement long-overdue solutions.

“To say that this issue has reached a boiling point would be a gross understatement. As residents have begun their own policing to protect their property and lives, and now with a loss of a life in New Britain, it should be clearer than ever to Democrats…

Read More

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora on Monday released the following statement regarding Attorney General Tong’s formal opinion regarding the proposed Connecticut Equity Investment Fund, an element of H.B. 6443 that was advanced by the Finance Committee in April.

“From the moment it was pitched it was abundantly clear to House Republicans that the Connecticut Equitable Investment Fund was a concept that deserved intense scrutiny, and it’s a no surprise that Attorney General Tong shares our…

Read More

HARTFORD—House Republicans on Wednesday again questioned the logic of installing another mandate on businesses, particularly one that would affect the state’s struggling hospitality industry, and they’ve asked the state’s Department of Labor for specifics on how it interprets the scope of the “Fair Work Week Schedule” legislation from Democrats.

“The enormity of challenges faced by businesses over the last year should have caused the majority party to soften its infamous anti-employer posture, but…

Read More

HARTFORD – During Thursday’s House session a new bill,  HB 6107, was passed. It was amended to incorporate other concepts that had come forth in the Planning and Development Committee, including sweeping changes from the original HB 6611 and SB 1024. Following the vote, Planning and Development Committee Ranking Members Senator Tony Hwang (R-28) and Representative Joe Zullo (R-99) offer the following statements:

“Issue advocacy groups made a strong push this year to implement a top-down, one-size-fits-all…

Read More