Rep. O’Dea Appointed Deputy House Republican Leader

NEW CANAAN – State Representative Tom O’Dea (R-125), who currently serves as a Deputy House Republican Leader-at-Large, has been named a Deputy House Republican Leader by incoming House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora. In addition to Rep. O’Dea, State Representatives Rosa Rebimbas, Jason Perillo, Lezlye Zupkus, and Laura Devlin have also been selected to join the House Republican leadership team as deputy leaders.

“Tom has served alongside me in a leadership role for a few years now and I trust his judgement,” said House Republican Leader-Elect Vincent Candelora. “As an accomplished litigator, his knowledge of the law and his ability to provide additional guidance in the middle of floor debate is very helpful to the caucus. But Tom’s superpower is his humility and sense of humor. He continues to be an integral part of the leadership of the caucus.”

“I am honored to serve on the House Republican leadership team and I thank Rep. Candelora for his trust and confidence,” said Rep. O’Dea. “We need to be prepared to hit the ground running come January and that work begins now. Our caucus has already outlined proposals for much needed tax relief to assist small businesses and nonprofits. Unemployment remains high and employers are closing shop left and right. We need to help them, and we cannot wait any longer. House Republicans have proposed viable solutions, and they deserve serious consideration by our Democratic colleagues. I believe our caucus is well-positioned to make a difference next session, and I look forward to what we can accomplish on behalf of our constituents, and the entire state of Connecticut.”

Yesterday, Rep. O’Dea joined Rep. Candelora and other House Republican members outside the Capitol for a press conference to discuss their proposals to assist small businesses and nonprofits during the pandemic. There proposals called for (1) a temporary suspension of the new payroll tax scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2021, (2) using federal COVID-19 relief funds to shore up the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in order to avoid an increase in unemployment taxes, and (3) a deadline extension from January 1, 2021 to April 1, 2021 for the second round of business property taxes. House Republicans believe these measures will provide some much needed tax relief to businesses and nonprofits that are experiencing financial hardships as a direct result of the pandemic.

Rep. O’Dea will serve on the Judiciary, Transportation, Environment, and Legislative Management Committees in the upcoming legislative session, which is scheduled to convene on January 6, 2021 and adjourn on June 9, 2021.