Hennessy: Good Government Bill “Dead” Without More Local Support–State Legislative Wimps Duck Reform–Grogins Still Hopeful For Passage

Update, Includes Petition: State Rep. Jack Hennessy’s legislative bill that would bar city employees from serving on the City Council doesn’t have a pulse without additional support from members of the city’s legislative delegation. “It’s dead. Without Bpt delegation support, the bill is dead,” declared Hennessy’s message in an email to OIB Saturday morning. But the bill’s co-sponsor Bridgeport State Rep. Auden Grogins alerts she believes the bill still has life. The bill is designed to eliminate conflicts of interest such as City Council members on the public payroll approving their own salary and wages. The Bridgeport City Charter bans city employees from sitting on the City Council, but city legal counsel has rationalized a loophole in state law allows it.

AN ACT PROHIBITING MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES FROM SERVING ON CERTAIN MUNICIPAL LEGISLATIVE BODIES.

To prohibit municipal employees from serving on any governmental body charged with preparing the municipal budget except when authorized by charter or home rule ordinance.

The bill had some momentum when it was voted out of the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee, but Hennessy says it faces oblivion without additional backing from the city’s eight-member legislative delegation because it’s too easy for some legislators on the fence to oppose it in light of heavy lobbying against the bill by city and state unions. The City Council approves collective bargaining agreements. Many Democrats in the legislature don’t want to buck union members whose support they rely on at election time. A majority of legislative Republicans support the bill including State Senator John McKinney, a potential 2014 gubernatorial candidate. The bill, if passed, would not prohibit Board of Education employees from serving on the council, only those city employees on the city side payroll.

Several members of the city’s legislative delegation won’t admit it publicly but they fear alienating the five city employees on the City Council the bill would bar from the city’s legislative body. State Senator Andres Ayala and State Rep. Ezequiel Santiago, a city employee, are publicly against the bill. Other members of the city’s legislative delegation such as State Senator Anthony Musto, and members of the State House Christina Ayala, Don Clemons and Charlie Stallworth have largely sidestepped the bill.

City Council members Tom McCarthy, Rich Paoletto, Richard Bonney, James Holloway and Warren Blunt are on the public payroll.

Musto, in particular, has placed himself at odds with his Bridgeport constituency from Black Rock, Brooklawn and the North End that has lobbied the bill’s passage. Musto represents all of Trumbull and portions of Bridgeport and Monroe. But the Bridgeport portion of his district represents the highest turnout areas of the city with the 2014 election shaping up as a challenging year for some Democratic incumbents. Musto fears alienating the Democratic Party establishment, in particular City Council President Tom McCarthy who insists city employees serving on the council poses no inherent conflict. If Musto loses some of his base city support over this wimp-factor issue he’ll have a battle in 2014 from a Republican challenger.

Grogins, for one, has not given up on the bill. She says the bill is still in play with potential legislative action upcoming next week. Track the bill here.

A Petition in support of the bill is here.