What started out as the “Joe Ganim bill” and then went through a series of revisions proposing to bar some felons from running for public office could be doomed for this session of the General Assembly. Bogged down in acrimony, the Judiciary Committee failed to act on more than 40 bills before a Monday deadline including an act restricting persons running for public office who have violated the public trust.
Supporters of the legislation say the bill could find life as an amendment to an existing piece of legislation. The bill would not have prevented former Mayor Ganim from running for public office. To satisfy arguments for redemption, there was also legislative discussion to set a ban for 10 years. Draft language from the proposed bill:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2016) No public official, as defined in section 1-110 of the general statutes, who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere in state criminal or federal criminal court to any (1) crime related to a state or municipal office, as defined in section 1-110 of the general statutes, or (2) substantially similar federal crime related to a federal office, shall be a candidate for public office, as defined in section 1-79 of the general statutes.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2016) No individual who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere in state criminal or federal criminal court to any felony offense committed as a candidate for nomination for election or election to any municipal, state or federal office under title 9 of the general statutes, or any other felony offense related to such candidate’s campaign, shall be a candidate for public office, as defined in section 1-79 of the general statutes.
The Judiciary Committee conducted a public hearing on the bill with a number of Bridgeport area business community members urging its passage.
Ganim, who has formed an exploratory committee, is seeking to regain the seat he vacated in April 2003 following his conviction on federal corruption charges. He has a fundraiser scheduled next week, a big test for campaign dough viability. School board member Howard Gardner and perennial candidate Charlie Coviello are also in the race.
Mayor Bill Finch’s 2011 Democratic primary opponent Mary-Jane Foster is also expected to jump in soon.
Malloy Offers Broad Plan To Offer ‘Second Chance’ To Nonviolent Offenders
“We cannot perpetually be a punitive society,” Malloy told an audience of students, professors and political allies. “We have to do better than that. We have to become a second-chance society where we don’t permanently punish nonviolent offenders, swelling our prisons and creating lifetime criminals out of people who made a mistake.”
So was Governor Malloy thinking of his son or Joe Ganim when he made this statement?
Let’s see if he vetoes this bill!
Amendment XIV
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Since inception, this has been an anti-Finch blog but now it’s becoming a pro-Ganim blog, too. I wonder if our fearless leader is trying to boost his blog, create mystery/intrigue or does he want to reunite the duo for another stab at the political big time in Bridgeport. Who could replace Lennie? I dunno.
Bonus: www .aspetuckbrewlab.com
LE, there will be no uniting of the duo. That ended 15 years ago, but I feel an obligation to my reader peeps to share what’s going on politically in this swirling election cycle.
Lennie, sorry about your mom, a very sweet lady.
Where are the pro-Bill Finch blogs?
Where are the civic-minded former firemen? After 30 years of obedience and compliance, RM has pension power, which means he can badmouth his former boss.
I would hope the sponsors of the legislation to ban city employees from the city council tack that piece of legislation onto whatever bill is going to be amended for this one.
Then the fun can begin.
Does anyone know where there are pro-Bill Finch blogs?
The current Mayor of Bridgeport is always your former boss. When you know more about the BFD than I do, use these pages to show your superiority.
Did somebody try to say nothing?
Ron Mackey, I thought someone was trying to say something, but I was wrong.
Donald Day: being wrong is something you’re good at.
I believe the pro-Finch bloggers are the BRBC, the DiNardo family, Manny and a few other chosen ones.
Here is the pro-Finch blog, but you cannot comment. Paid with City taxes, not advertising.
www .bridgeportbettereveryday.com/
Tom White, thanks, that’s great, I didn’t know Mayor Finch was doing so many wonderful things for Bridgeport and Bridgeport is getting better as soon as he gets the hell out of office, what a liar and a fake.