Rell, intent on breaking the world record for vetoes and dumbass moves as Governor before she leaves office this year (can that day come soon enough? I say no), vetoed yet another important criminal justice bill yesterday. The bill, which would have created a sentencing commission to evaluate the state’s statutes and sentencing practices and analyze them for disparity – including those of the racial kind – apparently carried a very hefty price tag, which is what prompted her veto.

The gargantuan sum of $130,000 a year easily dwarfed the $150,000 price tag for each of the 9 new judges that she nominated, that the State didn’t need, but were eventually confirmed.

“While I appreciate the need for review of our sentencing statutes and practices, given our State’s ongoing economic challenges, this is simply the wrong time to create yet another state entity,” Rell said. “I have spent much of the last year examining our state budget to find ways to save money so that we would not have to increase the burden borne by our already struggling taxpayers. Some of the cuts we have made were painful; none were easy.”

She said. I rolled my eyes.

She seems to think that the judiciary committee of our part-time legislature can effectively perform the same tasks that this commission would have been charged with. What did that very same committee have to say about it?

Sen. Andrew J, McDonald, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, disagreed strongly though, arguing his panel has neither the staff nor the othe resources needed to conduct this research.

McDonald added the legislation not only enjoyed broad, bipartisan support in the legislature but had “universal backing” from the chief state’s attorney’s office, criminal defense lawyers and criminal justice advocates. “This legislation held the prospect of creating a more coherent and sustainable system for implementing fair and proportional sentences,” he added. “We held a public hearing and nobody testified against it. And up until this veto, we’ve had no input from the governor’s office.”

The legislature is tentatively scheduled to meet in special session on June 21, and could attempt to override the governor’s veto later this month. That would require a two-thirds’ vote in both chambers. McDonald said he believes a veto override attempt would be appropriate, but he hasn’t discussed that option yet with legislative leadership.

Right. So once again, her thinly veiled politicking and Alice in Wonderland reasoning take precedence over, you know, the rights of the citizens of Connecticut and the welfare of the State.

Is it November yet?

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