GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
May 22, 2006
BILL NOTIFICATION
RELEASE No. 10
For Immediate Release
Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed the following legislation of the 2006 Session on the date indicated after the title of the bill:
S.A. 06-03
Senate Bill 617 AN ACT CONCERNING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING REGARDING THE PENSIONS OF ASSISTANT STATE’S ATTORNEYS, DEPUTY ASSISTANT STATE’S ATTORNEYS AND JUVENILE PROSECUTORS
This Act passed and shall take effect July 1, 2006. The Governor vetoed the bill on May 19, 2006.
Governor M. Jodi Rell signed the following legislation of the 2006 Session on the date indicated after the title of the bill:
P.A. 06-61
s.S.B. 287 AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE DRY CLEANING REMEDIATION ACCOUNT PROVISIONS
This Act passed as amended by Senate Amendment Schedule B and shall take effect upon passage, which is the day the Governor signed the bill. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-62
s.S.B. 314 AN ACT EXTENDING FEDERAL PROTECTIONS TO STATE SERVICE MEMBERS
This Act passed and shall take effect October 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-63
s.S.B. 373 AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTHY FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN SCHOOLS
This Act passed as amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A and shall take effect July 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-64
S.B. 386 AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE ACCESS STATUTES
This Act passed as amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A and shall take effect July 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-65
s.S.B. 391 AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF HOME HEATING OIL AND PROPANE FUEL
This Act passed as amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A and shall take effect October 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-66
s.S.B. 496 AN ACT CONCERNING ITEM PRICING OF CONSUMER COMMODITIES
This Act passed and shall take effect October 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-67
s.S.B. 501 AN CONCERNING FARM WINERIES
This Act passed and shall take effect upon passage, which is the day the Governor signed the bill. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-68
s.S.B. 547 AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT AND THE CONNECTICUT REVISED NONSTOCK CORPORATION ACT
This Act passed and shall take effect October 1, 2006. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
P.A. 06-69
S.B. 550 AN ACT CONCERNING ADEQUATE NOTICE IN DRAM SHOP ACTIONS
This Act passed and shall take effect October 1, 2006 and applicable to causes of action arising on or after said date. The Governor signed the bill on May 19, 2006.
Distributed by:
Office of the Legal Counsel
As of this date, the Governor has signed seventy-two (72) and vetoed two (2) bills of the 2006 Legislative Session.
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Veto Message attached below:
May 19, 2006
The Honorable Susan Bysiewicz
Secretary of the State
30 Trinity Street
Hartford, CT 06115-0470
Dear Madam Secretary:
I am hereby returning without my signature Senate Bill 617, An Act Concerning Collective Bargaining Regarding The Pensions Of Assistant State’s Attorneys, Deputy Assistant State’s Attorneys and Juvenile Prosecutors. The Bill allows the employee organization representing assistant state's attorneys, deputy assistant state's attorneys and juvenile prosecutors employed by the Division of Criminal Justice to bargain collectively concerning the issue of pensions.
The Bill represents a very poor precedent and has the potential of significantly increasing the cost of pensions to the State. It would be extraordinary to allow individual employees within a branch of government or within specific agencies to negotiate on their own behalf, apart from all other state employees. Judicial and Legislative Branch employees are governed by the same rules as Executive Branch employees and there is no compelling reason for employees of the Division of Criminal Justice to be treated differently. Further, no entity, other than a central agency, should negotiate state employee benefits on behalf of the State.
Specifically, the bill provides that the Division of Criminal Justice would negotiate on behalf of the State pension provisions for the individuals covered by the Bill. The Division of Criminal Justice has no expertise in the area of pension negotiations and does not have the budgetary resources for actuarial or consulting services to procure such expertise. In the event agreements acceptable to the parties could not be reached, nothing in the Bill would prohibit issues on which there is continuing disagreement from going before an arbitrator. Under the Bill, the Division would handle that as well.
An arbitrator could award a special benefit to a group represented by the Division, including higher pensions, hazardous duty retirement, etc. If superior benefits were awarded through either negotiations and/or arbitration, those benefits could then, potentially, be extended to additional groups of state employees legislatively or through negotiations and/or arbitration.
The State of Connecticut’s pension plan has an unfunded liability currently estimated at least $1 billion. It is impossible to determine how much the unfunded liability would increase as a result of negotiations under this Bill.
Further, it is not possible to determine at this time what benefits the Division would grant through negotiations and/or arbitration. The additional annual cost of such benefits would have to be paid through the budget. It is possible such benefits could cost the State millions of dollars which are not currently contemplated by the State budget.
For the reasons stated herein, I am returning without my signature Senate Bill 617, An Act Concerning Collective Bargaining Regarding The Pensions Of Assistant State’s Attorneys, Deputy Assistant State’s Attorneys and Juvenile Prosecutors. Pursuant to Article Four, Section 15 of the Constitution of the State of Connecticut and Article III of the Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, I am returning the bill without my signature.
Sincerely,
M. JODI RELL
Governor
