The General Assembly started its 2009 session today. It was a big day for Meriden's Chris Donovan, and many Meriden residents went to Hartford to see him get sworn in as speaker of the House.
Gwen Samuel was one of those Meriden residents, and she used her time at the Capitol wisely. Knowing that Connecticut is facing budget deficits for this fiscal year and the two that follow, Samuel felt the need to share her concerns on a variety of issues, particularly education issues, with lawmakers.
"I'm roaming the rooms," she said.
As for Donovan, he was forced to wait in his office while his House colleagues were sworn in. His colleagues then had to nominate him for speaker. Former House Speaker James A. Amann, D-Milford, accidentally mispronounced Donovan's name during the process.
Donovan has not gotten around to decorating his new Capitol office yet, but he did say that he cleaned before holding a Democratic caucus breakfast there.
The Meriden Maloney High School Allegrettos were scheduled to sing the national anthem on opening day, but they couldn't come because of bad weather.
A rocker at heart, Donovan wore a red, white and blue guitar pin adhered to his suit jacket. Donovan plays guitar in the band, "The Bad Reps."
Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, may have approved of Donovan's nomination as speaker, but he warned that the two will be battling it out this weekend when the N.Y. Giants play the Philidelphia Eagles. Being from Pennsylvania, Donovan is an Eagles fan.
"This Sunday, we're going to have a show down," Cafero said.
Keep reading this blog regularly for more legislative session details that don't make it into the Record-Journal's print newspaper!
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