Senators Critical Of Planned Hearings On ‘Sooty Six’

Senator John McKinney, ranking member of the General Assembly’s Environmental Committee, and Senate Republican Leader Louis C. DeLuca, this week expressed disappointment with Environment Committee Senate Chairman Donald Williams for scheduling a public hearing regarding so-called “Sooty Six” legislation, without prior notification given to any Republican members of the committee. This action comes on the heels of Governor John Rowland’s veto of the legislation, a decision Senator Williams has repeatedly criticized in print, radio and television.

“I am disappointed Senator Williams would think so little of our working relationship that he’d go ahead and schedule this hearing without even token consultation with his Senate Republican counterpart,” said Senator McKinney.

“I would think as ranking member of the committee, that I’d have been entitled to some courtesy beyond a last minute group email sent off to our staff people,” Sen McKinney continued. “This politically unilateral gesture is not in keeping with the generally bipartisan and cooperative Environment Committee, and as a member of the committee who has always tried to operate with respect and on good faith, it is personally disappointing.”

“This is at best a slap in the face, and at worst a case of a blatant underhanded political ploy,” said Senator DeLuca. “It has always been the tradition of our legislature that no matter how divisive the issue, we still treat each other during the legislative process with all the respect afforded an elected official. If our ranking members are going to be treated as an afterthought by the Democrats, then this spells trouble for the future or our bipartisan cooperative spirit.”

Senator McKinney also questioned the rationale behind Senator Williams conducting a “public” hearing that is open only to speakers invited by Democrat committee leadership. Senator McKinney noted that for a meeting pertaining at least nominally to the wide variety of conflicting concerns relating to the “Sooty-Six” legislation, Sen Williams failed to invite several of the key figures in the state’s clean air and energy policy, including Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) chairman Donald Downes, representatives from the region’s Federal EPA office, and Carmine Debattista, Chief Bureau Air Quality from the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Senator Williams’ refusal to invite these indispensable players undermines the credibility of this hearing, and calls into question the motives behind scheduling it in such a clandestine fashion,” said Senator McKinney. “If we’re going to have a hearing then we should invite all of the necessary experts and actually try to do some good for the people of the state.

“Instead, we’re apparently going to be dragged along in a political ruse to embarrass Governor Rowland,” he continued. “This is very disappointing, because as a supporter of the ‘Sooty-Six’ cleanup, I think this kind of political gamesmanship will detract from the cooperative effort we need to muster in wake of the veto, so we might find a working balance between the state’s energy needs and the desire for cleaner air.”