Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information
Serving Connecticut for 60 years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
jhsmithy@comcast.net, 203-915-9428
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, waiting until after his re-election, has signed the FOI Pledge for open government. He follows State Comptroller Kevin Lembo and a handful of legislative leaders that believe, in the words of the pledge, “a successful democracy requires open, transparent, and accountable government.”
Malloy did not announce his decision, but his spokesman Andrew Doba said Nov. 19 that he had signed it, in response to a question from the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information, the non-profit group that proffered the pledge to all candidates for state office.
“We are pleased Gov. Malloy has put the power of his office behind the basic tenets of freedom of information,” said CCFOI President James H. Smith.
The two-part pledge includes supporting the independence of the state Freedom of Information Commission “and oppose weakening it;” and promising to do “whatever I can to require . . . debate at public hearings” before any action is taken to “weaken or impair the state FOI Act.”
The CCFOI pledge closely reflects the state Constitution (Article 3, Section 16), which requires that “Debates of each (legislative) house shall be public, except on such occasions as in the opinion of the house may require secrecy.”
Among other signers are state Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore Joan Hartley, D- Waterbury, Deputy House Speakers Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury and Peggy Sayers, D – Windsor Locks; and Assistant Deputy Speaker Mary Fritz, D- Wallingford.
“The good news for open government is that these leaders are leading the way, the bad news is that far too many in the state legislature and the Constitutional offices, declined to sign,” said Smith. “But if you want to hold government accountable, this is a decent beginning,” he said. A total of 38 candidates for office signed the pledge before the election.
Click here for a spreadsheet of officials who signed the FOI pledge:
CCFOI has been advocating for open government since 1955 and was instrumental in helping Gov. Ella T. Grasso and a unanimous legislature pass the state FOI laws in 1975.
Election winners who signed the FOI Pledge:
Constitutional officers
Gov. Dan Malloy
Comptroller Kevin Lembo
State Senate
Joan Hartley, D-15th
State House
David Barum, D – 15th
Samuel P. Belsito, R- 53rd
Mary Fritz, D-90th
Bob Godfrey, D- 110th
Mary Muschiinsky, D – 85th
Jason Rojas, D- 9th
Rob Sampson, R – 80th
Peggy Sayers, D-60th
Bill Simanski, R- 62nd
David Zoni, D-81st