New London — The city on Wednesday offered to give fired firefighter Alfred Mayo his job back.

Citing "new information," Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said Wednesday evening that the city has offered Mayo back pay, payment of his attorney fees and "unconditional reinstatement."

In this April 24 file photo, Alfred Mayo reacts to a statement by State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, unseen, as Hewett holds a press conference at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford in response to the Public Safety Department's investigation and report on the evaluation process at the state fire academy in regards to the firing of Mayo as a recruit for the New London Fire Department. Tim Cook/The Day file photo

In December, Mayo was fired by the city and pulled from the state fire academy just days before he was to graduate.

Mayo said Wednesday that his attorney has received the offer from the city and that he will accept it once details are "ironed out" today.

"It's crazy. Of course I'm nervous and excited at the same time," Mayo said. "It still has yet to sink in. It's been so long that I haven't absorbed it all the way."

Since his firing, Mayo, the first black firefighter hired by the city since 1978, has alleged he was a victim of racial discrimination and has filed complaints to that effect with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities against New London and the Connecticut Fire Academy.

An investigation of the academy, released April 23, faults the training school for multiple procedural failures, inappropriate communications and possibly untrue allegations of recruit misconduct. Mayo was the only black recruit in last year's "Class 48."

The report's findings, said Finizio, paired with the resolution of an issue with Mayo's driving record, led to the offer.

"I have maintained throughout this process that the city of New London will not lower its standards for any applicant for public employment," Finizio said. "I am convinced at this point, based on the new information that the city has received, that Mr. Mayo meets the high qualifications and standards that we set, and I will be proud to welcome him into the city's fire service."

Finizio said the city relied heavily on information received from an instructor at the fire academy who repeatedly told Fire Chief Ronald Samul that Mayo had a bad attitude and was not performing well. Finizio said such correspondence about a recruit from an academy instructor is rare, which he said spoke to its seriousness.

Mayo emotionally has told his side of the story over the last few months at town hall meetings and at the state Capitol, where he told the legislature's Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of his experience at the academy.

Finizio attended an NAACP-sponsored town hall meeting in February at which Mayo spoke, as did other black fire firefighters who also reported ill-treatment at the fire academy. At that same meeting, state Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, called for an investigation into the academy. The next day, Finizio echoed that call, and on Wednesday he said he was "pleased that study was conducted."

"The remaining issue was Mr. Mayo's driving record," said the mayor, "but after consultation with our insurance attorney and the city law department, the recommendation was made to me that Mr. Mayo meets our qualifications regarding his driving record and therefore the offer for reinstatement was made."

While attending the academy last year, Mayo was cited for speeding. That case is scheduled to be heard in court May 10, and Mayo said Wednesday that regardless of what happens that day, his "license is not in jeopardy" of being suspended.

In March, the city was considering reinstating Mayo, but Finizio said at that time that he ended the negotiations after he consulted with the city's law department, city staff and an attorney for the city's insurance company.

The recent report into the academy was completed by the office of Reuben F. Bradford, the commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, which oversees the fire academy.

Bradford himself sent a letter to Finizio and Samul, writing that the negative evaluations of Mayo made to city officials were the opinions of one instructor at the academy and not "a conclusion of the fire academy or this agency."

By the time the city fired Mayo three days before graduation, he already had qualified as a certified level 1 and level 2 firefighter, having passed tests and quizzes with high marks.

"It is my belief that many of the communications were avoidable," Bradford wrote. "Mr. Mayo's academic performance indicates that he persevered in the face of considerable adversity, which would indicate the presence of positive intangibles in his character."

Finizio said he has "consulted with the fire chief and instructed him to prepare for Mr. Mayo's arrival" pending the return and finalization of the city's job offer.

Mayo said he's excited to get to work and isn't concerned that other firefighters will treat him differently because of his high-profile fight for his job.

"I'm not worried, only because I know I'm a hard worker and I do my best," he said. "My issue that I had wasn't against the New London firefighters, it had nothing to do with them. I know there's some really great guys there and I'm looking forward to working with them."

Among the many disputes bedeviling New London - political infighting following a change in its form of government; bad blood over the handling of plans to sell a portion of Riverside Park; recriminations from a shake-up in the police department; howls over skyrocketing taxes - few have aroused more passion or cast the city in less favorable light than the decision to fire a black firefighter recruit three days before he was to graduate from the state fire academy.

Angry protesters, accusing the city of racism, have been waving signs in front of television cameras at town hall type meetings in the city and at a press conference in the State Capitol. New London is being made to look like Little Rock in the 1950s.

A state investigation released this week determined that "best practices and proper procedures in accordance with rules and regulations were not followed" at the state fire academy in the case of Alfred Mayo, the first black firefighter to be hired by New London since 1978 and the only black recruit in his academy class.

"When you add race into the consideration, it becomes more than troublesome that the only black recruit was pulled from the academy," the report added.

It also documented apparent discrepancies in how recruits were treated at the academy, including how a white male in Mr. Mayo's class was caught cheating on a test but allowed to "walk with his class" at graduation and still hired by his hometown fire department.

Though the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection probe stopped short of ordering New London to rehire Mr. Mayo, it left no doubt that this would be the best course of action.

This newspaper agrees, and strongly urges Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio and Fire Chief Ronald Samul Sr. to offer Mr. Mayo his job back.

The investigation minimized or dismissed accusations that led to Mr. Mayo's discharge, including claims that he had been videotaped "giving the finger" to a camera while marching in formation and "continued observed undesirable behaviors." Investigators concluded it was wrong for Mayo to make the gesture - other recruits, jokingly, apparently did the same thing without being punished - but added there was no evidence of additional "undesirable behaviors."

The report also noted Mr. Mayo scored 90 percent on his certification exam grade but questioned why he was evaluated at below-average or poor about behavior and effort. It determined that Mr. Mayo received two deficiency reports for minor infractions while half of the class of 48 received more.

Throughout the long travail Mr. Mayo has been a passionate and persuasive advocate for his cause, emotionally testifying during press conferences, NAACP-sponsored meetings and before the state legislature's Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

We believe in his sincerity and are confident he would be an asset to the department.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, who called for the investigation, properly expressed outrage this week over the findings.

"This is not about Alfred Mayo. This is about your kid, this is my kid. We educate our children to do everything they want to do in life, and then they go and pursue that and somebody just crushes them."

An offer to rehire Mr. Mayo would be politically prudent and possibly spare the city expensive, extensive litigation - but most important, it would be the right thing to do.

When State Fire Training Academy property was found defaced, some recruits may have found it humorous to suggest that Al Mayo, the only black recruit, was responsible. But according to a state investigation, it may have helped create a perception that got him pulled from the class.

Hugh McQuaid Photo
Al Mayo, left, and Rep. Ernest Hewett, right

A recently-completed investigation into the dismissal of the New London firefighter by Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben Bradford’s office found that Mayo was pulled from the training academy by the department based on unlikely claims from a recruit coordinator.

Meanwhile, another recruit who was white was caught cheating on an exam but was allowed to retake the test and graduate.

Mayo was dismissed two days before he was expected to be hired as a full-time New London firefighter.

According to the investigation by Bradford’s chief of staff Steven Spellman, Mayo had a tough time at the school. He was the only recruit to have his boots filled with water on the first day. He was written up in an expedited manner for minor offenses like rolling his eyes and sighing heavily, Spellman said.

Mayo was blamed for engraving his class number in wet cement on the property with no evidence to suggest he did it. Spellman felt the claim was dubious.

“[Based on the water incident] it seems to this writer highly unlikely that he would have the pride in ‘class of 48’ that would lead him to wish to memorialize his class in cement. I don’t think he did it,” he wrote. “No one knows, and yet official communications went forth from this agency to his potential employer stating that it was highly probable that he did do it and then attacking his honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity for not confessing.”

Spellman said it was suggested during interviews that some of the recruits thought it was amusing to joke that the only black recruit must have been responsible for defacing public property.

“This in turn may have helped create an actual perception and atmosphere in which the finger of blame pointed at the only black recruit, Al Mayo,” he wrote.

The investigation that led to the report was set in motion at the request of New London Rep. Ernest Hewett.

At a Hartford press conference Tuesday, Hewett and Connecticut NAACP Scot X. Esdaile called on city officials to reinstate Mayo, who despite not graduating, competed all the necessary exams and maintained high marks.

Hewett said it was clear there was a problem at the academy. If every student had their boots filled with water on the first day it wouldn’t have been an issue, he said.

“But if the only boots that had water in them belonged to the only African American in a class of 48, that’s when it becomes a problem,” he said.

Hewett said the staff coordinator who repeatedly contacted the New London department about Mayo’s shortcomings, William DeFord, should resign. He was the same coordinator who caught the white recruit cheating on a test, Hewett said.

In the cheating case, DeFord defended the white recruit and the sponsoring fire chief decided to let him graduate with his class, he said.

“Mr. Mayo did not have that luxury. Instead he was ostracized with lies coming out of the academy and not once did the New London chief set foot in the academy to talk to his own recruit to hear his side of the story,” he said.

At an unrelated Tuesday press conference, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he read the letter about the investigation Bradford sent to the New London Mayor Daryl Finizio.

“What the letter appears to be saying is that the record doesn’t demonstrate that this individual should have been treated this way. That, on the record, he appears to be eligible for employment, and in all probability communications took place that shouldn’t have taken place,” he said.

In the letter, Bradford urges New London officials to revisit the decision not to hire Mayo.

“I realize it is not possible to unring the bell of Mr. Deford’s email and the chain of events that followed,” he wrote. “. . . I am more inclined to agree with my chief of staff’s belief that Mr. Mayo was unlikely to memorialize in cement any tribute to a training class in which his experience from day one was difficult at best.”

However, Hewett said the problem was bigger than the case of Al Mayo.

“Mayo is my kid. Mayo is your kid. I have a 21-year-old right now that wants to be a state police officer. He’s in the process of taking that test. What about him having to go into the classroom and having to deal with this same bull that this guy had to deal with? I don’t want that,” Hewett said.

For his part, Mayo, who attended the press conference, said he just wants the job he worked hard to earn.

From left: Alfred Mayo, Rep. Ernest Hewett and NAACP President Scot X Esdaile holding press confrence
at the State Capitol.

The investigation centers on the State Fire Training School policies and practices in hiring minorities. It was completed by the office of Reuben F. Bradford, commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

“I have been involved in this issue for several months after Mr. Mayo came forward with this ordeal,” Rep. Hewett said. “It appears, based on the report findings, that Mr. Mayo has been telling us the truth all along. Now I am interested to see how we move forward from this situation and how we apply this experience to the future.”

The report, which was delivered to the New London mayor, summarizes findings and recommendations including decisions to graduate and certify fire recruits to be made solely by academy staff. It also notes that communications between the academy and the city of New London may have been inappropriate and contained adverse conclusions regarding Mr. Mayo that were not solidly based on evidence.

“What Mr. Mayo will do is entirely up to him and his counsel,” Rep. Hewett stated. “My responsibility as a legislator was to inquire about a full investigation into this case that was brought to my attention, and while it took quite some time, I am pleased we were able to get it done.”

A copy of the report is here.

New London - Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said in an emailed statement Wednesday that he supports state Rep. Ernest Hewett's call for an investigation into the state fire academy.

Hewett, a Democrat representing New London, responded Wednesday by saying the fire academy should be reviewed but that city officials are ultimately responsible for their own hiring and firing practices.

Finizio's announcement comes one day after an NAACP town hall meeting that included a number of firefighters and recruits who recounted difficult experiences at the academy, including perceived racism. One of those men, Alfred Mayo, was fired by Finizio just days before he was scheduled to graduate with his class in December.

Mayo was the first black firefighter hired by the New London Fire Department since 1978.

"When local municipalities make decisions on the retention of fire department recruits, we must rely on information provided to us by the Fire Academy," Finizio said in his statement. "In the decision reached by the administration not to retain recruit Alfred Mayo, the City of New London relie(d) heavily on data provided by the Fire Academy. At last night's NAACP forum, I was disturbed to hear numerous former Academy recruits explain irregularities at the Academy."

On Wednesday, Hewett said he spoke briefly with Reuben F. Bradford, the commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, which oversees the fire academy.

Hewett said it's a start to investigate the academy, but it doesn't change the fact that he believes city officials "didn't do their homework" and wrongfully fired Mayo.

"It's not the fire academy that fired him," Hewett said. "My point is, yes, the fire academy should be looked into, but the city of New London, in my opinion, made a mistake in firing this guy. The onus has to come back on the city."

Much of Tuesday night's discussion centered around the firing of Mayo, problems at the fire academy and a need for the city to implement programs to prepare and interest young people in firefighting careers.

Hewett spoke Tuesday night to a crowded room at the Second Congregational Church. He said Mayo should not have been fired and that one of his offenses at the academy was being too "enthusiastic" and that instructors told him to hang back.

"Those instructors in that school, when they told him by going first in class you're showing too much enthusiasm, isn't that what you teach your children?" Hewett said.

"They told him don't go first all the time, that's what they told him. That's disturbing.

"I got a problem with how this happened. I believe he was railroaded from day one, from day one that he went in that academy."

Those instructors, Hewett said, should be questioned by a committee in Hartford.

Mayo handed out copies at the meeting of a seven-page letter recounting his experiences at the academy. He was one of the first to speak Tuesday night before a five-person panel of civil rights advocates, telling of his uphill battle at the fire academy, where he said he was mistreated by instructors.

Mayo said he was the only black recruit in his class.

"The fact is that I think it was because of my face, who I am, the color of my skin,"

Mayo said. "I was scrutinized from day one."

Hewett said Tuesday he grew up in North Carolina and attended recently desegregated schools, the first day of which "was hell."

"I can understand what Mr. Mayo went through at that fire academy," Hewett said.

NAACP state chapter President Scot X. Esdaile echoed the call for a fire academy investigation after hearing the testimony of Richard Closs Tuesday night.

Closs, now a Hartford firefighter, recounted his experience of being terminated while attending the fire academy in November 2006. He was training to become a Norwich firefighter at the time, he said, adding that the same instructors who reprimanded Mayo were working at the academy during his 2006 experience.

Hewett also offered a suggestion for improving the city's fire department diversity. "We need to have a program to start with kids that age to bring them up and get them interested in the fire academy," he said, pointing to two young children in the audience.

In an online web chat with theday.com readers last month, Finizio answered a query about Mayo's firing:

"This individual's scores were among the lowest of any recruit we have sent to the academy. Combined with other problems in the individual's personnel file and acting on the recommendation of (City) Councilor (Wade) Hyslop and Chief Administrative Officer (Jane) Glover, I accepted the recommendation to terminate this individual."

New London - Alfred Mayo tearfully recounted his firing from the city's fire department.

Lance Goode described the pain and suffering he experienced after a police officer allegedly planted drugs and arrested him.

Joseph Anderson spoke about the lack of programs within the city's fire department aimed at hiring local people.

Those three were among the area residents, former employees and civil rights advocates from across the state who delivered impassioned testimony Tuesday night about their experiences with the New London police and fire departments at a town hall meeting in a packed room at the Second Congregational Church.

Most of the discussion at the NAACP-sponsored event, from the residents to the five panel members, centered around Goode's and Mayo's experiences. Much was harsh language against actions by city employees, but many speakers also countered those words with suggestions on how to improve the racial environment in the city.

Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio attended, as did Police Chief Margaret Ackley. Fire Chief Ronald Samul did not attend. People young and old, from across the racial spectrum, showed up to hear what community members had to say.

Before it started, Finizio said the event was "a good conversation to have as we move forward."

"It's beautiful," Finizio said as more than 100 people filed into the church meeting room. "It's democracy in action."

As a way of introduction, state NAACP president Scot X. Esdaile, a panel member, told the crowd that the "NAACP will fight adamantly for the individuals of this community."

"This is an opportunity to come forward publicly," Esdaile said. "This information will go to the U.S. Justice Department. We'll make sure they deal with each and every case presented to us this evening. I can't guarantee the results, but we will get the information to them."

Esdaile cited the case of former officer Roger Newton, whom Goode accused of planting drugs at the scene while arresting him in October 2010. The state police are investigating the allegations.

Esdaile said Newton, who has since resigned from the police force, betrayed the trust of the police department and the community.

"He may have resigned, but he should still be arrested," Esdaile said, to thunderous applause. "He should be arrested like a common man in the street."

State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, who spoke about both Goode and Mayo's situation, said he was "very upset" about Mayo's firing just days before his graduation from the state fire academy. Mayo was set to become the first black firefighter hired by the city since 1978.

Hewett urged the city to begin programs for local youth to become involved in the fire department, a plea echoed by many speakers.

Joseph Anderson and Derek Fauntleroy, two black men who grew up in the city, told the panels of their respective dreams of becoming firefighters, dreams they were only able to realize in fire departments outside New London.

Anderson, 44, spoke of volunteering as a young man in New London before he joined the Hamden Fire Department, where he serves as a lieutenant.

"As a volunteer, they didn't show any interest in me," he said. "I got hired somewhere else, but I wish I got hired here. ... There's no reason the city can say they don't have qualified people. I'm a lieutenant to this day. I grew up here on Shaw Street, how can they not say I'm not qualified?

"I'd like to come back to this city and help the city," Anderson added.

Meanwhile, Fauntleroy said he went to Groton after his hopes of working for the New London Fire Department were dashed. He serves as the chief of the Center Groton fire department.

"I went from a probationary firefighter to chief of the fire department," Fauntleroy said. "That is justification in itself that I am more than qualified to be a firefighter in New London."

Gary Tinney, president of the Firebirds, a black fraternal organization based in New Haven, said that city has programs in the high school to get the youth involved in the fire department and in other public safety careers. After he spoke, Tinney handed Finizio a sheet with information about the program.

"When these kids go to get hired, the city will have no excuse to say they're not qualified, because they're right here in your community," Tinney said, to loud applause.

Mayo, who was one of the first to speak before the panel, told of his uphill battle at the state fire academy, where he said he was mistreated by instructors.

"All I asked for is my job that I earned and worked very hard for," he said, holding back tears as he spoke. "Everything I did could be looked at two ways: negative or positive. Anything (the instructors) brought to me was looked at as negative, not positive."

Glenn Cassis, the executive director of the state African-American Affairs Commission, served as a panel member at the event and said after that he was dismayed to hear some of the testimony.

"It's a lot of ugliness going on down here," he said. "You can't have rogue officers running around. And to not have a person of color on the fire department is ludicrous. I can't believe it, especially when you have officers go off to other places. It's hideous."

Watch related video.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recognized Hewett at their annual convention in Connecticut naming him to the NAACP’s list of the state’s 100 Most Influential Blacks. He was recognized at the convention attended by Black leaders from across the nation.

“I am very pleased and humbled to be counted and recognized on this list,” Hewett stated. “My work as a community advocate to address the needs and concerns of our constituencies is a lifetime commitment. I thank the NAACP for this distinction and I congratulate all the other honorees this year.”

Additionally, Hewett was honored by the Connecticut Police Chiefs’ Association with their Legislative Award at a ceremony in Cromwell for his commitment to enhancing law enforcement, particularly for his efforts in spearheading legislation that will require DNA sample collection from convicted felons.

“I am grateful to the Police Association for this award and reaffirm my desire to continue working diligently to support the great work that police officers do in order to keep us safe,” Hewett added.

The ceremony was held on in Cromwell, Thursday, December 15 at CPCA/DOT Law Enforcement Summit. When accepting this award, Rep. Hewett mentioned the bill that he championed: the DNA upon arrest legislation which requires DNA samples to be collected from convicted felons after a subsequent arrest. Rep. Hewett emphasized that because of that bill, we will be able to put more people behind bars who committed serious crimes and who would have otherwise been free, and we will be able to exonerate those who are wrongfully convicted. Rep. Hewett dedicated the passage of this measure to Jayann Sepich whose daughter Katie Sepich was raped, murdered and her body set on fire in New Mexico. Her killer was arrested through the DNA collection. Ms. Sepich came to Connecticut to testify in favor of Rep. Hewett's bill.

Rep. Hewett also thanked the entire police community for their great work in keeping us safe; Rep. Hewett also recognized other lawmakers who were helpful in having this important piece of legislation enacted.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, recently received a formal invitation from the White House Office of Public Engagement to join a group of lawmakers from across the nation next week at a leadership conference on President Obama’s agenda for the African-American community.

Hewett credits his regional chairmanship in the National Black Caucus of State Legislators with putting him on the White House radar. The daylong conference is Wednesday and will be hosted by Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to the president.

Hewett said he is looking forward to a chance to meet Obama and to share with other lawmakers how Connecticut’s legislature just succeeded in passing an economic growth and jobs creation package on nearly unanimous bipartisan support.

“We just passed a jobs bill that will help not only African Americans but the whole state.” Hewett said.

As for his thoughts on Obama, Hewett said that he remains a huge supporter and blames Republicans for thwarting his every move.

“I supported him last time, and I’ll support him again because I know he is doing everything in his power to create jobs,” Hewett said. “When you’re dealing with a group of people — congressmen — that has publicly said that your failure is their success, I don’t know how you deal with that.”

Representative Hewett,

Since taking office, President Obama has worked to secure the future prosperity of the African American community by creating jobs, revitalizing schools, making college more affordable, increasing access to health care, and strengthening the bonds that keep families together. While there's still much work to be done, the Administration continues to champion initiatives that support African Americans in today's difficult economy.

As a leader in your community, the Office of Public Engagement invites you to participate in the White House Policy in Action Leadership Conference hosted by Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. This conference will be an opportunity for you to learn more about how the President's agenda and policies have benefited the African American community.

At this conference, you will have the opportunity to:

• Interact and engage with senior decision and policy makers in the Obama Administration from a diverse array of policy areas;
• Develop ways to collaborate with the Administration and other leaders from across the country to address pressing issues that affect the African American community;
• Obtain information in order to develop local action steps to address the issue of unemployment in the African American community.

Due to space limitations this invitation is non-transferable. We do ask that when you RSVP that you commit to attend this event. Lunch will be provided at a working session.

Sincerely,

Michael Block

“Helping small businesses grow and stay strong is certainly a step in the right direction as part of our economic development discussion,” Hewett said. “These new opportunities create an environment that shows that we are a business-friendly state working hard to attract and retain jobs.”

The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation and foster long-term economic growth. Incentives for small business, cutting red tap, incentives for innovation, economic development tools and workforce development and training are all addressed in the bill.

One of the key components of the legislation is the Small Business Express Package which will make $50 million/year available to small businesses through incentives, grants and loans.

Another vital component is aligning programs at vo-tech schools, community colleges and universities with high demand job needs of employers, including the state’s manufacturing technology companies.

Other components of the jobs bill include:

• Consolidating and increasing the tax credit for new hires
• Incentivizing investments in emerging technology (Angel Investors)
• Building innovation centers in key cities and investing in innovative ventures
• A second “First Five” program
• Cutting the business entity tax
• Streamlining the business permitting process
• Remediating old industrial sites/brownfields
• Computer upgrades to foster seamless communication between business and the state
• Workforce development, education and training
• Allowing the Airport Authority to designate new Development Zones
• Investments in roads and bridges
• Replenishing the Manufacturing Assistance Act (MAA)
• Main Street commercial centers improvement initiative

In addition, the legislature signed off on Jackson Laboratory’s plan to build a $1.1 billion research facility at the UConn Health Center campus in Farmington. The State of Connecticut will invest $291 million and Jackson Laboratory will raise the balance of $860 million for the project.

According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the project is expected to create over 660 positions at Jackson Laboratory in Farmington within 20 years. DECD estimates more than 4,600 bioscience jobs would be generated through spin-off companies, and another 2,000 would be added to local service and area retail stores. The project would yield more than 840 construction jobs as well.

Hartford - State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, was in a celebratory mood Friday as he traveled to Hartford to watch the governor sign into law a bill that Hewett once steadfastly opposed.

"This was the bill that I fought last year," he said with a grin. "I fought like crazy to kill it."

But Hewett fought even harder this year to get it passed after having changed his mind about whether police should collect DNA samples from people arrested for felonies as they do fingerprints and mug shots.

Hewett shepherded through the bill that, as of Oct. 1, requires police departments to swab and store the DNA of individuals arrested of a serious felony and who have been convicted of a previous felony. The samples will be placed into a federal DNA database to help law enforcement authorities solve crimes.

Connecticut is now the 25th state to mandate DNA sampling of some individuals upon arrest, though the state has been collecting DNA samples from those convicted of serious felonies for several years.

The original version of the bill would have required DNA samples from anyone arrested on a serious felony. After Hewett encountered opposition in the state Senate, he agreed to narrow the scope to just people arrested who have a previous felony conviction. "I didn't like that, but I also know how politics works, and I had to compromise," he said.

Hewett opposed a DNA-collection bill last year because he had heard that the procedure could disproportionately affect racial minorities. But after researching online, he said, he learned about the importance of DNA databases in helping authorities to solve grisly crimes and exonerate the innocent.

The most compelling case for Hewett was that of Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student at New Mexico State University who was raped, strangled to death, set on fire and left at a dumpsite near her home in 2003.

Sepich had fought her attacker and DNA from his skin and blood were found under her fingernails. The killer was identified three years later after New Mexico began requiring DNA samples from individuals arrested for violent felonies.

At Hewett's request, Katie's mother, Jayann Sepich, traveled to Connecticut from New Mexico in March to testify at the public hearing on his bill, paying her own airfare, he said.

Hewett recalled how Sepich's emotionally searing testimony brought lawmakers to tears.

"That convinced me beyond anything I ever heard," Hewett said. "People who were on the judiciary committee who were totally against this bill turned on a dime."

Yet it still faced strong opposition from the ACLU of Connecticut and state Sen. Eric Coleman, D-Bloomfield, who worried that it could be racially discriminatory. Coleman, who could not be reached to comment Friday, eventually voted for the bill after the compromise. The final version passed the House of Representatives by a 127-20 vote and the Senate by a unanimous vote.

Malloy signed it into law July 13.

"Sometimes you have to make a decision over which is more important: human life or what you perceive as a little infringement on people's rights," Hewett said.

The ACLU still opposes the law, even in its watered-down form.

"We helped to get this bill amended so it was less bad, but it's still problematic because you are requiring a person simply arrested for a felony but not convicted to give up their DNA," Andrew Schneider, chief executive officer of the ACLU of Connecticut, said Friday. "I am disappointed that there wasn't more concern among the black caucus."

Hewett, who is black, said he thinks the law will help minorities because DNA evidence can be crucial in clearing people who are wrongly accused of crimes.

Looking ahead, Hewett said, his top priority for future legislative sessions is gathering support to expand the law's collection requirements so they apply once again to anyone arrested for a serious felony.

Championed by Rep. Hewett, the legislation was modeled after “Katie’s Law”, in memory of Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student at New Mexico State University, who was brutally raped, strangled to death, set on fire and abandoned at a dumpsite near her home in August of 2003. In Katie’s case, after three years, the New Mexico DNA database matched the unknown profile of her perpetrator, who had been convicted of several other crimes.

“I am pleased the governor has given his signature to this important law,” Hewett said. “When I heard testimony from Katie’s mother, Ms. Jayann Sepich, who came to Connecticut from New Mexico, and her efforts across the nation in bringing this issue to state legislatures’ for action, I committed to help. There’s no doubt in my mind that this law will assist law enforcement in resolving crimes quicker and preventing repeat offenders from causing more pain to families.”

The legislation requires people arrested for any of 39 serious felony offenses to provide DNA sample before they are released from custody if they had previously been convicted of a felony. Additionally, the information gathered will be added to a federal DNA database.

House Bill 6489 was modeled after “Katie’s Law”, in memory of Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student at New Mexico State University, who was brutally raped, strangled to death, set on fire and abandoned at a dumpsite near her home in August of 2003.

The legislation requires people arrested for any of 39 serious felony offenses to provide DNA sample before they are released from custody if they had previously been convicted of a felony.

“When Ms. Jayann Sepich, Katie’s mother, came to Connecticut to share her tragic personal story, I made a renewed commitment to do everything I could to get this bill passed,” Hewett said. “In Katie’s case, after three years, the New Mexico DNA database matched the unknown profile of her perpetrator, who had been convicted of several other crimes.”

The original bill called for DNA collection following any arrest for a serious felony.

Rep. Hewett, who was committed to finding a compromise that would get broad support in the General Assembly, said “I am pleased to have been able to get this important legislation off the ground and a step closer to becoming law. This measure has the potential to not only solve crimes, but to prevent crimes and save lives.”

The information gathered will be added to a federal DNA database. A provision in the bill allows for an individual that is exonerated to be allowed to have their DNA expunged from the system.

The bill now moves to the Senate for legislative action. The General Assembly adjourns June 8.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The House of Representatives voted late Thursday night to require DNA testing of people arrested for a serious felony, but only if they've been convicted of a previous felony.

The bill passed by a vote of 127-to-20, following a debate peppered with personal stories from legislators about unsolved crimes that touched their lives.

"This bill is personal," said Rep. Charles "Don" Clemons, D-Bridgeport, who said his son's mother was raped and murdered in Bridgeport 31 years ago. Her killer was never found. He said about six or eight other women also were killed in the four-to-five-year period that followed, and those cases have also never been solved.

"To this day, those crimes have not been prosecuted. Nobody has been brought to justice for those crimes," said Clemons, who said the DNA testing legislation would bring his and other families some hope that they can someday find closure.

Connecticut began collecting DNA samples of those convicted of serious felonies in 2004. But New London Rep. Ernest Hewett, a Democrat who led the effort to pass the compromise legislation, said some repeat offenders have fallen through the cracks and were convicted before the testing began or were never tested.

He said the legislation has the "power to not only solve crimes but to prevent crimes and save lives." Also, he said it will help to exonerate the wrongly accused. The information will be added to a federal DNA database.

Opponents said the bill intrudes on civil liberties. Reps. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, and Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, said someone's rights should not be discredited because they have a prior conviction. They said that person still has the right to be presumed innocent when they've been arrested on a serious felony.

"In America, you're back to being an innocent person," Tercyak said.

Tercyak said lawmakers should not make decisions based on emotions. Rather, he said their job is to consider the rights of everyone.

"I don't think this bill looks at the rights of everybody in our state," he said. "It goes too far and it will take us even further than we say it will tonight."

The bill, which moves to the Senate for final legislative action, was a compromise. It originally required DNA testing of anyone arrested for a serious crime.

The House of Representatives voted 127 to 20 Thursday night for a bill that will allow law enforcement authorities to take DNA samples from convicted felons who are arrested for a subsequent felony.

Opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the bill was narrowed from an original version that would have required DNA samples of anyone arrested and charged with one of 39 serious felonies.

The bill divided the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus as black lawmakers took the lead on either side of the bill. Its lead sponsor was Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, while Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, opposed it as intrusive.

The bill will allow law enforcement to take the samples as "resources allow," leaving unclear the extent to which the state's DNA registry will grow. The state has been authorized to take DNA samples from persons convicted of a serious felony since 2004.

Rep. Ernie Hewett who championed the issue said he worked hard to amend the bill in order to appease lawmakers concerned it would violate an individuals privacy rights. Instead of taking the sample after the first felony conviction the bill allows DNA to be taken from individuals on their second felony conviction.

Hewett argued the bill will help exonerate the falsely accused of crimes.

Many of his conservative colleagues agreed and said they were pleased with the initial legislation that allowed DNA to be taken after the arrest of an individual for a felony. If that individual was exonerated they would be allowed to have their DNA expunged from the system.

HARTFORD, Conn.— The House of Representatives voted late Thursday night to require DNA testing of people arrested for a serious felony, but only if they've been convicted of a previous felony.

The bill passed by a vote of 127-to-20, following a debate peppered with personal stories from legislators about unsolved crimes that touched their lives.

"This bill is personal," said Rep. Charles "Don" Clemons, D-Bridgeport, who said his son's mother was raped and murdered in Bridgeport 31 years ago. Her killer was never found. He said about six or eight other women also were killed in the four-to-five-year period that followed, and those cases have also never been solved.

"To this day, those crimes have not been prosecuted. Nobody has been brought to justice for those crimes," said Clemons, who said the DNA testing legislation would bring his and other families some hope that they can someday find closure.

Connecticut began collecting DNA samples of those convicted of serious felonies in 2004. But New London Rep. Ernest Hewett, a Democrat who led the effort to pass the compromise legislation, said some repeat offenders have fallen through the cracks and were convicted before the testing began or were never tested.

He said the legislation has the "power to not only solve crimes but to prevent crimes and save lives." Also, he said it will help to exonerate the wrongly accused. The information will be added to a federal DNA database.

Opponents said the bill intrudes on civil liberties. Reps. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, and Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, said someone's rights should not be discredited because they have a prior conviction. They said that person still has the right to be presumed innocent when they've been arrested on a serious felony.

"In America, you're back to being an innocent person," Tercyak said.

Tercyak said lawmakers should not make decisions based on emotions. Rather, he said their job is to consider the rights of everyone.

"I don't think this bill looks at the rights of everybody in our state," he said. "It goes too far and it will take us even further than we say it will tonight."

The bill, which moves to the Senate for final legislative action, was a compromise. It originally required DNA testing of anyone arrested for a serious crime.

A watered-down version of a controversial bill to expand DNA collections was approved late Thursday night by the state House of Representatives.

The original version of the bill had called for DNA to be collected from all those arrested - but not convicted - of a serious felony. Now, the collection would not be made until the person was arrested for a second crime and had already been convicted for a previous crime.

In a vote about five minutes before midnight, the House voted 127 to 20 to pass the measure, which now goes to the Democratic-controlled state Senate.

Currently, DNA is taken upon conviction - not arrest - of a felony. But criminals who were convicted before 2004 did not have their DNA collected, and there would be no sample in the state's databank.

"It will establish the innocence of people who might be falsely accused," said Rep. John Hetherington, a New Canaan Republican. "I would strongly urge its adoption."

He said it was an example of the way the process should work because it was an overall compromise to get the measure passed.

Rep. T. R. Rowe, a Trumbull attorney, said, "I'm pleased it's been tightened up … and good for all parties."

Rep. Debralee Hovey, a Monroe Republican, said there must be a second serious felony arrest before a person's DNA would be taken.

"In my mind, this is one felony too many to be convicted," Hovey said, adding that a person who has been arrested two times for felonies has likely committed other crimes and has not been caught.

"You have to have been convicted of a previous felony to have your DNA taken when you are arrested on a serious felony," said Rep. Ernie Hewett, a New London Democrat who was the bill's chief proponent and studied the issue extensively.

He mentioned a series of 13 murders, dating back to March 1987, that he said might have been prevented if DNA had been taken from a man who was arrested for another crime in January 1987.

"Congress has mandated that DNA be taken upon arrest for all federal crimes," Hewett said in his closing remarks shortly before midnight. "DNA is the truth - truth that identifies."

He mentioned the case of the "East Coast rapist" who was recently arrested because of DNA.

A serious felony, Hewett said, is defined as murder, felony murder, arson murder, first and second-degree manslaughter with a firearm, misconduct with a motor vehicle, among others.

The person does not have to be convicted on the second felony for the DNA to be collected, and the DNA would be erased from the system if the person was acquitted of the second felony.

Rep. Steve Mikutel, a veteran Democrat from Griswold, said, "I feel that it will help protect the public safety by solving many unsolved crimes. I think it will exonerate some people who are in prison. It's not quite strong enough, as I would have liked it. It was a better bill in the original version, but I understand why the changes were made."

Deputy House Speaker Marie Kirkley-Bey of Hartford thanked Hewett for doing the legwork to get the bill finally passed.

"Fingerprints are outdated. DNA will be the way they test people in the future," Kirkley-Bey said.

"DNA is a wonderful thing," said Rep. Christopher Coutu, a Norwich Republican. "I strongly support it, and I hope my colleagues do the same."

Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat, said that 24 other states have similar laws, and those laws have been upheld in the courts.

"This bill is personal. Almost 31 years ago, my son's mother was raped and murdered in Bridgeport," said Rep. Don Clemons, a Democrat. "At that time, there were several women who were raped and murdered in Bridgeport. To this day, those crimes have not been prosecuted. Nobody has been brought to justice for those crimes. So when you talk about not having closure, I know personally. … As a family, we have not had closure."

Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, a New Haven Democrat who is arguably the biggest opponent of the bill in the legislature's judiciary committee, said, "I can do math, so I recognize this bill will probably pass."

The reason, he said, is that the person is innocent of the second crime until proven guilty "with all due respect to those who think we are doing the right thing."

"It is not to clear anyone," he said.

Rep. Peter Tercyak, a New Britain Democrat, agreed with Holder-Winfield. "While DNA may be infallible, the people who test it are not," he said. "There will always be a victim to point to who could have been helped by this. … Our job is to look out for the rights of everybody in our state. I do not think this bill looks at the rights of everybody in our state. Personally, I still believe in rehabilitation. As a society, we've got more people locked up than anybody, percentage-wise. … Now, we're taking away the most basic rights to privacy and maintaining the integrity of our own body. … One of the things that makes America exceptional is that we value our rights."

But Rep. Stephen Dargan, the longtime co-chairman of the public safety committee, said he agreed with Clemons that there might be a chance that the family's case in Bridgeport could be solved.

"This actually works," Dargan said. "I would like to see it a lot stricter. … We call this chamber the act of compromise. This is a good initial step to get to the next stage. This isn't about somebody's rights. This is also about the rights of the victims."

The state currently cannot get the DNA of some criminals who are now in prison because of the laws, he said.

"In 99 percent of the cases in our country, it shows it works - at a minimum cost," Dargan said, referring to prisons as "hotels." "We need to go a little further. This is a bill that will work to protect the innocent in our state."

Rep. Al Adinolfi, a Republican from Cheshire, said his family had a similar situation as his 23-year-old nephew was killed with a friend by "professionals" who must have committed crimes in the past.

Rep. Fred Camillo, a Greenwich Republican, announced to the chamber that he had mistakenly voted against the DNA bill, which he had co-sponsored. Camillo then received an ovation when it was announced that it was his birthday on Friday, June 3.

The DNA bill was the second-to-last bill of the night, and the House adjourned at about 12:45 a.m. Friday. After a short night of sleep, the lawmakers will be back at the desks for the start of the session at noon Friday.

The Homeowner’s Mortgage Crisis Info Session will take place Wednesday, May 25 from 8:30 am-9:30 am at New London CT Works-East, Shaw’s Cove Six in New London.

NEW DATE AND VENUE:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011   9:30 – 10:30 am
Legislative Office Building, Hartford – Room 1B

Local residents will be sharing their personal experiences with the program and how beneficial it has been to them in their decision to keep their existing mortgage.

“I encourage area homeowners to put this date on their agenda to come and find out how this program can help them,” Ritter stated. “We are still dealing with some very difficult economic times and many people face heavy financial pressures. I strongly invite area residents to explore every possible option before they make final decisions that will have strong impact for their families and communities.”

“This program could provide a critical lifeline to homeowners who may be struggling to keep up,” added State Rep. Ed Jutila (D-East Lyme/Salem). “This is a great opportunity to learn important lessens from the experts, as well as from the experiences of other homeowners.”

“Anything that we can do to help people stay in their homes will not only make our communities stronger, but in the long run will contribute to economic stability and growth,” said Rep. Diane Urban (D-North Stonington/Stonington).

“The health of any given community is directly proportional to the stake citizens feel in their neighborhoods,” Rep. Ernest Hewett (D-New London) said. “Programs that support property owners’ ability to keep their mortgage payments up to date and their peace of mind intact are of utmost importance to a properly functioning municipality.”

The program will offer job training opportunities to help homeowners get back on an earnings course that supports home ownership.

New London — State Rep. Ernest Hewett is working with the state Department of Correction on a program in which longtime prisoners would talk to teens who have been in trouble or are headed that way.

And the New London Democrat has an idea who he'd like to see enrolled first.

"I would love to get hold of those kids, the ones that scared that kid with BB guns," said Hewett, referring to three juveniles who were arrested earlier this month after allegedly holding a 12-year-old captive, locking him in a closet and threatening him.

"These kids just don't get it," he said.

Following the slaying of Matthew Chew last fall and the subsequent arrest of six city teenagers, Hewett, like many city leaders, was looking for a way to grab the attention of kids with a propensity for criminal behavior.

He contacted the DOC after watching the latest version of "Scared Straight" on television.

But his version, tentatively called "A Dose of Reality," won't include aggressive prisoners trying to frighten youngsters away from crime. He envisions older prisoners serving life sentences sitting down and talking about the decisions that led them to prison.

"It only takes a minute for something to escalate," he said.

"The bad part is, one day, these kids are going to make a mistake that they will not recover from. ... I've told my kids, you can't afford to find out for yourself that a car will hit you if you walk across (Interstate) 95. For some mistakes, you are going to have to listen to someone else."

Brian Garnett, spokesman for the DOC, said research has shown that the "scared straight" model, which has been around since the 1970s, does not work. So the department was open to Hewett's idea, he said.

"Screaming in someone's face only makes them better criminals," Garnett said.

The DOC has many outreach programs throughout the prison system and is happy to be working with Hewett on a new program involving Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center, he said.

"These guys know of what they speak," Garnett said of 10 prisoners between the ages of 40 and 60 who have been chosen to participate. "They've spent a lot of time locked up."

The program is not expected to require any additional funds, Garnett said.

Hewett hopes the program, which will include a trip to the state Capitol before the prison visit, will show youngsters what their futures could look like, depending on the choices they make.

"You know, show them," he said, "they could take my place some day" as a state representative.

As the program is envisioned, at-risk youth would be identified by parents or through the schools. The youth would ride in a prisoner transport van to the Uncasville prison, where they would get a tour and then sit and talk with men serving life sentences for murder, kidnapping and other serious crimes.

Hewett said he wants to follow up with the kids who participate and he promises to stay involved.

"I will do it as long as people will send me some kids," he said. "I will track these kids five, six years, however long it takes."

Some kids in the community, he said, are headed for prison.

"I don't know if this will work, but I'm willing to try," he said. " … I think we can save these kids if we get to them early."

The (NBCSL) primary mission is to develop, conduct and promote educational, research and training programs designed to enhance the effectiveness of its members, as they consider legislation and issues of public policy which impact, either directly or indirectly upon "the general welfare" of African American constituents within their respective jurisdictions.

“It is an honor to have been elected Chair of this important national organization,” Rep. Hewett said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues around the nation and within my region, to advance critical issues to benefit the communities we represent and to have a strong voice on behalf of our constituencies.”

The Labor, Military and Veterans’ Affairs committee reviews and addresses issues and practices related to labor, military, and veterans issues (examples include labor / management relations, affirmative action, minimum wage standards, right to work, wage equality, employment security, family leave, and child care). It also monitors veteran rights as they relate to disability, health care and mental health, and other concerns related to servicemen and veterans.

Hartford - A bipartisan group of lawmakers and southeastern Connecticut municipal, labor and business leaders Wednesday denounced a proposed state tax on electricity generators that targets the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford.

The legislative proposal would tack various new charges onto oil, coal and nuclear power producers. Yet a full 97 percent of the tax would be shouldered by Millstone, the sole operational nuclear station in Connecticut.

"I'm not a big business guy - I'm a pretty big labor guy - but that just makes no sense at all," said state Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, one of 18 state lawmakers at the news conference at the state Capitol.

Dominion Resources Inc., of Richmond, Va., owns Millstone and has said it would close one or more of the facility's operating reactors if the tax becomes law. Neither the House nor the Senate has yet to act on the bill.

"This is such a huge disparate tax, and no business should be forced to bear this tax," David Christian, chief executive officer of Dominion Generation, told reporters Wednesday. Christian also said it would be "unwise" to operate a nuclear plant with the thin margins that would result.

Bill opponents criticized the tax measure as sending an anti-business message about Connecticut and discouraging investment in the state. Even if Millstone remained open and paid the tax, the tax would likely get passed on to consumers as a rate increase, they said.

"Senate Bill 1176 would send our entire state in absolutely the wrong direction in regards to economic development," said state Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford.

But the bill's proponents argue that the tax would ultimately benefit ratepayers while merely trimming the high profits Dominion has made for years in Waterford.

Backers include House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, the state Office of Consumer Counsel, as well as Rep. Vickie Nardell, D-Prospect, and Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, who are co-chairmen of the Energy and Technology Committee that voted 12-9 last month to forward the bill.

Consumer Counsel Mary Healey dismissed arguments that the tax is a state-directed attack on business. Proceeds from the tax are to go to paying off bonds, and then providing ratepayer relief and supporting alternative energy projects.

"I'm getting tired of this anti-business refrain," Healey said Wednesday afternoon. "Ratepayers are also businesses, so it's not business unfriendly."

During the news conference, Christian, the Dominion Generation CEO, was questioned about an earlier and separate proposal by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that would tax all energy generators. Christian said he was open to discussion on "the concept of a temporary shared sacrifice to help the governor." The Malloy proposal would have cost Millstone about $33 million a year, the company said.

An economic impact study of the Millstone station, commissioned by Dominion, determined that the plant pays a $33.6 million in taxes a year to state and local governments, including $17.7 million in annual property taxes to Waterford.

Millstone employs 1,080 people and 350 contractors. Dominion shed 200 jobs at the nuclear facility in 2010, including laying off about 50 workers who didn't accept the company's voluntary separation offers.

Waterford First Selectman Dan Steward said Dominion represents about 30 percent of the town's tax base. He said the uncertainty surrounding the tax and the potential plant shutdown may already be costing the town money as it issues bonds for school projects.

One firm, which holds about $35 million of the town's municipal bonds, has been calling the town almost daily with concerns.

"Our bond rating is already being affected by just the presence of this bill," Steward said.

State Rep. Ed Jutila, D-East Lyme, stood with opponents of the tax.

"This is simply patently unfair to put a burden of this size on one single enterprise in this state," Jutila said. "The result would be increased costs for ratepayers, either because it gets passed on to consumers or because the plant shuts down."

Joseph Rosenthal, principal attorney for the consumer counsel, criticized Dominion on Wednesday for scaring workers and residents with threats of layoffs.

"They've already shown that they will lay off people," he said. "People were laid off last year despite very excellent profits."

Those layoffs were done to reduce costs at Millstone, according to Dominion spokesman Ken Holt, who said plant safety was unaffected.

"We had high [worker] numbers compared to the industry," he said.

Last year, when lawmakers considered a bill requiring DNA samples of anyone arrested on a serious felony charge, state Rep. Ernest Hewett was a critic.

The New London Democrat, like other African American lawmakers, worried such a proposal would unfairly target minorities. He also feared it would infringe on people's civil liberties.

But Hewett said he went from a skeptic to a supporter after researching the proposal, which is once again on the legislative agenda after failing to get traction last year. "I took it as a project of mine to see what's really going on," he said. "And this just makes sense."

Hewett and other supporters believe pre-conviction DNA will provide law enforcement officials with a powerful tool to catch criminals and perhaps even exonerate the innocent.

Not everyone agrees. The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut is opposed to the bill, saying it upends a longstanding principle of the American criminal justice system: that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

"There is a vast difference between using DNA as a tool in investigations — both to catch the guilty and exonerate the wrongly accused — and storing the most intimate biological information of persons who have not yet been convicted of any crime," Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut, said in written testimony submitted to the judiciary committee.

HARTFORD, Conn. - A woman whose daughter was raped, murdered and set on fire urged lawmakers Wednesday to approve a bill that would require DNA testing of people accused of serious felonies, saying it could save lives, help solve crimes more quickly and exonerate the innocent.

Connecticut already requires DNA testing of convicted felons, but Jayann Sepich and legislators who support the bill said the state needs to go a step further and test people arrested on felony charges.

Twenty-four states and the federal government have approved versions of Katie's Law, named after Sepich's 22-year-old daughter whose body was dumped in a landfill in New Mexico in 2003.

The legislature's Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on the bill Wednesday, while the Public Safety and Security Committee approved similar legislation Tuesday. Civil liberties advocates opposed the bill, citing the presumption of innocence and other issues.

"We are saving lives. We are preventing crimes," Sepich said about advocates for DNA testing of arrestees. "As a mother of a murder victim, justice is important. It brings healing."

Katie Sepich, who was pursing an MBA at New Mexico State University, was killed in August 2003. Gabriel Avila, who's serving a 69-year prison sentence in Sepich's murder, was arrested in December 2006 after a DNA sample he gave following a burglary conviction matched DNA found on Sepich's body.

Jayann Sepich said the case would have been solved much sooner if Avila would have been required to give a DNA sample after a felony arrest in November 2003.

Sepich also noted the case of Chester Turner, who's on California's death row for killing 10 women and an unborn child and was charged earlier this year with four more slayings dating back to the mid-1980s.

Turner was arrested in January 1987 on an assault charge but was released because of lack of evidence. Two months later, he committed his first murder. Sepich said she believes the rest of Turner's victims may have been saved if he would have been required to give a DNA sample after the January 1987 arrest.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, said he opposed a similar bill during last year's legislative session, when the proposal fizzled in committee, but has changed his mind and now supports it.

"It just makes sense," Hewett said. "It saves lives. It saves women from being raped."

Hewett cited the case of Duane Foster, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison last year for a 1988 Hartford rape for which an innocent man served 18 years in prison. Foster was arrested for the rape in 2008 after a DNA sample he gave after an arrest in Virginia linked him to the crime.

The innocent man, James Tillman, was freed and given $5 million by the state for his wrongful conviction.

The bill would require DNA samples from people arrested for serious felonies to be run through national databases to see if there are any matches to other crimes.

Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, testified against DNA testing of arrestees before the Public Safety and Security Committee last month and the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

"The cornerstone of the American legal system -- that a person is innocent until proven guilty -- is turned on its head when innocent people are included in a criminal databank," he said Wednesday.

"There is a vast difference between using DNA as a tool in investigations ... and storing the most intimate biological information of persons who have not been convicted of any crime," Schneider said.

Schneider also cited privacy issues, mistakes in DNA testing and the reinforcement of racial disparities. He said minorities are wrongly arrested at a disproportionately higher rate than whites and would be unfairly represented in DNA databanks that include arrestees.

But many state and federal courts have already upheld DNA testing of arrestees.

The bill before the Judiciary Committee awaits action by the panel.

Following the press conference, Ms. Jayann Sepich, Katie’s mother, gave testimony at a Judiciary Committee Public Hearing today in support of HB 6489, AN ACT REQUIRING DNA TESTING OF PERSONS ARRESTED FOR THE COMMISSION OF A SERIOUS FELONY.

“Katie Sepich was brutally murdered and her killer, under arrest for burglary in 2006 had his DNA matched as Katie’s killer. DNA matching will not only save lives by locking up dangerous criminals but also prevent repeat offenders from committing additional crimes,” said Rep. Nicastro. “24 other states and the federal government have similar laws that have proven that DNA matching works and can help save innocent lives. I am honored to be able to co-sponsor this bill modeled after ‘Katie’s Law’ that is being adopted nationally.” 

“This legislation will not only put the guilty in jail, but will help free people wrongfully convicted. Increasing the DNA bank will enhance an important tool that law enforcement currently uses to facilitate criminal investigations,” said Rep. Hewett, a member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee. “For example, since 2003, the state of Virginia has received over 5000 hits on their DNA database with nearly 500 of these matches directly attributed to arrestees.”

Hewett added, “I thank Ms. Sepich for coming to Connecticut to support this bill and to share her personal story with us.  DNA is the blueprint of the 21 century. The time has come to give our law enforcement officers the tools they need to solve crimes that otherwise may take years. DNA evidence has proven effective in resolving many cases. I believe this legislation will help our state get those offenders who have committed repeated crimes locked away from our communities.”

“My daughter Katie was brutally raped and murdered.  Our family knows the pain of burying a much loved child,” said Jayann Sepich.  “24 states and the federal government have passed legislation allowing DNA to be taken upon certain arrests.  It works.  It solves crimes, prevents crimes, saves lives and exonerates the innocent.  It means other families will not walk our path.”

According to Jayann Sepich, founder of DNASaves.org, the law identifies violent criminals quickly. For example, in states that have passed Katie’s Law burglary offenses have led to the largest group of DNA matches for other unsolved violent crimes. By collecting DNA from arrestees, law enforcement can identify criminals earlier and create more efficient investigation practices. Solving crimes sooner reduces costs associated with misdirected investigations. With a DNA match, law enforcement can quickly narrow in on the right suspect, saving untold man hours used in traditional investigations. This cost savings can then be redirected to other crimes where DNA is not available and traditional investigation techniques are the only means of solving the crime.

Several southeastern Connecticut residents told key state lawmakers Friday what the social services safety net that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy promised to protect in his proposed state budget means to them.

"Without this program, I don't know where I'd be. I really don't," Brandi Naholnik of Oakdale told House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, and state Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, as they met with families and officials in the Supportive Housing for Families program run by The Connection Inc.

The lawmakers met with families at the agency's regional office on Lafayette Street in Norwich and then drove to New London to meet with more residents at a rented supportive housing home on Ocean Avenue.

Naholnik said she found The Connection at a low point in her life. She had lost everything in a fire and then turned to drugs and alcohol. The state Department of Children and Families stepped in and took custody of her children and also referred her to the state-funded support program.

Working closely with a case manager who helped with "everything," Naholnik was able to rent a three-bedroom house in Oakdale with rental subsidies from the program. She now works and has won her battle to bring her children home. She has five children ranging in age from 17 months to 16 years. Three live with her full time, and she has joint custody of two children with their father.

Naholnik said the family has a garden, maintains the house and can do some renovations. She used her income tax return money to renovate the basement into two more bedrooms.

Luis Diaz brought his 3-year-old daughter to the session with the legislators. His 18-year-old daughter was in school at Norwich Free Academy. Diaz was lost when his wife went to jail just after the baby was born. DCF became involved with the family and referred Diaz to The Connection. The family has a good apartment in Norwich, and the agency now is helping Diaz find a job.

"It's so hard out there," he said, "especially for a single father."

New London landlord Jay Feldman, who participates in the supportive housing program, said the partnership is necessary. He said without The Connection's involvement, the families would never pass initial screening for an apartment. Many have bad credit, substance abuse or criminal histories and other problems.

"I have to depend on the case managers," he said.

The Connection Inc.'s Supportive Housing for Families program receives $7 million in annual funding from the state. In recent years, the program also has received an additional sum for temporary housing subsidies that has dramatically fluctuated. This year, program received $5 million, $541,378 has been proposed for next year, and $2.2 million is in the second year of Malloy's proposed budget.

The agency serves about 500 families statewide in the supportive housing program and has another 400 on the waiting list. The waiting list could be much larger, however, because the agency had to stop taking names at one point, officials said.

Hewett and Donovan told nearly two dozen people at The Connection's Norwich office that they would try to protect the flat funding proposed in Malloy's budget for the program. But Donovan admitted that it would be difficult with all the pressures to cut spending and cut back on Malloy's proposed tax increases.

"We will fight like hell to keep this flat funding in the budget," Hewett said.

The families have been aided by The Connection, Inc.’s Supportive Housing for Families Program helping families served by the Connecticut Department on Children and Families to overcome obstacles and retain or even regain custody of their children by providing access to safe, quality, affordable and permanent housing.

“Nobody likes to see children separated from their families. Everyone suffers, and it’s always extremely difficult to deal with this issue,” Hewett said. “However, I am pleased to see that there is hope for families who are faced with this risk and I commend the Supportive Housing for Families program and their diligence in helping out families in our community who are in great need of their services.”

“The most emotionally stabilizing factor for children is having their families in close proximity.  This is more important than any other challenge or adversity they face,” Speaker Donovan said. “Protecting and keeping families together is vitally important for raising the well adjusted and productive adults of tomorrow.”

In partnership with various state agencies, community, civic and faith organizations, The Connection, Inc.’s Supportive Housing for Families Program is designed to meet the needs of families that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Newly proposed legislation would make Connecticut the 25th state to require people charged with certain felony crimes to have their DNA tested against a national database.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, recently introduced a bill he said is needed to catch repeat offenders, nab potential suspects in unsolved cold cases and rule out those who are innocent.

“We take fingerprints now,” Hewett said. “DNA is the fingerprint of the 21st century.”

The state already tests the DNA of people when they’re convicted of a felony.

The public safety and security committee will hold a hearing Tuesday. Opponents plan to question the constitutionality of the measure and argue it will hinder, not help, investigations.

“It turns the bedrock principle of innocent until proven guilty on its head when innocent people are included in a criminal database,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut.

The law is modeled after Katie’s Law, named after Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student from New Mexico who was raped and strangled to death. Her body was set on fire and abandoned at a dump site near her home in August 2003. Skin and blood under her fingernails produced a full DNA profile, but it wasn’t until December 2006 that a New Mexico DNA database matched the unknown profile to Gabriel Avilla, who had been convicted of several other crimes.

Advocates contend that if New Mexico had required a DNA sample for Avilla’s felony arrest in November 2003, investigators might have solved Sepich’s murder sooner and caught Avilla three years earlier. New Mexico legislators passed Katie’s Law in 2006.

Hewett said the DNA testing also could help overturn wrongful convictions, citing the case of James Tillman, the Connecticut man who served 17 years for a rape before being exonerated by DNA testing in 2006. Hewett, in introducing the bill, reversed his prior opposition to the bill on grounds it was racially discriminating.

“That same DNA that will get you convicted could get you released,” he said.

Schneider counters that government control of a database of biological information is not only scary, but would be costly and worsen the backlog and delays in DNA testing.

The state has taken DNA samples from convicted felons since 2007. The information is entered into CODIS, the FBI-funded Combined DNA Index System.

“I am honored to be able to propose this bill modeled after ‘Katie’s Law’ that is being adopted nationally. Katie Sepich was brutally murdered and her killer, under arrest for burglary in 2006 had his DNA matched as Katie’s killer. DNA matching will not only save lives by locking up dangerous criminals but also prevent repeat offenders from committing additional crimes,” said Rep. Nicastro. “24 other states and the federal government have similar laws that have proven that DNA matching works and can help save innocent lives.”

“This legislation will not only put the guilty in jail, but will help free people wrongfully convicted. Increasing the DNA bank will enhance an important tool that law enforcement currently uses to facilitate criminal investigations,” Rep. Hewett said. “Since 2003, the state of Virginia has received over 5000 hits on their DNA database with nearly 500 of these matches directly attributed to arrestees.”

Hewett added, “DNA is the blueprint of the 21 century. We have to ask ourselves if the state of Connecticut is prepared to give our police departments the tools they need to solve these crimes.  In addition, there is a component in this bill that if an individual does not get convicted of a crime, his DNA could be expunged.”

According to Jayann Sepich, Katie’s mother, founder of DNA Saves and Katie’s Law advocate, the law identifies violent criminals quickly. By collecting DNA from arrestees, law enforcement can identify criminals earlier and create more efficient investigation practices. Solving crimes sooner reduces costs associated with misdirected investigations. With a DNA match, law enforcement can quickly narrow in on the right suspect, saving untold man hours used in traditional investigations. This cost savings can then be redirected to other crimes where DNA is not available and traditional investigation techniques are the only means of solving the crime.

“I am honored that Rep. Sharkey has reappointed me to continue working with him in this leadership position,” Hewett said.  “Challenges remain, but I am confident that together we will find ways to bring new opportunities for the benefit of our state.”

The Deputy Majority Leader is responsible for aiding the Majority Leader with the review and development of policy, the analysis of critical legislation, and with the agenda of the majority party.

"Rep. Hewett has been a leader throughout his public service- first as Mayor of New London and as a Legislator. He has the experience to play a major role in crafting the 2011 House Legislative Agenda."

In addition, Rep. Hewett will continue to serve as a member of the Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Collective Bargaining; as well as a member of Judiciary and Labor committees. He will also join the Joint Committee on Legislative Management during the 2011 Legislative Session.

Rep. Hewett has been serving the 39th Assembly District of New London since 2005. He previously served as the Mayor of New London.

The plan, which was approved by the General Assembly prior to the constitutional adjournment date of May 5, includes $170 million in spending cuts across a host of state agencies and a reduction of $300 million from a previous borrowing plan. There is also hundreds of millions of dollars in savings from a shorter term and lower interest rate on the issuance of $956 million in Economic Recovery Bonds (ERBs).

"Our budget agreement is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we adopt during our legislative session, and I am pleased to see that we were able to reach a compromise prior to the end our regular session," Hewett said.

The ERBs have an eight year term at a low interest rate of 3% and will be paid off using a small portion (one third) of two current charges on electric bills. As part of the budget, customers will see one of the charges reduced by over 60%. The net result for most electric customers will be a savings of about $5 per month. As the economy continues to recover and revenues grow, the ERBs can be paid off earlier.

In addition, as an alternative to entering a much more expensive nursing home setting, seniors will see up to a $300 per month cost reduction for certain home care services that saves taxpayers millions of dollars over the long term. AARP has endorsed the home care program.

Under the bill (HB 5491), local and regional boards of education identified as low achieving due to not meeting adequate yearly progress in mathematics and reading must establish a school governance council with the power to reconstitute schools in three years.

Other provisions include creating a new Parent Trust Fund and allowing the Commissioner of Education to use the resources of the fund to make grants to programs aimed at improving the health, safety and education of children.

"I am pleased to see this legislation moving forward in order to begin to address the systemic problems that plague our school systems with thousands of children in our state failing and dropping out early," Hewett said. "This measure gives parents and students, new tools to get children back on track finding options that will help them achieve their academic goals."

In addition, the bill creates an online credit recovery program for schools with a drop out rate of 8% or greater, requires boards of education to conduct two parent conferences per year and establishes a task force to study issues related to the achievement gap.  Finally, boards of education would have to offer an advanced placement (AP) course program, and for State Department of Education to develop guidelines for training teachers for teaching AP courses.

"Education is the best legacy we can leave our children," said Hewett. "It is our responsibility to provide the best possible resources to make it happen for them."

The recent hearings held by the Judiciary Committee show that there is a great deal of work to be done to meet those goals. The process employed by the Judicial Selection Commission as well as its composition needs to dramatically change to better reflect and serve the people of Connecticut.

There are currently 187 judges of the Supreme, Appellate and Superior Court.¹ The table below displays their racial and ethnic breakdown.

Of these judges, 130 or 69.5% were male and 57 or 30.5% were female.

Members of the Caucus have expressed concern that the ethnic and racial composition of the bench is not reflective of our diverse state population. Our commitment is to seek remedy for, and support measures, which work to rectify this situation.

¹ This figure does not include senior judges or state referees.

A bitter dispute over the state budget and the nomination of nine judges brought the state Capitol to a screeching halt Monday as a scheduled session of the House was canceled.

Democrats and Republicans are locked in a clash over politics and money - and some lawmakers say the future judges have become political pawns who have become entangled in the swirling Capitol maelstrom.

The future of the nominees was thrown into doubt when the legislature's judiciary committee postponed any vote on their nominations. The postponement came at about 2:10 p.m., and the committee will not meet again until Tuesday.

The committee's lack of action came after a long debate about the qualifications of Laura Flynn Baldini, a Yale-educated Republican who at age 39 was the youngest person nominated this year for a judgeship by Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Multiple Democratic legislators expressed concerns that Baldini has only 12 years as a lawyer and questioned whether she is qualified to be a judge. The members of the legislature's Black and Latino Caucus have also expressed concerns that all nine nominees are white, and that none of them are African-American or Latino. While Rell makes the final nominations, four of the nine nominees were selected by the Democratic leaders of the House and state Senate.

The lack of action boiled over into frustration as lawmakers said they wasted a crucial day as they speed toward a state-mandated adjournment May 5 for the regular session.

"I'm dumbfounded," said House Republican leader Lawrence Cafero of Norwalk. "I've never seen anything like it - lack of leadership. Chaotic."

Cafero said the legislature is clearly dysfunctional, but House Speaker Christopher Donovan of Meriden strongly rejected that characterization. Instead, he said he is not giving up on votes on the judges and the proposed $19 billion state budget before May 5.

"We'll meet Saturday and Sunday if we have to," Donovan told reporters. "We still have time left. Things can turn around here real quick."

Republicans said the judicial nominees have become political pawns of the state budget process after some Democrats said they might withhold support for the judges because of their concerns about the state's ongoing fiscal problems and looming budget deficits. Republicans have rejected the arguments about the fiscal situation in the courts, saying that Rell is seeking to fill only nine of an expected 20 vacancies for the Superior Court. If more judges retire, those numbers could increase.

"Using judicial appointments as a budget pawn, I have grave concerns about that," said Sen. Michael McLachlan, a Danbury Republican.

Rell's nominees ran into a major political buzz saw Monday in a public clash on budget and diversity issues. But Baldini clearly came under the most fire of any nominee.

A 1992 graduate of Yale University who later attended law school at Seton Hall University, Baldini was named as a "Super Lawyers Rising Star" for up-and-coming lawyers who are under the age of 40. A justice of the peace in West Hartford for the past five years, Baldini runs a law firm that bears her name in Farmington. Baldini also has ties to Rell, sitting at the same table with her at the Connecticut Convention Center on St. Patrick's Day this year for a fundraiser for Catholic schools. Baldini is a major fundraiser and chairs the group that runs the highly popular breakfast, which draws current and former governors, candidates running for governor, politicians, media personalities, and business executives.

Rep. Toni E. Walker, a New Haven Democrat who was among the first to speak on the judiciary committee Monday, said Baldini "may be ready in a couple of years, but she needs to get exposure" in the legal world.

Regarding diversity, Walker later said, "As a black woman, we are still falling very short in that regard. ... The message has to be that the process is flawed. ... With that, I have no apologies for anything that we are saying."

The questions swirling around Baldini's qualifications prompted Rep. Gary Holder Winfield of New Haven to ask what are the exact criteria for a person to become a state judge.

"It's a decision each legislator has to make for himself or herself," responded Sen. Andrew McDonald, the co-chairman of the judiciary commitee. "There's no criteria, per se. It's ultimately a political appointment and a political decision made by this body."

Winfield and others wondered how Baldini rose so quickly when others wait as long as 10 years between their application to the Judicial Selection Commission and then their nomination as a judge.

"I was disturbed by some of the things I heard her not answer," Winfield said. "When asked about habeas reform, the prospective nominee seemed not to know" what the legislators were talking about.

Several legislators said they had problems with Baldini's answers about being a Spanish translator in court when she did not seem to have a strong grasp of the Spanish language.

"It's like me forgetting to speak English," said Rep. Ernie Hewett, a New London Democrat. "She's only been on the list for six months. ... Just to run for attorney general, you need 10 years of experience. And she's got 12, and she's going to be a judge."

During the questioning of Baldini at a public hearing last week, Hewett had asked Baldini about her experiences dealing with the minority community. He then spoke in general about diversity.

"If you know how many black couples are living at the end of the street, you're not living in a diverse community," Hewett said.

He said later that the committee has members from every ethnic group and that the courts need more diversity on the bench.

"Something is wrong with the process. You just can't give me a bone every now and then," Hewett said.

Sen. Edwin Gomes of Bridgeport said he wondered "how a person moves up that quickly" when some candidates remain on the Judicial Selection Commission's list for a decade. "She knows nothing about habeas. She has no opinion on the death penalty."

Gomes said he did not see "proof that she was ready to be a judge."

At 39, Baldini has three sons with the oldest turning nine years old this week. A former member of Yale's varsity tennis team, she won the G. Gilbert Shepard Award for athletics and leadership during her undergraduate days and is currently an active member of the alumni association. Her current legal practice focuses on landlord-tenant disputes, residential real estate closings, commercial litigation and personal disputes, debt recovery, and personal injuries, among others.

"I think she is qualified," said Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, the committee's longtime co-chairman. "Judicial Selection said she is qualified. ... She's the youngest, by far, and she's the least experienced [of the nine nominees]. I don't read too much into that."

"There are a lot of people being held hostage. The black community and the Hispanic community are being held hostage as we try to get people on the bench," Gomes said, adding that the caucus had offered a minority candidate for a judgeship who was ignored. "The reason why I'm venting this way is because I've listened to a lot of stuff ... and have seen a particularly bad judge being voted on [in the past]. Let's not talk about putting these people's lives in suspension."

Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, a Hartford Democrat, was also concerned about Baldini's statements about being a Spanish translator in court.

"Most of the answers were 'I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall,' " Gonzalez said. "I was surprised [about asking Baldini a question in Spanish]. I thought she would answer me back in Spanish."

Rep. Bruce V. Morris, a Norwalk Democrat, said Baldini needs "more exposure" in the courts, particularly in the criminal area.

"Her answers were less than enlightening," Morris told his colleagues. He later said, "We don't have to rush this today."

Sen. Paul R. Doyle, a Wethersfield Democrat, said he did not have a problem with the qualifications of any of the nominees Monday. But he said that the judges should not be approved because the state is facing a projected deficit of $725 million in the 2011 fiscal year and more than $3 billion in the 2012 fiscal year.

"Today, I cannot support any of the nine new judges - primarily on fiscal grounds," Doyle said. "At this point in time, it's inappropriate to be creating new judges."

"I don't know that we need nine new judges," said Rep. T.R. Rowe, a Trumbull Republican who is known as one of the most conservative legislators. "I don't think there is a pressing need for new judges at this time. ... Attorney Baldini and eight others are qualified. ... Can we afford nine additional judges at the cost we know that they bring?"

Rep. Mary Fritz, a veteran Wallingford Democrat, said she was "very, very impressed" with the qualifications of Baldini and the other nominees. But she, too, said she has fiscal concerns and could vote later on the House floor against the judges.

Rep. Charles "Don" Clemons, a Bridgeport Democrat who serves as chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, said the caucus had not had the chance to sit down with the Democratic leadership or the governor's office to help ensure that minority candidates are nominated to the bench.

"I would like to see more of an extended opportunity to sit down at the table in the future and help with the vetting process," Clemons said.

During the questions, Republican Rep. Debralee Hovey of Monroe questioned the behind-the-scenes deal to approve the judge-nominees in return for increased funding for the judicial branch that would prevent three courthouses from being closed.

"While there are deals made, I believe it is crass and beneath this committee," Hovey said.

"You have nine people's lives that are hanging in the balance," said Rep. Themis Klarides, an attorney and deputy House GOP leader.
Rep. Kevin Roldan, a Hartford Democrat, said that Baldini is qualified.

Some legislators said they were unsure when the House might convene Monday. Rep. Stephen Dargan, a veteran West Haven Democrat, predicted correctly early in the day that the House would not be in session at all Monday.

While many lawmakers questioned the racial diversity of the group, McDonald also questioned the lack of geographical diversity. Three of the nine nominees are from West Hartford, while two others are from East Hartford and Manchester. Only one is from Fairfield County.

The committee spent most of its time debating 39-year-old Laura Flynn Baldini, the first of the nine nominees on the list, before it decided to pull the plug. The fate of Baldini and the eight other nominees will continue to hang in the balance until the Black and Puerto Rican caucus gets what it wants-one minority judge.

"It was a serious error not including one minority nominee and has proved to be a substantial stumbling block," Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Monday following the meeting. "We're hopeful a solution can be worked out and we can move forward with the nominees."

But the clock is ticking on the nominations and it's possible the Judiciary Committee will be violating state statute if it fails to send its report on the nominees to the House by the end of the day tomorrow.

Rell's office was not immediately available for comment on the matter. All nine of the nominees are white, which posed serious problems for the Black and Puerto Rican caucus members on the committee.

But House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero said the Black and Puerto Rican caucus is picking on the wrong governor.

During her tenure Rell, including the nine nominees and the one that withdrew, has nominated 86 individuals to the bench. Seventy-two were white, 12 were black and 2 were Hispanic, according to a report by the Office of Legislative Research.

Former Gov. John Rowland, who was in office for three more years than Rell, nominated a total of 114 individuals. Ninety-seven of them were white, 13 were black, two were Hispanic, and two were Asian American.

Rell has agreed to put forth additional minority judicial nominees as early as September, Cafero said. But it's likely that won't be good enough for the members of the Black and Puerto Rican caucus who want Rell to appoint a minority to the tenth spot, vacated by one of her nominees after a Hartford Courant editorial criticized his appointment.

There's nine days left until the end of the legislative session and the nominations of these judges should be routine, Cafero said. "Now the whole place has come to a grinding halt."

Monday's House session was canceled as legislative leaders and Rell tried to reach a compromise. By the end of the day after most lawmakers had gone home it looked like no compromise had been brokered.

The Black and Puerto Rican caucus members said they attempted to speak with Rell before she even made the appointments and urged her to include one of the eight minority candidates approved by the Judicial Selection Commission for a spot on the bench. Each of the nominees must be approved by the Judicial Selection Commission before the governor submits them to the Judiciary Committee for a public hearing.

Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, said he was disturbed by the things he didn't hear Baldini answer last week, such as questions about habeas corpus reform. "She didn't know what we were talking about," Holder-Winfield said.

"She didn't know what mandatory minimum sentences were," Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, said in reference to Baldini, the youngest of the nine nominees. Walker said she appreciated that Baldini wanted to be a judge to give back to her community, but didn't think her 12 to 13 years of lawyering gave her enough experience. Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, wondered about Baldini's political connections. He said she went through the Judicial Selection process very quickly.

Rep. Michael Lawlor talks to Sen. Andrew McDonald

Rep. Don Clemons, D-Bridgeport, said the Black and Puerto Rican caucus felt there was a disparity in the racial make-up of the nominees. There's concerns about making sure those that sit on the bench reflect the racial diversity of the state itself, he said.

Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said she thinks the Judiciary Committee should vote on the nominees and stressed that postponing the vote means "nine people's lives are hanging in the balance."

Sen. Ed Gomes, D-Bridgeport, said the lives of his constituents hang in the balance everyday when they go to court and wants to see a bench that reflects the citizenry of the state.

Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, wanted to know why people of color linger on the Judicial Selection Commission list for years and many of the nominees put forth by Rell, including her budget director Robert Genuario, get approved in less than six months.

Members of the Black and Puerto Rican caucus did apologize to David Sheridan of Manchester, another of the nominees, who showed up to watch Monday's hearing. Many of the members felt he was more than qualified to sit on the bench and even took the time to let him know that Monday's filibuster wasn't about him.

Still others wondered what role the Judiciary Committee plays in the process. Is it just supposed to send the House a report of the nominees or should it be considering other things like the impact the nine new judges would have on the budget?

Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-Trumbull, said he would vote the nominees out of the committee, but doesn't believe the courthouses need nine new judges.

"I don't think there is a pressing need for new judges at this time," Rowe said. "I don't know if I'd be voting for this on the House floor."