Is it pure stupidity or political expediency that led the legislature to cut its oversight of the Malloy administration?
CT Newsjunkie columnist Sara Darer Littman digs deeper into the incredible decision by Connecticut’s legislative leaders to dump the professional staff of its Program Review and Investigations Committee rather than trim the legislature’s partisan, political staff.
As explained in last week’s Wait, What? post entitled, Surprise! CT Legislature decides to function in the dark,
As the former House Chair of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Program Review and Investigation Committee, I’ve waited with baited breath as Connecticut’s legislative leaders’ contemplated ways to trim their generous legislative branch budget.One option facing the Democratic-controlled Legislative Management Committee was to reduce the number of partisan, political staff that serve as the part-time legislator’s year-around aides.Alternatively, legislative leaders announced that would have to consider taking the unprecedented and illogical step of eliminating the professional staff who work for the critically important Program Review and Investigation Committee, the primary entity that allows the legislature to investigate and oversee Executive Branch programs.What, oh what, would legislative leaders do when faced with such a “difficult” decision?Should they take a small step that might reduce their power of incumbency orIs it pure stupidity or political expediency that led the legislature to cut its oversight of the Malloy administration? - Wait What?:
