State Representative Roberta Willis (D-64th) has been re-appointed House Chair of the legislature's Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden).

Rep. Willis has been the House Chair of this committee since January 2005.

"I am pleased that Speaker Donovan has re-appointed me to co-chair a committee that is so vital to our students and to Connecticut's economic future," Rep. Willis said. "I have had the honor to head this committee and to serve with hard working colleagues committed to improving both the quality of higher education in our state and to continue to work to make it as affordable as we can for students at all age levels."

The Committee has oversight over all matters relating to public and independent colleges and universities, the Department of Higher Education, the Board of Governors of Higher Education, post-secondary education and job training institutions, apprenticeship and adult job training programs and the Office of Workforce Competitiveness.

The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee plays an important role in job creation and workforce development which is critical to Connecticut's economic development and recovery, said Willis.

Rep. Willis will also serve on the Environment Committee and will chair the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Higher Education. She was first elected to the General Assembly in 2001 representing the towns of Cornwall, Goshen, Salisbury, Sharon and a portion of Torrington which comprise the 64th District.

The CT Early Childhood Alliance will recognize state legislators for their engagement on issues related to early childhood in their communities.

The event takes place May 26, 2010 at the Capitol building at 10 a.m. in the Old Judiciary Room.

House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden) has been chosen by the CT Early Childhood Alliance to receive its "Legislator of the Year" award for being a consistent champion for Connecticut's children this year, forming the Task Force for Children in the Recession and showing unwavering leadership in supporting children.

Fifty-two members of the House and Senate will be honored for their engagement on issues related to early childhood.

Some of the 2010 honorees include: Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington), Rep. Roberta Willis (D-Salisbury), Sen. Sam Caliguiri (R-16th District), Sen. Tom Gaffey (D-13th District), and Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30th District).

State Representative Roberta Willis (D-64^th District) is co-sponsoring a bill that would tax the bonuses at only companies that received taxpayer funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

The bill (HB 5175), “An Act Imposing A Tax On Bonuses Received By Employees Of Businesses That Received Funds Under The Troubled Asset Relief Program” has been filed and goes next to the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.”

Under the bill, the tax imposed on an individual employed by a business that received TARP funds, would be at a rate of 90% on such a bonus that is over $250,000 for a couple filing jointly or $100,000 for an individual.

For example, if an employee received a $5 million bonus as a result of TARP money, the first $100,000 for individuals and the first $250,000 for joint filers would be exempt.

The employee’s regular salary would not be affected by this bonus tax, only TARP bonus money. There are several other legislators who have also signed onto the bill.

“The purpose of this bill is to try to require those who created our economic meltdown to contribute to the recovery,” Rep. Willis said. “Hard working taxpayers saved Wall Street and it’s time for taxpayers to get their money back.”

“This is not about revenge or getting even. It’s about fairness and economic justice,” Rep. Willis said. “Everywhere I go, talking with constituents, they have expressed their outrage over the Wall Street bailout and reports of lavish bonuses being paid out.”

“This legislation sends the message that we hear the outcry from our constituents and hopefully the bill will pass the legislature and will be signed into law by the governor,” Rep. Willis said.

Representative Willis represents Cornwall, Goshen, Salisbury, Sharon and a portion of Torrington. She is House Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations and Environment Committees.

The hottest topic at last night's Litchfield County Board of Realtors and local Home Builders Association meeting with area legislators wasn't directly related to real estate or home building.

It came in a lengthy and sometimes-spirited question-and-answer period in which longtime master of ceremonies for the event, local Realtor TJ Zappulla, pointed out that funding for crucial programs such as a $220,000 tuberculosis screening program has been eliminated while Connecticut's new system of public financing for political campaigns will be giving up to $2.5 million to each candidate for governor this year who qualifies.

Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) said he was kind of taken aback to receive a check for $85,000 to spend on his campaign. He ended up returning almost half of it to the taxpayers.

Rep. John Rigby (R-Colebrook) was most critical of public financing, saying that the $60 million used for the program should be returned to taxpayers, and that it was ridiculous to be spending taxpayer money on political campaigns when people are losing their homes.

Public financing was defended by the three Democrats in the room, Rep. Annie Hornish (D-Granby), Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington) and Rep. Roberta Willis (D-Salisbury).

Willis said that public financing was first introduced in response to the many political scandals that led to Connecticut becoming known as a corrupt state.

Hornish and Cook suggested that the system could be tweaked, i.e., establishing lower spending thresholds and encouraging more candidates such as Roraback to return money, rather than scrapped altogether.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill last week that formalizes what was already decided by the Connecticut Supreme Court - that gays and lesbians have the right to marry in this state.

Over intense opposition from some religious groups, the bill passed the Senate 28-7 and passed the House 100-44.

A number of local lawmakers were among those casting a dissenting vote.

“No” votes were cast by Sen. Kevin Witkos (R-Canton), Rep. William Hamzy (R-Plymouth), Rep. Craig Miner (R-Litchfield), Rep. John Piscopo (R-Thomaston) and Rep. John Rigby (R-Colebrook).

Voting “yes” were Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen), Rep. Annie Hornish (D-Granby), Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington) and Rep. Roberta Willis (D-Salisbury).

WINSTED — Feeling confused about the state’s budget proposal? All three of them?

State Rep. John Rigby, R-63, has scheduled a public meeting to discuss his ideas for the state’s budget at the Gilbert School on Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m.Rigby says the meeting was prompted, in part, by his opposition to the budget recently proposed by Democrats in the State Legislature.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of concerns from voters about the Democrat’s budget, which includes $3.3 billion in taxes,” he said. “Raising taxes in a time of economic crisis is like adding gasoline to the fire. Some families would pay $1,500 and $2,000 in new state and property taxes. That’s too much.”

Last week Rigby joined House and Senate Republicans, who unveiled their “alternative” budget to the Democrat’s proposal, itself an “alternative” to the budget proposed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Rigby says the Republican budget will consolidate government positions.

“Early reitrement could lead to $285,000,000 in savings over two years,” he said. “We also could consolidate 23 state agencies into six state agencies.” Rigby also cited concessions from state workers for salary, healthcare and pension benefits for savings of $662 million.One cost-cutting measure Rigby was not in favor of, however, is the proposed closing of the Winsted DMV under the Democrat’s budget.

“Michell and I have heard the outcry in hundreds of e-mails,” Rigby said, referring to fellow Representative Michelle Cook, R-65. Rigby said the Republicans budget would “streamline” the DMV and the Department of Transportation for cost-savings.

Rigby will return to Hartford on Wednesday. He says he expects Democrats will want to incoporate ideas from the Republican’s proposed budget. He also predicted the state legislature will eventually pass a “no tax increase budget.”

In response, state Rep. Roberta Willis, D-64, said that balancing the budget with a zero increase in taxes would be easier said than done. “Unlike the federal government we have to have a balanced budget,” she said. “We can’t cost cut our way out of this. We can’t balance this budget without tax increases.”

Not job creation, not reducing the size of state government. Rather, passing a new state mandate for small businesses is a top priority of the Working Families Party, and has the full support of local state Rep. Roberta Willis.
CLICK HERE for the story.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital President Daniel McIntyre, U.S. Congressman Chris Murphy, state Sen. Andrew Roraback and state Rep. Roberta Willis are all expected to participate in a forum on "The Future of Health Care" from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, 333 Kennedy Drive, Torrington.
They will participate in a panel that will also include Ann Bowen, president of the Bowen Agency in Winsted and chairman of the Chamber's Insurance Committee, and Juan A. Figueroa, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
The panel will be moderated by Marc Vallario, vice president of sales at United Healthcare, and hosts of the session are Michael and Theresa Carr, co-chairmen of the Chamber Health Council and owners of Inspired Touch LLC.
RSVP for the event at www.nwctchamberofcommerce.org/event_register.asp.

District 63 Republican state representative candidate John Rigby is not the only unopposed candidate on the ballot to face a last-minute write-in campaign.
Michael Lynch, an attorney who lost handily to State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64th District) four years ago, attended the Torrington Rotary Club meeting today wearing a big "Michael Lynch for State Representative" pin from four years ago and announced to the crowd that he'd cast a ballot for himself today as a write-in candidate against Willis.
Unlike Norfolk attorney William Riiska's serious challenge of Rigby in the wake of Rep. George Wilber's resignation, we can assume that Lynch didn't get certified as an "official" write-in candidate with the Secretary of the State's office.

From today's Register Citizen ...

ENDORSEMENT: Witkos for State Senate
The vacancy this year in state Senate District 8 provides an incredible opportunity for Torrington, because on so many important issues to the city over the past few years, its "other" state senator, Tom Herlihy, has been missing in action.