A brief conversation in a State Capitol hallway during the past week, between the governor and a powerful state senator, has added to the intrigue of an ongoing battle over the possible private development of 17 acres of state-owned open space overlooking the Connecticut River in Haddam - an issue that some say has statewide implications for Connecticut's land conservation program.
Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was moving through the public areas of the Capitol building a few days ago when he encountered Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, co-chairwoman of the influential legislative finance committee. Daily is a formidable, veteran legislative leader whose cooperation on various matters involving the state budget has been important to Malloy this year.
As Malloy and Daily exchanged a few words, people near them were able to hear Daily mention something about her desire to discuss a matter involving land.
It sounded to at least one listener that it concerned the controversial, twice-failed proposal that Daily is backing for the third consecutive year: a provision inserted by Daily into a legislative bill that would enable developers to swap 87 wooded acres that they own in another part of Haddam for the state's 17 acres near the river.
It turns out that the listener heard right.