Deputy Secretary of the State James Spallone has written as a private citizen to Gov. Dannel Malloy, urging him to veto the bill containing the so-called "Haddam land swap," which now is on the governor's desk for his signature. As reported in Wednesday's Courant, the governor has until Friday, July 15 to decide whether to sign it.
Spallone said in his three-page letter, dated July 1, that he did not write in his current capacity as the second-ranking state official in charge of running elections and keeping corporate registration records. Instead, Spallone said he's giving his views as as a former state representative, who had Haddam in his district and was co-chairman of the legislative committee that dealt for the past three years with the twice-rejected swap proposal. The House and Senate finally approved the proposal on June 8.
Malloy's director of communications, Colleen Flanagan, said Wednesday when asked about Spallone's letter that members of Malloy's staff are "still hearing from proponents and opponents" of the swap. It is "certainly an issue that has strong opinions on both sides," Flanagan said, adding that Malloy "will review the issue in its entirety and will make a decision at the appropriate time."