Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) today announced that he was taking the extraordinary step of calling for a motion to reconsider the confirmation of Andrew McDonald to be the next Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
“Today, I am asking that one of the 19 members of the Senate who voted down Justice McDonald’s confirmation as Chief Justice to have the courage to make a motion to reconsider,” said Senator Looney. “What was evident on the floor yesterday was that the Republicans failed to make a case as to why Justice McDonald is not qualified to lead the court. Their actions to block Justice McDonald’s conformation have been panned by editorial boards and the legal community.
“This is not a request that I make lightly. Indeed this is an extraordinary and historic action; however, in order to preserve the independence of Connecticut’s judicial system and ensure that partisan politics does not infect the judiciary, the senate should reconsider Justice McDonald’s confirmation,” said Senator Looney.
“This is the final opportunity for the Republicans to prevent the damage they are about to inflict on the judiciary,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “Justice McDonald’s credentials are unimpeachable which is why his nomination is supported by the deans of Yale, UCONN and Quinnipiac law schools, the Connecticut Bar Association and dozens of highly respected lawyers—including Democrats and Republicans. A vote to reconsider is the only course to honor Connecticut’s nonpartisan judicial traditions.”
Pursuant to Senate Rule 26, action on a bill or resolution is not final until the right of reconsideration has expired. After a vote has been taken, any senator on the prevailing side of the vote may move for reconsideration on the day of the vote or on the next succeeding session day. According to Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure Section 468, when a vote is reconsidered, the vote is “canceled completely as though it had never been taken”.
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