McKinney names Fasano, Roraback to Leadership

Senate Republican Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, has named State Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven and State Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen as his chief deputies, according to a caucus press release issued Wednesday.

Fasano will serve as Minority Leader Pro Tempore and Roraback will serve in same capacity and the new position of Minority Caucus Chairman.

Senator Fasano, who previously served as Deputy Minority Leader, has represented the 34th District towns of Wallingford, North Haven and East Haven since January 8th, 2002. He is the Senate Ranking Member on the General Assembly’s Planning and Development Committee and Veterans Affairs Committee, and also serves on the Committees on General Law and Public Health.

“Len Fasano distinguished himself this year with his leadership on the important issues of eminent domain and energy reform, and in the fight to pass the No Tax Increase Budget proposal,” said Senator McKinney. “He has played a major role in our caucus since first being elected in 2002.”

Senator Roraback, who previously served as a Deputy Minority Leader, is in his fourth term in the Senate representing the 30th District communities of Brookfield, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Washington and Winsted. Prior to his election to the State Senate, Senator Roraback served the people of the 64th Assembly District in the CT House of Representatives from 1994 through 2000.

Senator Roraback is the Senate Ranking Member on the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee. He is the Senate Chairman of the Regulation Review Committee, and is also a member of the Finance, Judiciary and Legislative Management Committees

Both of these Senators have extensive records of service and accomplishment in the Senate.

Senator Fasano has amassed an extensive record of public service accomplishment in Hartford and in his district. This year he has led efforts to reform Connecticut’s eminent domain laws and was outspoken in his opposition to both the Governor’s and the Majority’s proposals to raise state taxes at a time when Connecticut is awash in surplus revenues and its residents are already coping with high taxes and skyrocketing energy costs.

Senator Roraback is one of the General Assembly’s leading advocates for protecting Connecticut’s environment and preserving its open space and farmland. He has been named Legislator of the Year by the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association three times, and has been hailed as an “Environmental Hero” by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters. His environmental stewardship and commitment to farmland preservation has also been recognized by Audubon Connecticut, the Working Lands Alliance, the Connecticut Greenways Council, and the Housatonic Valley Association.

And even with a law practice and an hour commute to the Capitol, Roraback has a perfect voting record since since beginning his service in the General Assembly on January 4, 1995. His record now stands at more than thirteen years and more than 5,770 consecutive votes. Senator Roraback is the only one of the 187 members of the Connecticut General Assembly who can claim this accomplishment.