Hurley Set for Rematch with Morin
WETHERSFIELD - Republican Town Councilor Mike Hurley has the Town Committee nomination for the 28th Assembly District, setting his course toward a rematch with 10-year incumbent and House Deputy Majority Leader Russ Morin.

       The Committee made its endorsement official last Monday night, as Hurley set his sights on state spending and what he’s characterized as an unfriendly environment for businesses.

       Hurley challenged Morin two years ago, falling short by only a 6 percent margin in his bid to unseat him.

       â€"We did a lot of things right [on that campaign],” Hurley said. â€"We can do some things differently this time, but I think we can win.”

       He thinks that sentiments regarding the state budget-facing near-billion dollar deficits in the near future-will make a case against members of the current majority. Hurley attributes many of the state’s economic woes to what he described as over-taxation and regulation of businesses.

       â€"We have to be competitive as a state,” Hurley said. â€"Even though taxes would be less, you would have more businesses.”

       Which ultimately means more jobs, he said.

       He was also quick to question Morin’s recent budget vote-Morin did not support a $19.7 billion plan that included cuts to numerous service areas while mitigating reductions to municipal aid and prompting a potential 2,500 state union employee layoffs-calling to attention the fact that he is employed by some of the parties negotiating on behalf of the workers.

       â€"Some might call it a conflict of interest,” Hurley said.

       But Morin countered that his role is strictly disciplinary, and that the negotiations do not impact his salary or benefits. He pointed to legislator ethics provisions stating that an individual must benefit directly and personally in order for their involvement in any organization or industry to constitute a conflict of interest.

       â€"How many lawyers are there on the Judiciary Committee?” Morin said. â€"We have doctors on the Committee for Public Health. They probably should be there.”

       Hurley is employed as the Finance Director of Traveler’s Insurance Company.

       â€"Should that prevent him from serving? Of course not,” Morin said.

       As for the budget, Morin had said that his reasons for voting against it were that he objected to the cuts to human service areas and thought that more money could have come out of the Department of Transportation (DOT).

       Republicans in the legislature also objected to the plan, but because they did not think it went far enough.

       Among Hurley’s aims is aligning new union employees with their counterparts in the private sector, and eliminating what he describes as an atmosphere of budgetary â€"uncertainty” businesses grapple with when it comes to projecting coming mandates during the legislature’s fiscal session.

       â€"Don’t even include them [new mandates] as part of the discussion, and people won’t have that to worry about,” Hurley said.

      
STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  May 27 2016  |  COMMENTS?