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Dan Debicella

Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 21st district
In office 2007–present
Preceded by	George Gunther
Constituency	Shelton, Stratford (part), Monroe (part), Seymour (part)

Personal details
Born	225x250px October 24, 1974 Bridgeport, Connecticut
Died	225x250px
Resting place	225x250px
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alexandra Galli-Debicella
Parent	225x250px
Residence	Shelton, Connecticut
Website	http://www.debicella.com

Daniel Charles Debicella (born October 24, 1974) is a Republican politician and businessman currently representing the 21st district in the Connecticut State Senate.

Personal life and background

Debicella was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Shelton, where he currently resides. He graduated from Shelton High School in 1992. He holds a degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Debicella is currently an Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services. Previously, Debicella worked as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo, an online business owner, and a management consultant. He currently serves on the board of various community organizations.

Prior to being elected to the Connecticut State Senate, Debicella served on Shelton’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation for seven years, four as its chairman. Debicella acted as the Fairfield County regional chair for Rudy Giuliani's unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

State Senator

Debicella was first elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 2006 and subsequently re-elected in 2008. He succeeded George "Doc" Gunther, the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history, after working as his campaign manager for several elections.

In the State Senate, Debicella is Deputy Minority Leader and sits on the Appropriations (ranking member), Higher Education (ranking member), Public Health (ranking member), and Regulations Review committees.

Accomplishments

In 2007, Debicella co-authored a bill that provides tax credits for businesses that create at least 10 new jobs in a year. The bill was passed unanimously and signed into law by Governor Jodi Rell. In committee, Debicella filibustered a controversial bill that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants who graduated from a Connecticut high school to apply for in-state tuition. The bill eventually passed through the General Assembly but was ultimately vetoed by Rell.

In 2008, in response to Environmental Protection Agency plans for a waste deposit in Stratford, Debicella co-sponsored a bill that prohibited the depositing of more than 1,000 cubic yards of asbestos-laden soil near residential areas without approval from two-thirds of the municipality's legislative body. He also proposed legislation that would have allowed individuals and families who receive a physical exam and all age-appropriate preventive tests to deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses from their state income tax, which did not pass through committee. Debicella co-sponsored a bill that expanded Operation Fuel, a program that provides a $500 credit for Connecticut seniors 65 or older whose income is at or below the state median, to assist with their home heating costs. Debicella also secured $2 million in bonding for downtown Shelton revitalization, which cumulated with a visit to Shelton by Governor Rell announcing the funding.

In 2009, Debicella is focusing on eliminating Connecticut’s budget deficit without tax increases by reducing spending through changing how the state provides social services. Debicella has also reintroduced his proposed for tax credits to those who obtain all prescribed preventative tests.

Debicella received the "Guardian of Small Business" award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses in March 2009 for his work in supporting pro-small business legislation.

Voting Record

Economic issues

Debicella has opposed raising taxes or creating new ones. In 2007, Debicella joined the majority of Senators in voting for a budget that did not raise taxes, was under the constitutional spending cap, and increased education funding by 10-20% to all towns. In 2009, Debicella came out strongly against a Democratic proposal to increase taxes by over $3.3 billion. Instead, he joined other legislative Republicans in proposing a budget that cut spending to close the budget deficit.

Debicella was endorsed in the 2008 election by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. He joined other Republicans in opposing bills requiring business to provide paid sick leave to their employees, as well as a bill extending benefits for workers injured on the job. He has repeatedly voted against raising the minimum wage. The Connecticut AFL-CIO gave Debicella a 29% rating on their 2008 scorecard.

Debicella has also generally been against government involvement in healthcare. He voted against the creation of SustiNet, a program that would create a government-run health care system. He also voted against allowing municipal, small business, and nonprofit employees to join the state employees' health insurance pool, as well as expanding Connecticut's HUSKY health plan. He co-sponsored a bill to provide autism diagnosis and treatment ., but voted against mandating insurance companies to cover hearing aids for teenagers Instead, Debicella introduced an amendment that would have replaced such mandates with individual choice without pre-conditions—allowing people to choose to be covered, but not forced to pay for more coverage they do not want.

Debicella co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to make it more difficult to take property by eminent domain for commercial development. He was one of three State Senators to vote against a bill allowing municipalities to delay their property revaluation process until 2011. He was also the lone vote against a bill that gave the town of Westport control over a shellfish bed.

Quality of life issues

In the area of education, Debicella co-sponsored a bipartisan bill in 2007 that funded the Teacher’s Retirement Fund through utilizing state bonding, and has consistently opposed the creation of unfunded mandates on municipalities such as mandating all school suspensions be in-school.

In the area of transportation, Debicella co-sponsored a bill that passed in both 2007 and 2008 to forbid the expansion of Sikorsky Airport in Stratford. In a rare tie vote in the Senate, he voted for ending zone pricing of gasoline in Connecticut, which did not become law.

On crime issues, Debicella has supported having a “three strikes” law in Connecticut, which would automatically impose a life sentence upon anyone convicted of three violent felonies. He supports the death penalty, voted against abolishing it, and said he supports reforms to make it "more workable." He has also opposed the legalization of medical marijuana. Debicella voted against a bill that required lost and stolen firearms to be reported within 72 hours.

Debicella opposed a bill that called for a ban of trans fat in Connecticut restaurants. He has proposed amendments to end the power of judges to force affordable housing on communities. The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters gave Debicella a 58% rating on their 2008 scorecard.

Social issues

Debicella voted in favor of a bill codifying the Connecticut Supreme Court's recognition of same-sex marriages, but only after including protections for religious institutions and organizations. He also introduced amendments requiring schools to notify parents when marriage and sexuality were being discussed, and allowing parents to remove their children from such discussions, neither of which passed. He was endorsed in the 2008 election by the Family Institute of Connecticut. Debicella was one of four State Senators to oppose prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. Debicella was one of three State Senators to vote against requiring health care facilities to provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. This vote, as well as a specific comment made by Debicella at a 2008 campaign debate, were strongly criticized by opponent Janice Andersen and other Democrats, who held a rally to condemn Debicella's position as "insensitive to rape victims" and “criminal”. Debicella defended his position by explaining that he supports access to emergency contraception "for all women, and especially for rape victims", but opposes forcing Catholic hospitals, who would have been affected by the bill, to go against their religious beliefs. Debicella said Andersen was "using an emotional issue for political gain."

Governance issues

Debicella supports referendum and initiative in Connecticut. He voted against holding special elections for U.S. Senate vacancies, favoring maintaining Gubernatorial appointment. . Debicella was one of two Senators to oppose a "clean contracting" bill designed to prevent preferential treatment and no-bid contracts, saying it would stop privatization efforts. Debicella co-sponsored a bill to reform of the state's probate court system by reducing the number of courts.

Electoral history

Connecticut State Senate Election, 2006: Senatorial District 21
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dan Debicella	16,476	52.2
	Democratic	Chris Jones	15,099	47.8
Majority			1,377
Turnout			31,575

Connecticut State Senate Election, 2008: Senatorial District 21
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dan Debicella	24,940	54.4
	Democratic	Janice Andersen	20,912	45.6
Majority			4,028
Turnout			45,852

External links

Campaign website
Issue positions and key votes at Project Vote Smart

References

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