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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. 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 a Deputy Minority Leader and sits on the Appropriations (ranking member), Higher Education (ranking member), Public Health (ranking member), and Regulations Review committees.

Economic issues

Debicella generally opposes creating new taxes or raising existing ones. In 2009, he has opposed Democratic deficit reduction plans and indicated a refusal to vote in favor of any budget that raises taxes. He and other Republicans in the state legislature have proposed a series of spending cuts as an alternative, such as the amount of social services covered by state funding.

Debicella was endorsed in the 2008 election by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, indicating a voting record that generally favors businesses. He joined other Republicans in opposing bills requiring businesses to provide paid sick leave to their employees, as well as a bill extending benefits for workers injured on the job. Debicella opposed a bill that called for a ban of trans fat in Connecticut restaurants, which was proposed by leading Senate Republicans. He has repeatedly voted against raising the minimum wage. The Connecticut AFL-CIO gave Debicella a 29% rating on their 2008 scorecard, indicating a record generally opposed to the interests of labor unions. 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 March 2009, Debicella was named a "Guardian of Small Business" by the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Debicella generally opposes health care mandates, as well as the creation or expansion of government-run health care programs. He has voted against mandating insurance companies to cover hearing aids for children, but in favor of requiring coverage of autism diagnosis and treatment. Debicella voted against the creation of SustiNet, a program that would guarantee limited health care coverage for all Connecticut residents. 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 to cover more children. Debicella has proposed a bill that would allow 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.

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

During his first term in the State Senate, Debicella served on the Environment committee. In response to plans the Environmental Protection Agency had for waste deposit in Stratford, he co-sponsored a bill that prohibited individuals and government agencies from depositing more than 1,000 cubic yards of asbestos-laden soil near residential areas without approval from two-thirds of the municipality's legislative body. The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters gave Debicella a 58% rating on their 2008 scorecard, the lowest in the state legislature.

Debicella generally votes against the creation of unfunded mandates on municipalities, such as requiring all student suspensions to be in-school. He co-sponsored a bipartisan bill that funded the Teacher’s Retirement Fund through state bonding. In committee, Debicella filibustered a controversial bill, which was ultimately vetoed by Rell, that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants who graduated from a Connecticut high school to apply for in-state tuition. In June 2009, as political backlash against Senate Democrats, Debicella filibustered another bill that would have attracted qualified teachers to needy districts by explaining how much he liked the bill while running out the clock to prevent a vote on it.

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

Debicella has co-sponsored multiple bills to prohibit the expansion of Sikorsky Memorial 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.

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.

Social issues

Debicella is pro-choice but was one of three State Senators to vote against requiring health care facilities to provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. While defending this vote during the 2008 campaign, Debicella stated, "On the rape bill all I voted against was a bill allowing morning-after contraception to be issued to victims." This comment was heavily criticized by Democrats, including his opponent, Janice Andersen, who called it "insensitive to rape victims." Debicella defended his position by explaining that he supports access to emergency contraception but opposes forcing Catholic hospitals, who would have been affected by the bill, to go against their religious beliefs, and said Andersen was "using an emotional issue for political gain."

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, an anti-gay marriage outfit that advocated strongly for the amendments to the bill. Debicella was one of four State Senators to oppose prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.

Governance issues

Debicella supports referendum and initiative, including a constitutional convention. He opposes holding special elections for U.S. Senate vacancies. Debicella was one of two Senators to oppose a "clean contracting" bill designed to prevent preferential treatment and no-bid contracts, which brought scandal to former Governor John Rowland. Debicella joined the majority in voting for reform of the state's probate court system.

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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