Gov. Malloy Elected as DGA Chair
Gov. Malloy Elected as DGA Chair
Democratic Governors Choose New Chair, Vice Chair at Annual Meeting
Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy was elected as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association at the organization’s annual meeting this morning in New York. Washington Governor Jay Inslee will serve as Vice Chair.
“We are proud today to welcome Governor Malloy as our new chair,” DGA Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson said. “Governor Malloy brings experience as an innovative policy leader and a strong campaigner who won hard-fought races in both the 2010 and 2014 cycles.
“Thanks to Governor Malloy’s leadership, Connecticut has been a national leader on policies that improve the lives of middle-class families,” Pearson added. “Governor Malloy was the first governor in the nation to pass paid sick leave legislation, the first governor to raise the minimum wage to $10.10, and a leading voice on expanding voting rights and strengthening equal pay laws. We’re proud to have him as the DGA’s leader.”
Governor Malloy succeeds Montana Governor Steve Bullock, who served as chair since December 2014. Under Gov. Bullock’s leadership, the DGA recruited strong candidates for 2016, took a national leadership role on policies such as transportation investment, launched a new redistricting initiative, and won the Louisiana governor’s office for the first time in 12 years.
“As chair of the DGA, I’ve been proud to work with my fellow Democratic governors on policies that strengthen the middle class, invest in education, and create jobs,” said Gov. Bullock. “I’m also proud to welcome a new Democratic governor to our ranks, after Gov-elect John Bel Edwards’s historic victory in Louisiana. I welcome Gov. Malloy to this new role and I know he’ll have tremendous success.”
Malloy was elected this morning by fellow Democratic governors. His term as chair begins today.
“On behalf of all Democratic governors, I thank Gov. Steve Bullock for his service to our organization and for leading the way to a huge victory in Louisiana,” Gov. Malloy said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance policies that support job creation and economic opportunity. With Congress broken, governors are driving innovative policies in the states. I look forward to helping to elect Democratic governors in 2016, while building infrastructure for the 2017-2018 cycle heading into redistricting.”
Malloy’s achievements as governor include:
- Connecticut Became First State in the Nation to Guarantee Paid Sick Leave – A Policy Popular with Workers and Businesses Alike. According to the Washington Post, Connecticut became “the first state to require companies to provide employees with paid sick leave with legislation signed into law by Gov. Dan Malloy….The measure requires businesses in the service industry with 50 or more employees to allow workers to accrue one hour of sick time for every 40 hours worked. Backers estimate that between 200,000 and 300,000 workers will benefit.” According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 75 percent of employers expressed support of the law. [Washington Post, 7/5/11, Center for Public Economic and Policy Research, 2014]
- Connecticut Became First State in the Nation to Pass Legislation Raising Minimum Wage to $10.10 per Hour. According to Reuters, “Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy on Thursday signed into law a measure that will phase in the highest minimum wage of any U.S. state, in line with a push by Democrats nationwide to raise the entry-level wage. The bill, which was approved by state legislators a day earlier, will raise the state’s minimum hourly rate to $10.10, a figure that matches what U.S. President Barack Obama has asked Congress to consider imposing nationally. […] Connecticut’s minimum wage currently stands at $8.70 per hour, and the bill will be phased in to $10.10 over three years. The current highest state minimum wage in the United States is Washington’s $9.32, above the $7.25 federal minimum.” [Reuters, 3/27/14]
- Passed Equal Pay Legislation to Stop “Pay Secrecy.” According to a June 2015 press release, “Governor Dannel P. Malloy is applauding the final passage of legislation he introduced that was designed to narrow wage gaps among Connecticut’s workforce by halting ‘pay secrecy’ – a practice among employers that frequently hinders pay discrimination from being pinpointed. The bill, which was approved in the House of Representatives last week, received a favorable vote in the Senate this afternoon and next moves to the Governor’s desk for his signature. [Gov. Malloy press release, 6/3/15]
- Led ‘Historic’ Criminal Justice Reforms to Promote Accountability and Combat Inequity in the Criminal Justice System. According to the New Haven Register, “Two bills addressing criminal just reforms have been signed into law by Gov. Dan P. Malloy in a move addressing disparities in the way citizens are treated by police and the courts […] Known as the “excessive force” bill, it calls on departments to promote “racial, gender, and ethnic diversity” in their staffing and to provide instruction on issues related to deadly physical force, cultural sensitivity, and the use of body cameras […] Malloy’s priority was the so-called “Second Chance Society” bill to reduce incarceration rates among nonviolent offenders.” [New Haven Register, 7/8/15]
- Signed Legislation Bolstering Voting Rights by Allowing For Online and Same Day Voter Registration. Accord to a press release, “Governor Dannel P. Malloy has signed into law House Bill 5024, An Act Concerning Voting Rights, legislation that will make voter registration more efficient and increase participation in elections. […] The law will create web-based voter registration that will allow eligible Connecticut citizens who have a valid and current driver’s license to register to vote online. It will also allow for Election Day registration to improve voter turnout and will create a more accurate voter file.” [Gov. Dan Malloy Press Release, 6/4/12]
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