Airport Authority Refuses To Disclose Casino Docs

The Journal Inquirer reports that the Connecticut Airport Authority “is refusing to disclose information about its proposal for a third casino, claiming the documents and discussions are exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act.”  A hearing is scheduled before the Freedom of Information Commission tomorrow. 

I asked the law firm that made the FOI request on behalf of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey LLP, if it would share their pre-hearing brief with me, which they kindly did.  I’ll try to get a copy of the CAA’s brief and post it shortly.

Klau Launches CT Good Governance

Dear Readers:

I am very pleased to announce the launch of my new site, CT Good Governance. The mission of the site is to improve state and local governmental policy outcomes, promote ethical decision-making, increase the confidence of citizens and public officials in their government, and help government meet its constitutional and statutory obligations to the citizens of the State of Connecticut. CT Good Governance seeks to fulfill its mission by applying the principles of good governance to the constitutional, statutory and legislative rules, as well as informal customs and conventions, that govern the processes by which our state and local governments make and implement decisions.

I am very excited about the site, which I hope will serve as a public forum for non-partisan discussion of ideas and strategies to improve the democratic process in the Nutmeg State. Please take a moment to peruse the site and the several “good governance” proposals already on it. I’d be delighted to discuss the site and my hopes for it with you.

Warmly,

Dan Klau

Death To The Bluebook!

So says Judge Richard Posner, and other folks (myself included) concur.  As a rule, book burning is very very bad.  But I’ll make an exception in the case of the dreaded Blue.

What’s At Stake In Selecting Scalia’s Replacement?

More than you can imagine.  As author Jeffrey Rosen writes,

Everyone agrees that this is the most significant Supreme Court vacancy in a generation. But what competing visions of the Constitution, precisely, are voters choosing between?The constitutional stakes could hardly be higher.

Read Rosen’s entire discussion of this issue at the National Constitution Center’s blog.

The Ted Cruz Debate, Ctd.

Further to my previous posts on whether Ted Cruz is constitutionally eligible to serve as president, check out this interesting post at The Originalism Blog.  (I must admit that posting about this issue gives me the heebie jeebies because it smacks of the foolish “birtherism” movement against Obama.  However, Cruz says the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted according to its “original meaning,” and there is a non-frivolous argument that he is not qualified when the constitution is interpreted in that manner.)

UPDATE: March 28, 2016:  An excellent new post on why Ted Cruz is not eligible.

POTUS Nominates Garland To Supreme Court

President Barack Obama nominated D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland, 63, to be fill the seat on the Supreme Court created by the recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia.  Garland has served on the federal appeals court in Washington since 1997, after a distinguished career as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice.

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