Eyebrows raised over GAE not taking up Malloy’s proposal

Eyebrows were raised in various corners of the State Capitol today over the Government Administration Elections Committee leaving Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Election Day registration bill off the committee’s agenda.

The panel reported a number of election reforms out of the committee today, but the panel’s co-chair, Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said she had some unresolved questions over Election Day registration. She said the bill will get a favorable vote soon.

Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and the GAE co-chairs, Slossberg and Rep. Russell Morin, D-Wethersfield, all endorsed Election Day registration and other reforms at a news conference.

A governor’s high-profile bill generally gets a quick committee vote, even if it needs fine-tuning.

On a nearly party-line vote, the committee did approve a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would allow the General Assembly to pass a law allowing no-excuse absentee voting.