Martin M. Looney of New Haven exited the House of Representatives in 1992 without recognition for his 12 years as a state representative. The oversight was more than corrected Tuesday night.
Looney, 77, who is retiring as the longest-serving leader of the Senate, was honored by the House, invited to join House Speaker Matt Ritter on the dais for what appears to be an unprecedented tribute on the second to last day of the annual session.
Ritter said they could find no record of a senator being recognized in the House, though it was unclear how deeply they looked: The General Assembly is 364 years old, created by a colonial charter. It was revised by a state constitution adopted in 1818, making it 208 years old in its modern iteration.
Looney’s been there for more than one-fifth of that time.
“What’s unique about Senate President Looney is not just longevity,” Ritter said, noting that Looney had been a force for decades. “When it came time to negotiate the last week of the budget, you always knew that he was going to find a deal that was practical, but did not sacrifice the principles that his chamber cared about.”
Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, who holds Looney’s old seat, was among the lawmakers offering tributes. For Looney, the son of Irish immigrants and a lover of history and literature, Lemar quoted a line from the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats: “Think where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.”
Looney has such friends, Lemar said.
Looney has been a member of the General Assembly for 46 years, the last 34 as a state senator, most of it in leadership. He has led the Senate as its president pro tem for a record 11 years, preceded by 12 years as its majority leader.
There are four House members who served with Looney in the lower chamber: Rep. Mary Mushinsky of Wallingford, elected in 1980, the same year as Looney; Rep. Pat Dillon of New Haven, elected in 1984; and Reps. Bob Godfrey of Danbury and John Piscopo of Thomaston, both elected in 1988.
All but Mushinsky are running for reelection.
Looney said the snub to him in 1992 was unintentional. While retiring lawmakers generally get a farewell, Looney said he did not for a good reason: no one knew he would not be coming back, at least not to the lower chamber.
A Senate vacancy unexpectedly opened in the 11th Senate District of New Haven and Hamden. Looney won the seat to begin a second, much longer second act at the state Capitol.
