MALLOY VETOES DCF OVERSIGHT BILL

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have made changes to the oversight of the state Department of Children and Families.

The 19-member State Advisory Council on Children and Families would have received new duties, including tracking and evaluating the policies and practices of DCF and making funding recommendations for the agency, under the bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate. The legislation would have also eliminated the Council’s need to issue reports to the governor and DCF commissioner.

This bill “represents a significant intrusion by the legislative branch into the functioning and administrative authority of an executive branch agency in violation of the separation of powers doctrine,” Malloy wrote.

DCF needs more oversight because of recent “system failures” that resulted in the abuses of children, said Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, of North Haven.

Malloy urged lawmakers to pass a revised version of the bill that strikes a better balance between “legislative oversight and executive branch authority,” in their veto session in the coming weeks. In that session, legislators review the bills vetoed by the governor and decide whether to override his veto, change the bill or drop it.

This is the fifth bill passed by lawmakers the governor has nixed this spring.

Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Members of the Stratford Coed Beach Volleyball program play a game on the sands of Short Beach, in Stratford. Run by the Stratford Recreation Department, the volleyball games are played every Wednesday evening throughout the summer, and is just one of...