Excessive drinking ‘taken seriously’
Ritter responds as Comey issues apology for behavior, citing ‘wine I had with dinner’
House Speaker Matt Ritter said he has spoken to his colleagues about excessive drinking at the state Capitol complex following a Democratic lawmaker’s obvious impairment during a debate on the House floor last week.
On Wednesday, Rep. Robin Comey, a Democrat from Branford, expressed regret for her behavior on May 28, when her struggle to make her point briefly shut down legislative proceedings.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for my behavior last Thursday night,’’ Comey said in a written statement emailed by her spokeswoman Wednesday afternoon. “That evening, while speaking on H.B. 6558, I suddenly and unexpectedly began to feel unwell. This was due to several factors, including anxiety, exhaustion, and, regrettably, the wine I had with dinner.”
Comey said she did not drive home “in an abundance of caution” and remained in Hartford until the following morning.
“This type of behavior is not typical for me. I take full responsibility for my error in judgment,’’ she said.
Comey’s apology came after Ritter issued a strong public statement against drinking when the legislature is in session.
“To say that this is being taken seriously would be an understatement,” Ritter told reporters during a briefing Wednesday morning. “It’s fair to say that myself and [House Majority
Leader Jason Rojas] have admonished people.”
With the Capitol complex largely empty due to pandemic restrictions and legislators left with long stretches of free time, alcohol consumption has become an issue this session, legislative leaders said Wednesday.
On Thursday night, almost 11 hours after the House session began, Comey took the microphone on the House floor to discuss an amended bill dealing with early childhood education.
She seemed to have trouble finding her words and after a few moments, several colleagues, including Ritter and Rep. William Petit, R-Plainville, whowas trained as a physician, approached her to help. Capitol police carrying medical equipment also responded. The entire episode aired on CT-N, which provides a video feed of events at the Capitol.
Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, a Republican from Seymour, accompanied Comey to the women’s restroom as she walked out of the chamber with the Capitol police.
A few minutes later, business in the House resumed, with no mention of what had just unfolded. Comey did not vote on the early childhood bill, but voted on three subsequent bills later in the evening before the House adjourned at 11:40 p.m. Thursday.
Amarried mother of two, Comey was first elected in 2018. She works as the executive director of the Branford Early Childhood Collaborative and serves on numerous health, education and civic organizations, according to her official biography.
Ritter declined to discuss the specifics of the incident, citing “health care issues.” But he said allegations of alcohol use at the Capitol is something he has warned lawmakers about.
“I think the incidents are a little more isolated, maybe not as widespread as some might think,” Ritter said, adding that the issue crosses party lines.
“But there’s no question that we expect people to be adults, to understand the consequences of their decisions and I have been very clear with people that if it happens again there will be significant consequences,” he said.
The speaker, a Democrat from Hartford, said the disciplinary consequences could include “losing committee assignments, and there are things that could go beyond that.’’
“Hopefully people have gotten the message, and if they don’t, then I can assure you, if anyone wants to push or assume that our patience is unlimited, they will sorely regret that decision,” Ritter said.
Pressed by a reporter about whether he’s addressed the matter with Comey directly, Ritter said he has “spoken to the people that I believe I need to speak to, and they need to answer to their constituents with their responses to these questions. But I’ve had the conversations I’ve needed with the appropriate people.”
A veteran of the legislature whose father served as Speaker for six years under two governors in the 1990s, Ritter said, “I’m not going to downplay this. ... There are lines you cannot cross.’’
Many legislators on both sides of the aisle are not involved in drinking and take their jobs seriously, Rojas said.
“It’s important to clarify that these are the exceptions and not any kind of norm,’’ Rojas said. “I don’t want the public to think that this is what’s happening on any kind of regular basis here at the Capitol. There are people doing serious work, and that’s clear by the amount of legislation we’ve been able to move this session.’’
The handbook that governs employees of the General Assembly contains a carefully worded prohibition on alcohol and drugs at the Capitol but appears to contain a carve-out for elected officials.
The handbook bars alcoholic beverages from “any office in the Capitol building or the Legislative Office Building whose sole officially designated use is for legislative staff in the conduct of official legislative business.” It makes no mention of lawmakers’ offices.
Alcohol use has long been a part of the culture at the Capitol. From the annual Red Wine Party to the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Coffee Break, the Capitol calendar is filled with alcohol-themed legislative receptions. And on the final night of the session, legislators have traditionally held parties in their offices with both staff members and fellow lawmakers.
The parties, though, have had fewer late-night revelers in recent years as the loud music and rampant drinking have been curtailed.
But this year, pandemic restrictions have kept the public out of the Capitol and some say that has led to an uptick in partying. Also, legislators have been able to avoid the historic Hall of the House for votes. Instead, for the first time, the rules were changed, and lawmakers have been allowed to vote from their offices in the Legislative Office Building. With laptops, they are allowed to vote anywhere within the confines of the Capitol complex.
Some legislators leave their laptops unattended on the thirdfloor skywalk that connects the Legislative Office Building with the attached parking garage. When a debate concludes, legislators can vote remotely on their laptops without entering the House chamber, if they choose.
“When you have very few people around, and you have a lot of idle time, and the ability to vote from your office, yeah, that probably has contributed to it a little bit,’’ Ritter said. “I think that’s fair to say.’’