The Senate was called to order at 12: 18 p. m. , the President in the Chair.

DEPUTY CHAPLAIN REVEREND DAVID H. BAIRD:

Let us be in prayer. Dear God and architect of all goodness on this earth, you are the one who has promised to lead us in all truth, so we ask You this day to prepare our hearts and minds for the living of this day in ways that please Your great heart

As we seek Your guidance this day, let us listen to the words of one of Your prophets. With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? He has told you, oh, mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

With these words in our minds, lead us to be a people who both love justice and mix that with kindness, humility, and compassion. Lead us to be a people who create systems of kindness that treat the least among us with dignity and respect.

Help us to discern the difference between justice that restores and vengeance that simply punishes. Finally, since it is too small a thing for us to be simply praying and caring for ourselves, help us to remember that You call us to be a light to the nations and to build a country and society that is a sanctuary for all our of citizens, great and small, where all may find safety, health, fellowship and authentic community.

So love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, to these we commit our day

And at the end of this day, may we return to our homes with Your peace upon our souls. We ask this in Your holy and awesome name. Amen.

SENATE ASSEMBLY:

Amen.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Reverend. Senator Looney, could you join us for the Pledge, please.

SEN. LOONEY:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

THE CHAIR:

At this time, I will entertain points of personal privilege or announcements. Senator Handley.

SEN. HANDLEY:

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise for a point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Ma'am.

SEN. HANDLEY:

I would like to introduce to the Circle my intern, Ashley Cunningham. Ashley has been here since February and has done a wonderful job helping us in the Public Health Committee.

She has worked with Josh Wojcik, my legislative assistant, but also with the Committee as a whole, performing all kinds of services with constituents and with the Committee, attending meetings, and has been a great job, on top of everything else, a great joy. Would you stand, Ashley, so we can say thank you for all your hard work.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator Handley. Are there any other announcements or points of personal privilege at this time? Senator Looney.

SEN. LOONEY:

Yes, thank you, Mr. President. If we might stand at ease for just a moment. Wanted to clarify a couple of the markings regarding items on the foot.

THE CHAIR:

The Senate will stand at ease

[SENATE AT EASE]

SEN. LOONEY:

Mr. President?

THE CHAIR:

Senator Looney.

SEN. LOONEY:

Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Would like to remove a couple of items from the foot of the Calendar. First is on Calendar Page 27, Calendar 238, Senate Bill 594, would move to remove that item from the foot and mark it PT.

THE CHAIR:

Hearing and seeing no objections, so ordered.

SEN. LOONEY:

Thank you, Mr. President. The second item on the foot, Calendar Page 29, Calendar 344, Senate Bill 421, would also remove that and also mark it Passed Temporarily.

THE CHAIR:

Without objection, so ordered.

SEN. LOONEY:

Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, we have three brief items to mark Go, and then we will have a special tribute ceremony. But we have three resolutions.

On Calendar Page 1, Calendar 541, Calendar 542, and on Calendar Page 2, Calendar 543, would mark those three items as Go.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Sir. Mr. Clerk.

THE CLERK:

Calling from Senate Calendar from Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Calendar Page 1, Judicial Nominations, Calendar 541, House Joint Resolution 87, Resolution Confirming the Nomination of Daniel E. Dilzer, Esquire, of Kensington to be a Worker's Compensation Commissioner, Favorable Report of the Committee on Judiciary.

THE CHAIR:

Senator McDonald.

SEN. MCDONALD:

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I move acceptance of the Joint Committee's Favorable Report and adoption of the resolution.

THE CHAIR:

Acting on adoption of the resolution, Sir, would you like to remark further?

SEN. MCDONALD:

I will, Mr. President. Mr. President, Attorney Dilzer is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University, where he received his bachelor's in history. And he received his law degree from University of Bridgeport School of Law.

He has been in the private practice of law in New Britain since 1993 and has a broad array of experience in family/landlord/tenant real estate business matters, personal injury, and other matters.

While he does not have any experience in the Worker's Compensation Commission, Members of the Judiciary Committee were very favorably impressed with his experience working on behalf of victims and other forms of his public service.

He also, I should say, is a former Second Lieutenant in the Army, and we fully anticipate that with time and training, the basic inherent skills that he has as an attorney will serve the Worker's Compensation Commission, and those who come before the Commission, well. And I recommend him to the Circle.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator McDonald. Will you remark? Will you remark further on House Joint Resolution 87? Will you remark further? If not, Mr. Clerk, please call for a roll call vote. The machine will be open.

THE CLERK:

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

THE CHAIR:

Have all Senators voted? Have all Senators voted? If all Senators have voted, the machine will be locked. The Clerk will call the tally.

THE CLERK:

Motion is on adoption of House Joint Resolution 87.

Total number voting, 32; those necessary for adoption, 17. Those voting “yea”, 32; those voting “nay”, 0. Those absent and not voting, 4.

THE CHAIR:

The resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk.

THE CLERK:

Calendar 542, File 90, House Joint Resolution 90, Resolution Confirming the Nomination of Eric Crawford of Hartford to be a Member of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Favorable Report of the Committee on Judiciary.

THE CHAIR:

Senator McDonald.

SEN. MCDONALD:

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I move acceptance of the Joint Committee's Favorable Report and adoption of the resolution.

THE CHAIR:

Acting on adoption of the resolution, Sir, would you like to remark further?

SEN. MCDONALD:

Yes, Mr. President. Mr. President, let me just first mention to the Circle that this is the first time that this body has had an opportunity to consider and vote upon a nomination for a member of the Board of Pardons and Parole, who will serve as a full-time member of that board.

Mr. President, you will certainly recall that this Chamber had an opportunity in January of this year to pass significant legislation addressing a number of areas in our criminal justice system, not the least of which was creating a more professional and full-time Board of Pardons and Parole.

And I want to thank Senator Williams for his leadership in developing that idea and certainly in ushering it through the legislative process in January.

I'm also particularly pleased, Mr. President, that the first nominee we have before the Chamber for that position is Eric Crawford.

Mr. Crawford has a very impressive background in areas that we believe are relevant to the Board of Pardons and Parole.

He has been a Program Manager for Community Partners in Action and has helped implement federally funded substance abuse programs. He has been a District Intervention Specialist for the Hartford Board of Education for a number of years.

And most recently, Mr. President, he has served as an Intervention Specialist for the Capitol Region Education Council, where they seek to provide assistance and guidance to area youth who potentially could face problems in the community.

He has a very impressive background of community activism and certainly impressed the Committee with his experience.

He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Hartford, and we certainly think he will do a tremendous job as a full-time member of the Board of Pardons and Parole.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator McDonald. Senator Coleman.

SEN. COLEMAN:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise to speak on behalf of the nomination of Eric Crawford. And I'm very enthused by his nomination, first of all, because he's a resident of the Second Senatorial District.

And in the Second Senatorial District, he's known as the Other Eric, or Eric Number Two. But beyond that, as Senator McDonald has indicated, his background and experience have provided him the kinds of insight and skill sets that are easily transferable to his responsibilities that he'll face as a member of the Board of Parole. I think he'll do an outstanding job. This is a tremendous nomination. Thank you, Mr. President.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator Coleman. Senator Kissel.

SEN. KISSEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Good afternoon.

THE CHAIR:

Good afternoon, Sir.

SEN. KISSEL:

Thank you, Sir. I'd like to associate myself with the remarks of Senator McDonald and Senator Coleman. Clearly, Mr. Crawford comes to this position with a tremendous amount of background.

And I think, especially in respect of yesterday's conversation regarding racial and ethnic diversity in the Judicial Branch, here, within the Board of Pardons and Paroles, it's noteworthy that Mr. Crawford is African American.

Not only that, he has a wealth of experience. When he was in some of his prior jobs, he was supervising a staff that actually had several thousand clients at one particular time.

And these were clients that were given either probation or pretrial programming and things like that. He has one-to-one experience with individuals that have to be compliant with the terms of a court order.

He understands some of the temptations and the difficulties of individuals that are involved in the criminal justice system from urban areas to comply, and he's worked through those things.

I remember, just Friday, at the public hearing, he was there, supported by a group of individuals, as well as his son, and everybody was tremendously proud of him.

But most importantly, Mr. Crawford, I think, with the other appointees, and the next to come before us is Mr. Roy, my understanding is not one, single individual will have all the tools, all the background, all the experience they need to make this new full-time Board of Pardons and Paroles, their new position, perfect.

But what it is, what I'm seeing is that each one of them bring together a certain element of expertise, such that when they work together as a team, when these folks work together as a team to make these difficult decisions, we will have serving the people of the State of Connecticut a group that brings the most expertise and experience and hard work and dedication as we could expect.

When I asked both this candidate and the next nominee, you know, you're going to be on the hot seat. It's going to be a tough job.

All eyes in Connecticut will be on you because, let's face it, we're coming out of that tragic situation in Cheshire and another horrific incident in New Britain, and we can't wake up on any given morning and read the newspapers without reading of some criminal tragedy that has taken place in Connecticut.

Not all of them have to do with people that are on parole. But clearly, individuals who serve on the Board of Pardons and Paroles are going to have high expectations because the question will always be, how could you let that person get on parole?

How could you make that determination if, God forbid, they're out for two months, three months, four months, and then go back to a life crime and make some sort of horrific crime that hurts someone.

The Board of Pardons and Paroles are not insurers. They cannot guarantee that every determination they make will have complete predictability. These individuals have stepped up to the plate, and they're willing to do this.

But what's most important is that they're willing to look at all the information available and make reasoned, educated determinations as to whether an individual should be granted parole or not.

And fundamentally, for our system to work, we need these determinations to be made. If we don't grant parole, and I've talked to a lot of my constituents over the last year, and they say, why do we even have parole?

Well, if you just have people serve their time and then cut them loose, their propensity to recidivate, to go back to a life of crime, is proportionately higher than if you get them into a transitionary mode through parole with certain restrictions, counseling, check-ins, and the like.

So we need a functioning parole system to drive down the percentage of individuals who go back to a life of crime.

And to make that system work, we need dedicated individuals, like Mr. Crawford, who are willing to go and put in the time and effort to make sure that the best decisions regarding potential parolees are made each and every week.

So with that, Mr. President, I'd like to commend Governor Rell for presenting us this nominee and the next nominee, and I urge my colleagues here in the Circle to support this individual for the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Thank you, Mr. President.

THE CHAIR:

Will you remark further on House Joint Resolution 90? Will you remark further? If not, Mr. Clerk, please call for a roll call vote. The machine will be open.

THE CLERK:

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

THE CHAIR:

Have all Senators voted? If all Senators have voted, the machine will be locked. The Clerk will call the tally.

THE CLERK:

Motion is on adoption of House Joint Resolution 90.

Total number voting, 35; those necessary for adoption, 18. Those voting “yea”, 35; those voting “nay”, 0. Those absent and not voting, 1.

THE CHAIR:

The resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk.

THE CLERK:

Calendar Page 2, Calendar 543, House Joint Resolution 91, Resolution Confirming the Nomination of Louis O. Roy, Junior, of Avon to be a Member of the Board of Pardons and Parole, Favorable Report of the Committee on Judiciary.

THE CHAIR:

Senator McDonald.

SEN. MCDONALD:

Mr. President, I move acceptance of the Joint Committee's Favorable Report and adoption of the resolution.

THE CHAIR:

Acting on adoption of the resolution, Sir, would you like to remark further?

SEN. MCDONALD:

I will, Mr. President. Mr. President, Mr. Roy is a highly qualified individual to take a position on the Board of Pardons and Parole as a full-time member of the Board of Parole.

He is an accomplished criminal justice expert, having served more than 32 years in the Department of Corrections within the State of Connecticut, with his last position as the Regional Director of Community Services.

Prior to that, Mr. President, he had served as a District Parole Supervisor and is intimately involved and knowledgeable about the parole system in Connecticut.

After his retirement from the Department of Corrections, he went into the private sector, where, for about 13 years, he served in various capacities dealing with alternative monitoring systems in the northeast region of the country and has a specialized expertise in the electronic monitoring of individuals who are on parole.

He certainly has a tremendous background that speaks well for his qualifications. He is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and I think, together with the prior nominee will certainly start the Board of Pardons and Parole, with respect to its parole operations, in a highly professional and appropriate way. And I commend him to the Circle.

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator McDonald. Will you remark further? Senator Kissel.

SEN. KISSEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And I'll be brief because I know we all want to get on to the next event here in the Circle, but I stand in strong support for Mr. Roy, commend Governor Rell for putting his name before us.

As I had indicated earlier, these individuals on the Board of Pardons and Parole will work as a team. And each one of them has a specially honed area of expertise that they can bring to the table to make the best informed decisions regarding potential parolees possible.

Mr. Roy has an incredible background in criminal justice in a variety of forms, starting off as a patrol officer down in Florida, after he served honorably in the United States Navy, then eventually joining the Department of Corrections, where, I am happy to say, he served four years in the DOC in the prison system up in Enfield, my particular town.

Then later on, going into the private sector, where he acquired extraordinary expertise regarding electronic monitoring, ankle bracelets, global positioning devices.

Indeed, with the company he worked for, he went over to Scotland. And in working with the people of Scotland, brought to them the very first electronic monitoring of prisoners system in that country, and then later on, went and spoke to individuals in England, and then helped bring that technology there as well.

And he's actually older in his life, and I asked him point blank, why do you want to get on the hot seat? Why do you want to tackle such a difficult job, where all eyes of Connecticut are going to be on you?

And, God forbid, somebody makes a decision, and one of these individuals breaks their terms of parole and commit horrific crime? And he said, I feel the passion to go back and serve the people of the State of Connecticut.

This is something I want to do. And I recognize that it will be almost impossible to get to zero as far as people that break parole, but we have got to strive to get as close to that number as possible, and I am committed to doing everything within my powers to get there.

So he understands the difficulties of the challenge. He's got a lifetime of experience, both in the private sector and in the public sector, and we are so lucky to be able to utilize his expertise on the Board of Pardons and Parole.

And I know that he will work with the other members of that board as a team member to make the best decisions for the State of Connecticut. And with that, Mr. President, I strongly support the resolution.

THE CHAIR:

Will you remark? Will you remark further on House Joint Resolution 91? Will you remark? If not, Mr. Clerk, please call for a roll call vote. The machine will be open.

THE CLERK:

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

An immediate roll call has been ordered in the Senate. Will all Senators please return to the Chamber.

THE CHAIR:

Have all Senators voted? If all Senators have voted, the machine will be locked. The Clerk will call the tally.

THE CLERK:

Motion is on adoption of House Joint Resolution 91.

Total number voting, 35; those necessary for adoption, 18. Those voting “yea”, 35; those voting “nay”, 0. Those absent and not voting, 1.

THE CHAIR:

The resolution is adopted. Senator Looney.

SEN. LOONEY:

Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I would like to yield to Senator Harp for purposes of an introduction and point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Senator Harp, do you accept the yield?

SEN. HARP:

Yes, I do, thank you, Mr. President. A point of personal privilege, I'd like to take this opportunity today to thank the interns who worked for the Appropriations Committee and who worked with me in the Appropriations Committee.

I had two wonderful interns who worked very hard. And even though they don't have to, they're working until the very end of session.

And the first one is Jessica DeTooleo from Prospect, Connecticut. Wave, Jessica. She's graduating from Quinnipiac University, and she majored in political science.

The next one is Brittany English. Wave, Brittany. She's from Woodstock, Vermont. She's graduating from Trinity College in a few weeks and has majored in political science and economics.

Brittany is heading on to D. C. to work for Mathematic of Policy Research Group, where she will be doing research on healthcare and education.

I really want to thank them for the work that they've done on behalf of my constituents, on behalf of the Appropriations Committee. And I ask that we all rise and give them our warm welcome and thanks.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Thank you, Senator Harp. Senator Duff.

SEN. DUFF:

Thank you, Mr. President, good afternoon.

THE CHAIR:

Good afternoon, Sir.

SEN. DUFF:

Thank you. For a point of personal privilege, please.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Sir.

SEN. DUFF:

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm very pleased and honored to have a constituent from Norwalk and another one of her friends from Westport today, visiting us at the Capitol and enjoying all that is the second to last day of our great 2008 session.

And they're here today taking a tour and learning about what happens on, I guess, May 5, again, two days before we close up, and learning about the legislative process.

So I'd like to ask Betty Cogen and Jennianne Berrill to please stand, and ask that the Chamber give them a normal warm welcome. Thank you, Mr. President.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Senator Nickerson.

SEN. NICKERSON:

Mr. President, an introduction if I may?

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Sir.

SEN. NICKERSON:

Thank you, Mr. President. Members of the Circle, I have with me today two people who were two of the three most important people in my life.

And if I may, I'd like to take a moment to introduce them to you, my wife, Jane, we've been married for 45 years, and I don't know how she's stood it, and my son, Storm. He's traveling with one wing, with a broken arm, but I hope you would give them a warm welcome.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Welcome, Jane and Storm, to the Chamber. Senator Williams.

SEN. WILLIAMS:

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise for a point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Sir.

SEN. WILLIAMS:

Also to welcome the family of Senator Nickerson, and also just to say a few words about Senator Nickerson. He has graced this Chamber ever since I was a State Senator.

And for those of us who came to this institution, looking around this fabulous Chamber, contemplating its traditions, looking for an example of how we should conduct ourselves, of how we should approach the honor of being a State Senator here in this great State of Connecticut, we need not look any further than Senator William Nickerson.

Senator Nickerson, when we have disagreed, you have been a worthy opponent. And we have agreed. And in those times, and in all times, you have been a respected and admired colleague.

Whether it's tax policy or whether it's any of the issues upon which you have put forth your views and helped to illuminate those issues for us in this Chamber, you have always demonstrated tremendous intellect, sharp but fun wit, and always good humor.

You have demonstrated grace under pressure, and you have truly been a master of debate. I have to say, even when, and it's true, something those of us in the Majority Party do things that offer this opportunity, even when you are skewering us, even when you are holding up a position we have taken to the light, to demonstrate that perhaps there might be a little hypocrisy there, or perhaps there is another way of looking at it, from a policy point of view, that just might be better, you have done it in a way that brings a smile to our face.

You've done it in a way that makes us think. And while we may not always agree, you have done it in a way that makes us truly appreciate you as a State Senator and appreciate our being part of this great institution.

So when I think of you in this Circle, I think of politics at its best, and I am reminded that politics, through your example, is truly an honorable profession. Thank you, Senator Nickerson.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Senator McKinney.

SEN. MCKINNEY:

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I rise for a point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed.

SEN. MCKINNEY:

Thank you. Mr. President, I'd like to associate myself with the remarks of the Senate President. Gracing this Chamber is an appropriate term for Senator Nickerson. He has graced us in this Circle.

He has brought respect to everything we do in public life. Mr. President, I first met Senator Nickerson some time in 1986, when he was first running for the State House.

At the time, I was a young man, working on my father's own campaign, traveling through the Fourth Congressional District. And I recall Senator Nickerson's campaign slogan. I think one of his mailers said Pick Nickerson.

And he has been, for me, someone that you look up to, someone that you listen to, someone that you lean on for advice. It wasn't that long ago that I had received several messages from people in our office that Senator Nickerson was looking to speak to me.

And I think when it was the third message that I needed to call him at his office in New York, I knew I had to call him right away.

My first reaction was, oh, my God, what did I do wrong? And how is Bill going to talk to me and say, John, let me give you a little advice. As leader of the caucus, here's maybe something you didn't do right.

And when I called him back, he said to me, with that, you know, he's always happy, always smiling, he said, are you in your office? I said yes. He said, are you sitting down? And I said, no, do I need to be? He said yes.

I said, okay, let me sit down. I'm sitting down. And he said, what I'm about to tell you, only two other people know, my wife Jane and the Governor of the State of Connecticut, Jodi Rell.

And I knew immediately, when he said those words, that Bill was going to tell me that he's decided to move on to do other things in his life.

And as only Bill Nickerson could do, he recounted the fact that he had driven about a half million miles from Greenwich to Hartford over the course of 22 years, and I knew then that I couldn't talk him out of it.

And when you think about Bill Nickerson, the words that come to mind for me are, and there are many, and I'm going to leave a lot out, but thoughtful, caring, loyal, wise, brilliant, and that's hard for me to say, as a Harvard man, he is brilliant, probably the nicest Harvard man I've ever met, good humor, he listens.

Bill always listens before he speaks, whether it's in our caucus, whether it's out here, whether it's in the Finance Committee, whether it's back in Greenwich, talking to his constituents.

Perhaps the one message he had for me, throughout all the years, was to relax, pay attention, and listen before you speak. I didn't always take his advice. I'm still working on it.

I'd like him to stick around for a couple more terms so I could continue to work on it. But he really has had a dramatic impact on the State of Connecticut.

When you think about Bill Nickerson, I think you think about the Finance Committee. You think about tax policy in the State of Connecticut. I know Mary Finnegan is here from the Finance Committee. Mary is beating me up, trying to convince Bill not to retire.

And when you look back at his career, few Senators, few legislators have had the impact on statewide tax policy as Bill Nickerson, from his fingerprints over budgets to the income tax debate and battle back with Governor Weicker

Whether there was a Democrat, Independent, or Republican Governor, Bill Nickerson has had a voice in budget debates.

The other thing that I don't know if you guys on the Democrat side know about Bill Nickerson is that those of us younger Members of the caucus were always jealous of the fact that on budget day, when the Governor would come out with his or her budget, we could never get a quote in the paper because there was always going to be a lead Bill Nickerson quote.

And the Hartford Courant would run their story, and they'd always pull a quote out and put it in box letters somehow in a box. And it was always Bill Nickerson. George Cribner, a former Chief of Staff, had a series of Bill Nickerson quotes that he sort of had plastered around his office.

And there were a couple of great ones. There was one where he talked about, you know, the porridge not being too hot, not being too cold, being just right, about when a budget was going to be ready.

There was one where he talked about, and I'll never forget it, it's still in my mind, where we were having a debate about budget cuts, and the Republican position that maybe there weren't really any cuts in the Democratic budget.

And Bill just came out in a press conference and said, where, on the way from Kansas to Oz, do we see the cuts?

There was another one where we had a press conference, probably on another budget issue, and I'm still trying to figure this one out, by the way, so perhaps when we're done, Bill can clue me in.

But he references Sargasso Sea. And I'm still trying to figure out where the Sargasso Sea is in the world that we live in.

But he was, and is, one of the most quotable Senators, and we're always jealous that Bill always got the quote in the paper.

A couple years go, when I had, after I'd been here for about four or six years, I think, Bill came into my office one day, and Jane had found something in the attic.

It was from a YGOP event in Greenwich. And I don't know if you remember this, Bill, but you had delivered it to me. I guess you were cleaning, perhaps cleaning out the attic, I don't know.

But it was an event that the Greenwich Young Republicans were having in 1968, '68, '69, and my father, as the House Minority Leader, was the guest speaker.

And Bill brought it in to me, and we had a conversation about politics, 20 years ago, in politics today and how politics perhaps has changed not for the good.

But Bill Nickerson has always been about the good. He has always been about serving the people of the State of Connecticut. He's always had a smile on his face.

We marvel, Senator Williams, you're correct, as he would stand up and stick that knife in the argument of the Democrats on a budget, but he did it with a smile on his face.

He did it in a way that no one could ever be mad or angry or upset with what he said, again, another incredible characteristic that many of us are still trying to learn.

None of us are irreplaceable, and in January, there will be another Senator from the 36^th District. But Bill Nickerson is pretty close. His voice is pretty close.

I dare say that, you know, in sports, they retire numbers, Babe Ruth, and football players, great Hall of Famers.

And I'm starting to think that after Senator Nickerson retires, we should retire the phrase, thank you, Mr. President, because no one, in my ten years, has ever said it with such elegance as Bill Nickerson.

And I will always think about you, Bill, when I hear that phrase, thank you, Mr. President. My one regret is that it took until this session, ten years, having served with Bill, for the first time, I got the opportunity to drive him home to Greenwich.

Bill was doing, I think, actually, you went down to Washington to see the President's State of the Union speech, flew back into Bradley, and needed a ride home, and I said I'd love to give you a ride home. It was a long ride. It was a long ride.

I mean, you know, we were touching the New York border before we turned off the Merritt Parkway. But I do regret that over ten years serving with you, that's the only time I've been able to give you a ride home because it was one of the most enjoyable conversations I've had since I've been elected to the State Senate, and it was wonderful to get some time to spend with Jane and you in your home.

We talked about anything and everything, and I will cherish that conversation. I hope there will be more to come in your living room, perhaps in mine, but with three kids, we should probably do it in yours, not mine.

But we are going to miss you. Your understanding of budgets, your really keen intellect in understanding issues, your good humor, your loyalty, Bill Nickerson is one of the most loyal people I've ever met in my life, and he understood the true meaning of that word.

We're going to miss you. The Senate is going to miss you. I know there are other things that you're going to do with your life that will surpass what you've done here. And I wish you well in all of those travels. Thank you, Mr. President.

[APPLAUSE]

THE CHAIR:

Senator McDonald.

SEN. MCDONALD:

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise for a point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Sir.

SEN. MCDONALD:

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, this is a rough day for the City of Stamford. Earlier today, in the House, they had an opportunity to say goodbye to Representative Christel Truglia, who is retiring, and now we, here in the Senate, say goodbye to Senator Bill Nickerson, at least from his public service to the State of Connecticut.

But though it may be rough, we do so with the full knowledge that we have been extraordinarily well served by Senator Nickerson. On behalf of the people of Greenwich but certainly on behalf of the people of Stamford and New Canaan as well.

And I heard something downstairs that I thought was a great parliamentary trick, Mr. President, and I think I should try it here and see if I can move to reject the retirement offer by Senator Nickerson.

And of course, he taught us all well that when you make such a motion, you ask for a roll call. Mr. President, Senator Nickerson has done much here, as others have mentioned, but he's done much at home in Stamford and Greenwich.

He is known throughout lower Fairfield County as an advocate for open space. He did it long before it was popular.

He was known both in southwestern Connecticut and up here, and will continue to be known, for his tireless advocacy for transportation and seeking solutions to those problems.

He was called to public service, I think, by birth. Many may not know that Senator Nickerson is a descendant of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams. His brother also served in public service, I'd like to note, as a Democrat.

But he has a family tradition of public service. And I had an opportunity to hear about it first when my mother served with Senator Nickerson.

I was in college, and I kept hearing about the witticisms and the strokes of brilliance that she was able to bear witness to in serving with Senator Nickerson.

He has always been witty and certainly charming but terribly, terribly bright and very, very aeriodite.

He has brought a level of discourse and debate to this Chamber and to the Committees that he's served on that, I suspect, will serve as a benchmark for all of us for years to come

He did have a velvet touch and a velvet glove, and I learned long ago to duck when the velvet glove came out because he was always armed with facts. They were irrefutable. They were well researched, and they were compelling in many instances.

We certainly disagreed on many issues, but it was never a higher honor to disagree with somebody who was so well informed and so prepared for the debate.

Mr. President, I know that much remains for Senator Nickerson well beyond this Chamber. He has never defined himself by this institution.

I hope he realizes how much he has dedicated to it and what he has contributed to the people of the State of Connecticut.

But I know his golf game is certainly likely to improve with the time that he will have, and I wish him and Jane and his family only the very best.

And thank you, Senator Nickerson, for all that you have done for the people of Stamford and for the people of the State of Connecticut.

THE CHAIR:

Senator Meyer.

SEN. MEYER:

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise for a point of personal privilege.

THE CHAIR:

Please proceed, Sir.

SEN. MEYER:

I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that in this Chamber today, I have known Bill Nickerson longer than anybody else.

Bill and I grew up in the 1950s in the same community in Long Island, and I want to take you back to the