By Ignacio Laguarda – Link to CT Post article here
Affordability is a top concern for both candidates running for the 112th district seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives that covers Monroe and parts of Easton and Trumbull.
For incumbent state Rep. Tony Scott, that includes lowering the cost of electricity.
“We should separate the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and (the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority) because their missions don’t align,” said Scott, a Republican. “PURA is supposed to be holding utilities accountable and making decisions that are in the best interest of the ratepayer.”
His opponent, Beth Cliff, a Democrat and political newcomer, is similarly focused on driving down costs for residents in the district.
“I am in favor of responsible and fair fiscal policy that enables affordable housing and all the day-to-day costs of supporting a family — food and utilities, healthcare and childcare, among others,” she said.
Scott is a member of the Housing, General Law and Higher Education and Employment Advancement committees.
He said one of his most memorable moments as a lawmaker was getting a bill passed to bring Connecticut in line with over 30 other states in allowing special optic lenses to be used during drivers tests, “paving the way for people with macular degeneration to get a driver’s license.”
Scott is in his second term in the Connecticut General Assembly and he previously served on the Monroe Town Council. He graduated from Penn State University with a communications degree in broadcast journalism and works in marketing at Edgewell Personal Care in Shelton as a senior promotions manager, according to the state House Republicans website.
He has lived in Monroe since 2007. The Orlando native also lived in Darien, Ill., just outside Chicago, before moving to the Nutmeg State.
Cliff was raised in northern Connecticut, according to her campaign website. Now retired, she has more than 30 years experience in the business world, having worked as a salesperson, manager and consultant.
She is a graduate of Princeton University and has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia. After moving to Easton, Cliff revitalized the Friends of the Easton Library, serving as its president. She is also head of publicity for the Easton Garden Club, which works to protect the environment. Cliff is cross-endorsed by the Working Families and Independent parties.
“We must deliver priority services like excellent schools and first responders, while ensuring that our taxes are kept in check,” she wrote in a response to an emailed questionnaire. “And we must protect our personal freedoms, especially reproductive freedom, from any attack by any potential presidential or judicial overreach come November.”
Cliff, who has not run for office in the past, argued that Monroe has not gotten its fair share of support from the state.
“That will change when I am elected,” she said. “People and businesses in the district need to have a champion who will be available and take the time to listen to what folks need, take those issues to Hartford and bring back answers and dollars. I’m excited about the opportunity to do this for our towns.”
When asked why he is running for reelection, Scott wrote, “I believe my track record has proven I’m the best choice to bring fiscal accountability to the state, to enhance public safety, and to preserve local control of zoning.”