Second District Democratic State Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan and his Republican challenger, former Second District lawmaker Dan Carter have come out swinging over the freshman lawmaker's position on previously failed utility legislation.

Tapping into controversies surrounding regional electric supplier Eversource and constituents’ frustrations over the utility’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias, the opponents clashed in a set of press releases issued a day apart, beginning with an August 13 statement from Allie-Brennan.

“Former state representative Dan [Carter] voted against legislation that would have reined in Eversource executive compensation and created new protections for consumers during long outages according to 2012 legislative voting records,” the incumbent’s release contended.

The lawmaker said Eversource’s five highest-paid employees earned a combined total of just over $40 million in 2019, with CEO Jim Judge taking home more than $19.8 million last year. Allie-Brennan noted that Carter’s vote shows an unwillingness by the Republican candidate to stand up for Eversource customers.

“Dan Carter had his chance to stand up for utility customers and failed miserably,” said Allie-Brennan, a freshman Democrat who is one of the youngest new lawmakers serving in the General Assembly. “How can we trust him to fight for us now? His record speaks for itself.”

Carter was quick to counter the following day, saying, “It’s not hard to imagine Allie-Brennan wants to bring back a bill that he thinks will score political points, but does he know it was actually killed by Democrat leaders because it would have hurt ratepayers?”

Defense And Debate

Carter defended his record of supporting ratepayers, and has challenged Allie-Brennan to debate over the subject.

In his release, Carter explained that moments after HB-5542 passed the Energy and Technology Committee in 2012, he and his colleagues on the committee unanimously passed SB-23: An Act Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Among the provisions, the bill set standards for the performance of utility companies, gave the Public Utilities Regulatory Agency (PURA) greater oversight over the companies, and gave PURA the power to fine utility companies up to 2.5 percent of their annual revenue for failing to perform. The fines could result in millions sent directly back to the ratepayers as credits to cover them for financial hardships, such as food and prescription spoilage.

Most important, Carter said, the fines were not to be recouped with higher electric rates, offering protection to customers and letting shareholders bear the cost. The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Malloy.

“I was proud to support bipartisan legislation to hold companies and CEOs accountable, put relief into the pockets of ratepayers, and accomplish so much more,” Carter said. “What we did then could be used today to hold Eversource accountable.”

Allie-Brennan said he is backing utility reform that would create performance-based regulations — and ratepayer relief when Eversource does not make the grade.

After supporting 2019’s SB-469 requiring PURA to study requiring minimum staffing levels for electric distribution companies, the incumbent wants legislative leaders to introduce a bill requiring utilities to provide better communications during outages, reduce customer bills to make up for lost or spoiled food and medications, and hold the utilities accountable for developing a more secure energy distribution grid.

Allie-Brennan hopes to see that legislation in play during an anticipated September special session.

Carter’s Criticisms

In his rebuttal release, Carter said Allie-Brennan consistently ranks politics and his ideology over the needs of hardworking families in the district’s four communities.

“We saw that with the recent police accountability bill that makes us all less safe, and now with Allie-Brennan’s calls to resurrect a bill that won’t actually hold anyone accountable and will raise our electric rates, continuing to make Connecticut less affordable,” Carter said.

“We need real leadership and common sense in Hartford to deal with the failures of Eversource, PURA, and the legislature, as well as many other issues that affect the affordability of Connecticut, not more political pandering,” Carter added. “If my opponent would respond to my request for a debate, we can certainly talk more about my record.”

Describing the incumbent as a “progressive ideologue,” Carter said he believes Allie-Brennan “is in over his head.”

“His criticism that I voted against a bill that members of his own party decided would hurt ratepayers shows that he understands little about the history of this issue or the legislative process,” said Carter, who served as representative from 2011 to 2017. “I’d be happy to explain it all to Raghib in a public forum, but so far it seems as though he’s more interested in flimsy political potshots than trying to prove to his constituents that he possesses the ability to lead on complex issues.”