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Dan Debicella

Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 21st district
In office 2007–present
Preceded by	George "Doc" Gunther
Constituency	Shelton, Stratford (part), Monroe (part), Seymour (part)

Personal details
Born	October 24, 1974 Bridgeport, Connecticut
Died	225x250px
Resting place	225x250px
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Alexandra Galli-Debicella
Children	None
Parent	225x250px
Residences	Shelton, Connecticut
Website	http://www.debicella.com

Daniel Charles "Dan" Debicella (born October 24, 1974) is a Republican politician and businessman currently representing the 21st district in the Connecticut State Senate.

Personal life and background

Debicella was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Shelton, where he currently resides. He graduated from Shelton High School in 1992. He holds a degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Debicella is currently an Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services. Previously, Debicella worked as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo, as an online business owner, and as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He currently serves on the board of various community organizations.

Prior to being elected State Senator, Debicella served on Shelton’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation for seven years, four as its chairman. Debicella acted as the Fairfield County regional chair for Rudy Giuliani's unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

State Senator

Debicella was first elected in 2006 and subsequently re-elected in 2008. He succeeded George "Doc" Gunther, the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history, after working as his campaign manager for several elections.

In the State Senate, Debicella holds the position of Deputy Minority Leader and sits on the Appropriations (ranking member), Higher Education (ranking member), Public Health (ranking member), and Regulations Review committees.

Accomplishments

In 2007, Debicella co-authored a bill that provides tax credits for businesses that create at least 10 new jobs in a year. The bill was passed unanimously and signed into law by Governor Jodi Rell. In committee, Debicella filibustered a controversial bill that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants who graduated from a Connecticut high school to apply for in-state tuition. The bill eventually passed through the General Assembly but was ultimately vetoed by Rell.

In 2008, in response to Environmental Protection Agency plans for a waste deposit in Stratford, Debicella co-sponsored a bill that prohibited the depositing of more than 1,000 cubic yards of asbestos-laden soil near residential areas without approval from two-thirds of the municipality's legislative body. He also proposed legislation that would have allowed individuals and families who receive a physical exam and all age-appropriate preventive tests to deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses from their state income tax, which did not pass through committee. Debicella co-sponsored a bill that expanded Operation Fuel, a program that provides a $500 credit for Connecticut seniors 65 or older whose income is at or below the state median, to assist with their home heating costs. Debicella also secured $2 million in bonding for downtown Shelton revitalization, which cumulated with a visit to Shelton by Governor Rell announcing the funding.

In 2009, Debicella is focusing on eliminating Connecticut’s budget deficit without tax increases by reducing spending through changing how the state provides social services. Debicella has also reintroduced his proposed for tax credits to those who obtain all prescribed preventative tests.

Debicella received the "Guardian of Small Business" award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses in March 2009 for his work in supporting pro-small business legislation.

Voting Record

Debicella’s voting record has reflected a bias for smaller government, free-market policies, and decentralization of government power to the local level. In 2007, Debicella joined the majority of Senators in voting for a budget that did not raise taxes, was under the constitutional spending cap, and increased education funding by 10-20% to all towns. In 2009, Debicella came out strongly against a Democratic proposal to increase taxes by over $3.3 billion. Instead, he joined other legislative Republicans in proposing a budget that cut spending to close the budget deficit.

In the area of education, Debicella co-sponsored a bipartisan bill in 2007 that funded the Teacher’s Retirement Fund through utilizing state bonding, and has consistently opposed the creation of unfunded mandates on municipalities such as mandating all school suspensions be in-school.

In the area of transportation, Debicella co-sponsored a bill that passed in both 2007 and 2008 to forbid the expansion of Sikorsky Airport in Stratford. In a rare tie vote in the Senate, he voted for ending zone pricing of gasoline in Connecticut, which did not become law.

Debicella is known as taking a hard-line on crime issues. He has supported a “three strikes” law in Connecticut, which would give automatic life in jail for anyone with three violent felonies. In 2009, he voted to keep the death penalty for murderers in Connecticut.

On social issues, Debicella has taken moderate positions. Debicella voted for a bill codifying the Connecticut Supreme court’s recognition of same sex marriages, but only after including protections for religious institutions and religious organizations. He also introduced amendments requiring schools to notify parents when marriage and sexuality were being discussed in schools, and allowing parents to remove their children from such discussions. Debicella has also opposed the legalization of medical marijuana.

Debicella generally has a “pro-business" voting record. He joined other Republicans in opposing bills mandating paid sick leave on small businesses and increasing the minimum wage. Debicella also co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to make it more difficult to take property by eminent domain for commercial development.

Debicella has also proposed several amendments to bills that have failed to gain passage. He has proposed amendments to end the power of judges to force affordable housing on communities. He has also proposed allowing for referendum and initiative in Connecticut.

In 2008, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters gave Debicella a 58% rating on their annual scorecard and the Connecticut AFL-CIO gave him a 29% rating. He was endorsed in the 2008 election by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association and the Family Institute of Connecticut.

Electoral history

Connecticut State Senate Election, 2006: Senatorial District 21
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dan Debicella	16,476	52.2
	Democratic	Chris Jones	15,099	47.8
Majority			1,377
Turnout			31,575

Connecticut State Senate Election, 2008: Senatorial District 21
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dan Debicella	24,940	54.4
	Democratic	Janice Andersen	20,912	45.6
Majority			4,028
Turnout			45,852

External links

Campaign website
Issue positions and votes at Project Vote Smart

References

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