Press Releases
10/06/2016
Gov. Malloy and Legislative Leaders Announce Agreement on the Old State House
Legislative Management to Maintain Responsibility for Historic Hartford Building
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy and leaders of the Connecticut General Assembly today announced that an agreement has been reached that will maintain responsibility for the Old State House with the General Assembly's Office of Legislative Management (OLM) in order to better secure the future of that historic Hartford building.
"The Old State House is symbolic of the rich history of our state and offers a wealth of historic insight and informative exhibits, which attract visitors and school groups from throughout the region," Governor Malloy said. "It's an historic jewel, a tourist attraction, and a focal point for education that needs to remain a vital part of a vibrant downtown Hartford. I am grateful that we were able to work together in a positive manner and reached an outcome that will allow the operations of this building to continue so that it can be enjoyed for many more years."
"There are budget challenges all throughout state government, and caretaking and operating the Old State House is no exception," Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden) said. "Under these circumstances, I am pleased the legislature stepped up and helped figure out a way to ensure this historical asset and popular attraction can continue to be enjoyed by the public."
"Having one of the state's most prized historical jewels potentially shuttered for an unknown period of time of time was not acceptable. I am thankful that an accommodation was able to be reached to avoid that possibility," House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (R-Derby, Orange, Woodbridge) said. "This was a very positive outcome."
"The Old State House has undergone a lot of changes and faced a lot of challenges in its two centuries in downtown Hartford, but with this new agreement I think we have arrived at a sensible solution to keep this piece of Connecticut history open and secure and welcoming," State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), who serves as co-chair of the Appropriations Committee, said. "The potential long-term closure of the Old State House was a problem, no doubt, and not only to the legislature but to historians and educators too. Legislative leaders and I were really committed to finding a fiscally practical solution to keeping the Old State House open, and we accomplished that."
"I want to thank all of the lawmakers who came together to work on this solution. When all ideas are brought to the table and when all parties are given a voice we can overcome significant challenges. This is a well thought out resolution that will keep the Old State House open and all its historic treasures protected," State Senator Rob Kane (R-Watertown), who serves as a ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, said.
Section 40 of Public Act 16-3, which was adopted during the May 2016 Special Session of the state legislature, authorized the transfer of responsibility of the Old State House from OLM to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) upon completion of an agreement between those two parties. Discussions aimed at reaching such an agreement revealed that the transfer would be more complex than was envisioned.
The final agreement, which was signed by DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee and James Tracy, Executive Director of OLM, retains the management and operations of the Old State House with OLM. It also enables DEEP to transfer a $400,000 appropriation for the management and maintenance of the building from this year's state budget to OLM.
With the return of these funds, it is anticipated that OLM will be able to reopen the Old State House, at least on a limited basis, to school groups and other visitors. The building had been closed to the public by OLM on June 30 while discussions concerning the transfer were underway.
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