Politics At Its Worst On 60 West Street Vote But Rocky Hill Rep. Guerrera Keeps Swinging

State Rep. Antonio Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill) hasn't and says he will not stop fighting what he deems to be a terrible precedent set in the process of putting a nursing home for prisoners in a residential area in Rocky Hill without the town having any zoning rights. 

The bill he put forth in the House of Representatives and has been working on this session finally got a vote and passed convincingly 106-30. That should be great news for Rocky Hill but the bill was "PTed" or "Passed Temporarily."

"What that means is that it's not going to go anywhere," Guerrera said Sunday night after working on this session until 5:30 a.m. "I think even if we moved it to the senate and it passed there was no way the governor was going to sign it. I had some opposition in my own party and in my opinion, they have been talked to by some people from the Governor's office and they tried to block the vote."

So Guerrera must be discouraged then, right?

Guess again.

"Listen, this was never about putting the prisoners in an urban setting versus non-urban," said Guerrera who represents Rocky Hill, Wethersfield and Newington. "We did not like the process. This is a democracy and we want the citys and towns to have the right to have a voice in an issue like this. It shouldn't be shoved down their throat by the state. 

"They can say that these prisoners are disabled and at the end of life but they can't guarantee that. There is no way you can guarantee that. If we put these people in either the Cheshire or Mansfield prisons that were recently closed, we would have highly-trained Department of Corrections employees working there. This is a bottom line business. They need to make money. They need to fill those beds and need to make money. Will they cut costs on security to improve their bottom line? I guess we'll see."

Guerrera said despite the "Passed Temporarily" status of the bill, he is happy he was able to fight for and get a vote.

"I've been fighting a long time for this and I think a clear message was sent," he said. "To have two thirds of the House say they agree with this sent a message. They want the towns and cities to have the right to have a voice and use their own zoning regulations in cases like this. 

"I might not be the most popular guy in the Governor's office right now but I was elected by the voters in the 29th District. That's the people in Rocky Hill, Wethersfield and Newington. They voted for me and I'm working for them and I will continue to do so."