House Republican Press Release

January 9, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Burns Appointed to Appropriations, Education and Human Services Committees

Will Work on Appropriations Cmte to Ensure State Keeps Funding Commitment to Downtown Revitalization Project

State Representative Ron Burns, R-77^th District, has been appointed to the Connecticut General Assembly’s Appropriations, Education and Human Services Committees, House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-142nd District, announced today.

“Representative Burns’ professional background, his record of community involvement and his leadership experience convinced me that he was the perfect choice to serve on three of the state legislature’s most important committees – Appropriations, Education and Human Services. As a parent and a former city councilor, he has a clear understanding of the special needs of Connecticut cities like Bristol and will make significant contributions to his committees,” Representative Cafero said.

“As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will ask tough questions about new spending programs or increases in spending for existing ones to make sure the state spends scarce taxpayer dollars wisely. I believe that while the state has a responsibility to protect our most vulnerable citizens, it also must ensure that the programs it puts in place to accomplish that task actually do what they are intended to do. . If they are poorly thought out and appear likely to fail - and waste taxpayer dollars - I will demand to know the reason why,” Representative Burns said.

“A quality education is critical to our children’s future and that is why I asked to be appointed to the Education Committee,” said Representative Burns, whose daughter attended local schools. “As a member of this committee, I will be supporting measures that not only reinforce our public schools’ commitment to ensure our children master basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics, but also help them make practical use of that knowledge to ensure they are successful in their adult careers.”

“Ethnically, socially and economically, Bristol is a diverse city,” Representative Burns said. “To help ensure that the less fortunate among us have the tools they need to qualify for good jobs and become productive citizens, I sought appointment to the Human Services Committee,” Representative Burns said.

“My work on all three of these committees will give me the opportunity to contribute to a better future for the City of Bristol and the State of Connecticut. It is a responsibility I take very seriously and I look forward to the challenge,” Representative Burns said.