The Trouble with the Speaker’s Boys’ Club.

Speaker of the House Matthew Ritter’s boys’ club convened in Puerto Rico for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. The gathering included Ritter, two top staff members and some favored male lobbyists.

It’s the inclusion of lobbyists that causes consternation in the Capitol village. It’s only men and at least one of the participants often drops Ritter’s name as a buddy. The weekend in Caribbean adds to the impression that at the top of the House Democratic Office the game is fixed, rigged to benefit a handful of the boys who travel with Ritter.

Excursions for a chosen few cozying up to and carousing with Ritter and his top staff members less than a month before the regular session of the legislature opens are anti-democratic and elitist. They also provide evidence that misogyny continues to flourish at the highest levels of state government. Veteran women lobbyists have long felt they are excluded from certain powerful circles at the Capitol. Women enduring male condescension remains a fact of life in the 21st century Connecticut legislature.

Despite weeks of public hearings, decisions on the content and course of legislation are often made in the Speaker’s office as the legislative session nears adjournment. The lobbyist who vacations with the Speaker and his aides is going to be able to get the attention of the right people.

None of this is news to lobbyists, legislators, staff members and administration officials. Last weekend’s trip was not a secret. Some participants highlighted it on social media. For some it’s an exclusive marketing tool. They want people who may be looking to purchase some influence in the next few months to know that there are ways of buying an advantage.

And Ritter puts his thumb on the scale in an open, obvious and notorious annual weekend away.

Published January 18, 2024.

Top photo: ID 69426758 © Yarruta