Jodi Rell
Mary Carolyn Rell[1] (née Reavis; June 16, 1946 – November 20, 2024) was an American politician who served as the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 to 2011.Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education to force Congress and President George W. Bush to amend the act because, Rell contended, it would compel Connecticut to spend tens of millions to meet impossibly high standards, even as the state's schools perform at one of the highest levels in the nation.Republican legislators and a few Democrats, including (at least initially) House Speaker James Amann, as well as many others, were skeptical when Rell claimed her plan would reduce property taxes.[23] And as public opinion polls showed steadfast opposition to an income tax hike, she changed her mind and withdrew her support for increased educational spending.[citation needed] In September 2010, Rell was one of seven governors to receive a grade of F in the Cato Institute's fiscal-policy report card.[34] In July 2009, the Connecticut legislature overrode a veto by Rell to pass SustiNet, the first significant public-option health care reform legislation in the nation.[35] One of Rell's first major decisions as governor was, on August 25, 2004, to end the system put into place by the previous administration of housing prisoners in out-of-state corrections facilities."Instead of sending inmates and tax dollars out of state, we can now more fully utilize correctional facilities and personnel in Connecticut," Governor Rell said."[36] During Rell's administration, Connecticut carried out the first execution in New England since 1960 when serial killer Michael Bruce Ross was put to death on May 13, 2005.[37] Rell faced another criminal justice issue in July 2007, when two paroled convicts were charged with the home invasion murders of the Petit family in Cheshire.On July 31, 2007, she announced tighter parole policies and asked the legislature to define burglary of an occupied dwelling as a violent crime.[40] Rell announced in September that she does not believe Connecticut needs to build new prisons, send inmates out of state or expand any of the corrections facilities.[41] In January 2008, Rell reached agreement with legislative leaders on a number of criminal justice reforms which were responsive to the systemic failures that occurred before the Cheshire home invasion.[citation needed] Rell reiterated her call for a Three Strikes law on March 31, 2008, following the kidnapping and murder of an elderly New Britain woman, crimes committed by a convicted sex offender recently released from a Connecticut prison.[43] On April 20, 2005, Rell signed into law a bill that made Connecticut the first state to adopt civil unions for same-sex couples without being directed to do so by a court.
Governor of ConnecticutKevin SullivanMichael FedeleJohn RowlandDan MalloyLieutenant Governor of ConnecticutEunice GroarkConnecticut House of RepresentativesNorfolk, VirginiaRepublicanLou RellOld Dominion UniversityJohn G. Rowlandfemale governorElla GrassoU.S. NavyNew JerseyTrans World AirlinesBrookfield, ConnecticutWestern Connecticut State Universityhonorarylaw doctoratesUniversity of HartfordUniversity of New HavenEastern AirlinesFairfield CountyBrookfieldQuinnipiac University Polling InstituteDemocraticNew HavenJohn DeStefano, Jr.2006 Connecticut gubernatorial electionJohn McCainSarah Palinabortion rightsThe WISH ListNo Child Left Behind ActRichard BlumenthalU.S. Department of EducationGeorge W. Bushcommencement addressCentral Connecticut State UniversitysurplusJames AmannConnecticut Education AssociationRay MabusArizonaHartfordNew LondonKelo v. New LondonCato InstituteSustiNetNew Englandserial killerMichael Bruce Rosscommutehome invasionSam CaligiuriThree Strikes LawJohn McKinneya billcivil unionssame-sex couplesright to adopt childrenminimum wageNed LamontEpiscopalianList of governors of ConnecticutList of female state governors in the United StatesList of female lieutenant governors in the United StatesThe New York TimesConnecticut MirrorThe News-TimesThe Hartford CourantCable News NetworkCT MirrorTribune CompanyQuinnipiac University PollWayback MachineHartford CourantTribune PublishingInstitute for JusticeThe Weekly StandardProQuestGregory B. HladkyNew Haven RegisterJournal Register CompanyNBC NewsThe Associated PressWTIC (AM)Hearst CommunicationsC-SPANTom FoleyGovernors of ConnecticutTrumbull Sr.M. GriswoldHuntingtonWolcott Sr.Trumbull Jr.TreadwellR. GriswoldWolcott Jr.TomlinsonPetersEdwardsEllsworthClevelandR. S. BaldwinTouceyBissellJ. TrumbullSeymourDuttonHolleyBuckinghamHawleyEnglishJewellIngersollHubbardAndrewsBigelowWallerHarrisonP. LounsburyBulkeley