Edward Meyer (CT)

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Edward Meyer
Connecticut Senator from the 12th District
In office 2005 – present
Preceded by	William Aniskovich
Constituency	represents Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison, and North Branford

Born	April 15, 1955(1955-04-15) New York, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Patty Ann Meyer
Residence	Guilford

Edward Meyer is an American politician. Meyer, a Democrat, has been a state senator from Connecticut since 2005.

1 Early life
2 State Senator
3 Electoral history
4 Personal life
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Early life

Meyer was born in New York City on April 15, 1935^{[citation needed]} and graduated from both Yale University and Yale Law School.

In 1964, Meyer was appointed by then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy as a federal prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice. During his time in that position, Meyer aggressively pursued organized crime in New York.

In 1970 Meyer was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he served for four years as the representative for his Westchester County district. While in the state legislature, Meyer authored 48 bills that later became law.^{[citation needed]} He was a Republican at that time.

Meyer also served on the New York State Board of Regents for 23 years, where he was a strong proponent of higher education standards from the public education system at a time when crusading for such reforms was not a common position to hold.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] State Senator

Meyer, a resident of Guilford, represents the eastern suburbs of New Haven along the coast of Long Island Sound, including the towns of Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison, and North Branford.

On May 30, 2007 Meyer case the decisive vote for a Democratic state budget that would have greatly increased the top rate of the state income tax. Meyer had originally opposed the tax increase as it was going to affect many consituents in his affluent district, but changed his position after being persuaded by Senate President Don Williams that he would look to increase special education aid [1]

Governor M. Jodi Rell has vetoed this budget. Meyer later voted for a compromise budget that did not raise the income tax, but greatly exceeded the state's constitutional spending cap.

On December 11, 2007 Meyer proposed ethics reforms for the state senate in the wake of the CSU bonding scandal centered on fellow Democratic senator Thomas Gaffey.

[2]

On January 22, 2008, Meyer opposed the proposal by Governor M. Jodi Rell to enact a Three Strikes Law mandating life terms for career violent criminals. Rell sought the bill in the wake of the Cheshire home invasion

[edit] Electoral history

In 2004, Meyer defeated 14-year Republican incumbent Bill Aniskovich by 3 points in what proved to be a major political upset that year. Aniskovich was hampered by his alleged closeness to former Governor John G. Rowland, who had recently resigned due to a corruption investigation.

Last year, in 2006, Meyer defeated political newcomer Greg Hannan 2-1 to be elected to his second term in the Connecticut Senate.

[edit] Personal life

Senator Meyer is married to Patty Ann Reese, a former professional tennis player and one of the founding members of the Virginia Slims Tour. Senator Meyer met his wife at Wimbledon while she was competing and he was representing Jimmy Connors. He has 6 children and 11 grandchildren.