Tim O'Brien (politician)

Tim O'Brien (born June 13, 1968) is a Connecticut State Representative. He is a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and represents the Twenty-Fourth Assembly District, which includes parts of New Britain and Newington, Connecticut.

O'Brien was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2002, having previously served as a member of the Common Council of the City of New Britain.

As a state legislator, [http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-endorseh241026.artoct26,0,5967423.story O'Brien has been a strong advocate for reform] to Connecticut's property tax system, an effort to change the fact that middle class and poorer taxpayers, particularly those in Connecticut's cities, pay a higher percentage of their incomes in property taxes than wealthy persons in Connecticut. O'Brien also advocates for extending healthcare benefits to all of the residents of the state, increasing funding to public schools, expanding Connecticut's prescription drug coverage and protecting workers' rights.

In the 2005-2006 term of the legislature, [http://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/Guides/Guide05/house.htm#O] O'Brien was the Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, and was a member of the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee and the Education Committee. In the 2007-2008 term, [http://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/Guides/Guide/Guide.pdf] he left the Government Administration and Elections Committee and was named to the Public Health Committee and Judiciary Committee.

As Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, [http://ctnewsjunkie.com/index.php/2005/12/01/campaign_reform_survives_the_house O'Brien worked actively for approval of Connecticut's sweeping 2005 campaign finance reform legislation] . The campaign finance reform law provides for public financing of candidates for statewide and state legislative offices who agree not to accept large amounts of private campaign contributions and agree to limit their overall campaign expenditures. O'Brien also worked for the approval of state legislation designed to ensure voter-verified hard-copy records of votes for any direct-recording electronic voting machines to be used in Connecticut.

As a member of the New Britain City Council (Common Council) O'Brien worked for the change in the way New Britain City Council members were elected from an "at-large" system, to one that ensures that every neighborhood elects Council members by and from their own neighborhood districts. He also worked for the approval of a local law (ordinance) to provide minimum wages for the workers of companies doing business with or receiving subsidies from the city (living wage ordinance) and anti-slumlord ordinances.

O'Brien is married to Ms. Rhona Cohen O'Brien, and resides in New Britain.

External links

* [http://www.cga.ct.gov/hdo/fp/HDO024.htm Rep. Tim O'Brien's official state website]
* [http://www.timobrien.org/index.htm Rep. Tim O'Brien's personal website]
* [http://reptimobrien.blogspot.com Rep. Tim O'Brien's blog]