To the editor:

I’m writing to respond to last week’s letter to the editor from Joe Merrill. Mr. Merrill said that he did not know of “an instance when [I] voted on anything, no matter how inconsequential, that went against the wishes of the House Speaker.”

The facts (which have been covered by this newspaper) are that I do vote against bad bills, even if that means voting against the House Speaker and Democratic leadership. 

For example, in 2021, I voted “no” against the special interest giveaway known as the “Auto Body Bill.” That was a bad bill: it allowed auto body shops to jack up prices which would cause higher car insurance rates.  

I was lobbied by the Democratic leadership to vote “yes” on that bill and I told them no. 

Later that year, Gov. McKee vetoed that same bill. The General Assembly scheduled an override vote in January 2022 and, once again, I voted “no” against the wishes of the House Speaker.

And it’s not just bills: in 2019 I voted against Nick Mattiello’s bid to once again become Speaker. I can’t think of any firmer vote in opposition to the Speaker’s wishes, then against the Speaker himself. 

Mr. Merrill is right in one respect: we don’t need legislators who are simply going to be a rubber-stamp. We need people who will speak their mind and be an independent voice for the communities of Barrington and Warren. Since I was first elected that has been my promise and I have kept it.

Jason Knight

Barrington