 Judge Delays BRAC
Report Gives State Chance To Argue For A-10s Staff and wire reports August 31 2005 A federal judge has granted the state's request for a temporary restraining order as it fights to keep the state's Air National Guard flying. The order, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello, temporarily prevents the Base Realignment and Closure Commission from recommending to President Bush that the Guard's A-10 attack jets be transferred out of Connecticut. Covello will conduct a hearing on the state's claim that the jets cannot be transferred without the governor's consent. "The court has granted a temporary restraining order that preserves the status quo, assuring us our day in court to challenge the illegal recommendation to realign the Connecticut 103rd Fighter Wing," state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said in a press release. "This order assures that the BRAC recommendation will not be sent to the president before the court rules on our lawsuit's request for an order stopping it." That hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 7. The BRAC commission has until Sept. 8 to forward its recommendations to Bush. The commission last week approved a Pentagon proposal to move nine of the 103rd Fighter Wing's A-10 attack jets to a unit based at Barnes Airport in Westfield, Mass. The rest of the jets would be retired. The proposal is part of a larger effort to close or reconfigure dozens of military bases nationwide. The state on Monday filed suit against the BRAC and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, contending that the unit cannot be moved or altered without the consent of Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Last week, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled in favor of that state's governor, who contends the Pentagon needs his permission to dissolve an Air National Guard unit there. "The governor is pleased that Judge Covello has issued this order and remains optimistic that Connecticut will prevail at next week's hearing," said Judd Everhart, a Rell spokesman. "She is confident the facts are on our side." |