Conn. Supreme Court nominee up for hearing, vote

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former Stamford state Sen. Andrew McDonald, who is now serving as Gov. Dannel Malloy's legal counsel, is facing a confirmation hearing and the first vote on his nomination to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

The General Assembly's Judiciary Committee has scheduled a public meeting Monday where they will hear from McDonald and other judicial nominees. The committee is expected to vote afterward, sending the nominations to the full legislature.

If confirmed, McDonald would be the state's first openly gay appellate jurist. The Democrat is the former co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

The socially conservative Family Institute of Connecticut is urging its supporters to oppose McDonald because of his support of same-sex marriage and a proposal that would have given lay members of the Roman Catholic Church more control over parish finances.