House leaders removed Housing Committee co-chair Rep. Geoff Luxenberg from his committee and leadership assignments late last week in response to the Manchester Democrat’s arrest on driving while intoxicated charges.
In a joint statement, House Speaker Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas said they had removed Luxenberg from all leadership and committee assignments until further notice.
“Hearing of Rep. Luxenberg’s DUI arrest is disappointing and we hope he learns from this serious lapse in judgment,” Ritter and Rojas said. “Geoff has indicated that he is taking steps to ensure this never happens again and we support and encourage him in that decision.”
In addition to serving as co-chair of the legislature’s Housing Committee, Luxenberg was a member of the General Law Committee as well as the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.
Details about the charges were not available Monday morning. House Democrats referred questions about the arrest to Luxenberg’s attorney, Rob Britt, who did not immediately return a call for comment.
No one was injured in the incident, according to Luxenberg, who apologized in a brief statement Friday.
“Last night, I was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. Thankfully, no one was injured and there was no accident,” Luxenberg said.
“I am taking this matter extremely seriously and I feel it important to address the issue immediately,” he said. “I am seeking personal counseling and treatment at this time to assist me in my desire to prevent something like this from happening in the future.”
It was unclear Monday how long Luxenberg would be removed from his committee assignments and who would lead the Housing Committee when the legislature reconvenes in February. The incident comes as state policymakers struggle to address a persistent shortage of affordable housing in Connecticut.
In March, House leaders removed Rep. Robin Comey, D-Branford, from committee and leadership assignments in response to her arrest on DUI charges following a rollover crash in Hartford.
Comey’s committee and leadership suspension lasted about two months and was restored in mid-May, according to House Democrats. Comey is now listed as a member of the Children, Education and Human Services Committees, according to the legislature’s website.