NORWICH – State Senate candidate Mark Trabucco, D-Owego, appeared in the City of Norwich for a press conference Tuesday, speaking agains the backdrop of the Chenango County Courthouse.

Trabucco’s speech largely focused on New York Regional Interconnect, and its plan to run a high-voltage power line through the county. Trabucco called into question actions taken by other politicians and their motives, even questioning actions taken by senators who seemed to support blocking the way for NYRI.

He specifically had doubts about a letter drafted by Senators Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, John J. Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, James Seward, R-Milford and Raymond Meier, R-Western, which pressured Governor George Pataki to sign a bill that would make NYRI unable to use eminent domain for the line. Trabucco said the letter was meaningless because the governor has no power over the bill.

“The governor cannot sign nor can he veto the bill, because the governor does not have the bill,” Trabucco said. “I am here today to tell you that the GOP controlled State Senate and Senator Tom Libous are playing politics with the issue,” Trabucco said.