Connecticut State Song

"Beautiful Connecticut Waltz "

Composed by Joseph Leggo of Newington

Adopted on June 25, 2013.

"Beautiful Connecticut Waltz" became Connecticut's second official song and "The Ballroom Polka" became Connecticut's official state polka when Governor Dannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy signed Substitute House Bill No. 6671, a catch-all government administration bill, on June 25, 2013.

Connecticut State Song:
"Beautiful Connecticut Waltz "

"Beautiful Connecticut Waltz "

Beautiful Connecticut Waltz.
Play it over again.
Your rivers and streams
Flow through my dreams.
I'm hoping it never would end.

From Hartford to New Haven,
I've kept on savin'
All of my dances for you.

Beautiful Connecticut Waltz,
As cool as a mid-summer's breeze.
The birds sing their song
As we dance along.
Together forever we'll be.

From Hartford to New Haven,
I've kept on savin'
All my dances for you.

Beautiful Connecticut Waltz.
The birds sing their song
As we dance along.
Together forever we'll be.

From Hartford to New Haven,
I'll keep on savin'
All of my dances for you.

Beautiful Connecticut Waltz
All of my dancing forever and ever with you
For ever and ever,
Forever with you.

Origin of Song: "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz "

On April 24, a House amendment removed the text designating the polka as the official state dance. The amended version of Substitute House Bill No. 6671, including designation of a second state song and a state polka, was passed by the House on May 30, 2013

Meadows native pens Connecticut anthem

By JILL WHALEN (Staff Writer)
Published: July 7, 2013

A Beaver Meadows native penned "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz" to sing praises to the place he has called home for more than 60 years.

"It's about the state, a little about its scenery and its rivers and streams," explained Joe Leggo, of Newington, Conn.

Those who have heard him sing and play it have mentioned that it would be a perfect state song, but there was a problem - Connecticut already has an official song.
"The (official) song is 'Yankee Doodle,' but you never hear it because there doesn't seem to be any occasion to play it," said Leggo, 87. "It's a strange song, if you listen to the lyrics - 'stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni' - you really don't know what it means. People told me that Connecticut should have a song to play that people could dance and sing to."
In his wildest dreams, Leggo never thought his song would be that song.
"One day, our state representative (Sandy Nafis) came to me and said, 'Joe, that is a great song. I spoke to Sen. Paul Doyle and we would like to put together a bill to make it a state song.' I told her, 'Yes. Go ahead,'" Leggo recalled.

The legislation passed the Connecticut House and Senate, and recently was approved by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz" is now the state's official waltz.

"It's a great honor," said Leggo, who wrote his first song, "Rose of Roses," at the age of 12.

Connecticut Public Act No. 13-210, representing Substitute House Bill No. 6671

The Connecticut Senate approved House amended Substitute House Bill No. 6671 on June 4, 2013

Substitute House Bill No. 6671

Public Act No. 13-210

AN ACT CONCERNING GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The ballroom polka shall be the state polka.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The song entitled "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz", composed by Joseph Leggo of Newington, shall be the second state song.

Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 10-29a of the general statutes is amended by adding subdivisions (62) to (65), inclusive, as follows (Effective from passage):

(NEW) (62) The Governor shall proclaim the month of March of each year to be Irish-American Month to honor Americans of Irish ancestry, their culture and the great contribution they have made to this country. Suitable exercises shall be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the month.

(NEW) (63) The Governor shall proclaim the month of October of each year to be Italian-American Month to honor Americans of Italian ancestry, their culture and the great contribution they have made to this country. Suitable exercises shall be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the month.

(NEW) (64) The Governor shall proclaim the month of November of each year to be Native American Month to honor Americans of Native American ancestry, their culture and the great contribution they have made to this country. Suitable exercises shall be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the month.

(NEW) (65) The Governor shall proclaim June twenty-fourth of each year to be French Canadian-American Day to honor Americans of French Canadian ancestry, their culture and the great contribution they have made to this country. Suitable exercises shall be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the day.

Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may, in his or her discretion, designate a day, week or month for the celebration of any ethnic, cultural or heritage group upon the application of such ethnic, cultural or heritage group for such designation.

Sec. 5. Section 5-228 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) When a vacancy in any permanent position in the classified service is to be filled, the appointing authority shall notify the Commissioner of Administrative Services of such fact, stating the title of the position to be filled. Vacancies in such positions shall be filled, so far as [practicable] possible and for the best interest of the state, by reemployment, as provided in subsection (b) of section 5-241, promotional appointments from within the agency and service-wide promotional appointments or transfers in accordance with regulations issued by the commissioner. The appointing authority, with the approval of the commissioner, shall decide whether a vacancy shall be filled by promotion from within the agency, from a state-wide employment list, transfer or, if such is not [practicable] possible, by original appointment.

(b) If a vacancy is to be filled by a promotional appointment from within the agency, the commissioner shall certify to the appointing authority the names of all candidates from the agency in accordance with the provisions of section 5-215a.

(c) If a vacancy is to be filled by promotion from a service-wide candidate list, the commissioner shall certify to the appointing authority the names of all candidates on that candidate list in accordance with the provisions of section 5-215a.

(d) If a vacancy is to be filled by an original appointment, the commissioner shall certify to the appointing authority the names of all candidates on that candidate list in accordance with the provisions of section 5-215a.

(e) Appointees to any position in the classified service shall be required to serve the working test period provided for in this chapter. Any promotional appointee from within the agency who is dismissed from the position to which [he] such appointee was promoted during such working test period, or at the conclusion thereof, shall be restored to a position in the same class in which [he] the appointee had been employed prior to his or her promotion. Any other appointee who was employed in the classified service prior to his or her appointment and who is dismissed from the position to which he or she was appointed during such working test period or at the conclusion thereof, shall be restored to a vacancy in the same class, or a vacancy in a comparable class or a vacancy in any other position the employee is qualified to fill, in the agency in which he or she had been employed prior to his or her appointment, or shall have his or her name placed on a reemployment list. No appointing authority who has removed such an employee as provided in this section may exercise such right of removal again with respect to any other employee in the same position within three calendar months after such original removal, except with the consent of the commissioner. No provision of this section shall be construed to prevent any employee in the unclassified service from competing for positions in the classified service if [he] such employee possesses the minimum qualifications established by the commissioner. [, except that no such employee shall be eligible to compete in a promotional examination unless he has previous permanent status in classified service.] In the certification of names of persons eligible for appointment, sex shall be disregarded except when otherwise provided by statute or upon request of the appointing authority subject to the approval of the commissioner.

Sec. 6. (Effective from passage) The General Assembly shall commemorate the fourteenth anniversary of the Connecticut-Taiwan sister state relationship. Suitable exercises shall be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the General Assembly designates for such commemoration.

Sec. 7. Subdivision (19) of subsection (a) of section 10-29a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(19) The Governor shall proclaim a date certain in each year as Powered Flight Day to honor the first powered flight by [the Wright brothers] Gustave Whitehead and to commemorate the Connecticut aviation and aerospace industry.

Approved June 25, 2013

Connecticut Law

Connecticut General Statutes, Title 3, Chapter 33, Section 3-110p.

Title 3 - State Elective Officers
Chapter 33 - Secretary
Section 3-110p - Second state song.

Universal Citation: CT Gen Stat § 3-110p (2013)

The song entitled "Beautiful Connecticut Waltz", composed by Joseph Leggo of Newington, shall be the second state song.

(P.A. 13-210, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 13-210 effective June 25, 2013