Submitted by Adele Rota, Glenville
Dear Editor,
Last week I submitted a letter thanking Representative Tina Courpas and State Senator Ryan Fazio for their unwavering leadership in strong opposition to the flawed housing bill HB8002 that passed the House and Senate. Alarmingly this bill is even more sweeping than the prior version that Governor Lamont vetoed.
I was remiss for not including in my thanks Representative Steven Meskers, who not only voted against the bill but also courageously testified against it. He took a position standing up against the majority of his fellow Democrats in Hartford and he is to be commended for putting the interests of his constituents and our town above partisan politics. It was reported that Representative Hector Arzeno was out of the country and absent for the vote, he too strongly opposes this overreaching legislation.
Should Governor Lamont not veto this bill, which is he likely will not do, I urge our entire delegation to Hartford to continue their bipartisan opposition to the most egregious housing bills passed since 8-30g, some elements of which are scheduled to become effective as early as January 2026. It appears Lamont’s veto of HB5002 was simply a political maneuver.
Although the special session that resulted in the hasty passage of HB8002 did not allow any public hearings or public testimony, we must not allow that to silence us. We must continue to support our delegation in Hartford in their bipartisan opposition and loudly voice our objections to this attack on home rule as they and our local officials work through implementation and potential amendments.
Sincerely,
Adele Rota
Glenville