State Senator Rob Sampson

State Senator Rob Sampson

3 days ago

MY RESPONSE TO SPEAKER RITTER'S REMARKS FROM YESTERDAY:

Let’s set the record straight.

Speaker Ritter claimed I referred to myself as the “king of the final few days of session.” Those are his words, not mine. I’ve never said that — though I understand why he might feel that way. The truth is, as the clock winds down on session, the minority’s influence naturally grows. And yes, I’m perfectly comfortable using every tool at my disposal to scrutinize, challenge, and slow down bad legislation. That’s not arrogance — that’s doing my job.

I was elected to represent my constituents, not to make life easier for the majority party. If that makes me a thorn in their side, so be it. I’ll gladly take credit — along with my Senate Republican colleagues — for being effective at stopping harmful bills and exposing radical policies that don’t belong in Connecticut.

As for the Speaker’s claim that I “killed” 30 education bills — let’s be serious. I’m fairly certain he’s making that number up as he goes. I doubt there were 30 education bills teed up for final passage, and if there were, the majority never presented them to me. If Democrats didn’t get their priorities passed, it’s not because of minority Republicans — it’s because they didn’t manage their time, didn’t make the effort, or didn’t have the will to defend their bills in the light of day. And in many cases, they simply let their own members’ bills die on the calendar because they didn't really want to pass them either!

The Speaker knows the truth: Democrats hold a two-to-one majority in both chambers. They have every advantage. When they really want something — no matter how extreme — they find a way to get it done. Just look at the massive budget and bonding bills they jammed full of unrelated policy provisions in the final hours of session. If these other bills were such a priority, why weren’t they included?

The reality is simple: this is scapegoating. I’m an easy target because I don’t roll over. I debate. I expose. I force tough conversations. Under the leadership of Senator Steve Harding — with me managing policy and screening — Senate Republicans are no longer an afterthought. We review every bill. We make every effort to protect the people of Connecticut from the bad ideas that too often slip through in the final days of session.

So, thanks for the recognition, Speaker Ritter. But let’s be clear: You had the power. You just didn’t use it wisely. Own it.

And if being diligent, outspoken, and unapologetically effective at exposing the majority’s missteps makes me the Democrat leadership’s boogieman — I’ll wear that title proudly. Their agenda continues to harm our state, and I will do everything in my power to stop it.

#sampsonforct ... See MoreSee Less

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State Senator Rob Sampson

4 days ago

HB 7042 = Backdoor Gun Ban

This bill isn’t about safety. It’s a weaponized legal strategy to sue the firearm industry out of existence—even when they follow the law.

I led the fight against it on the Senate floor speaking for nearly five hours. If you care about the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment, or just basic fairness—you need to see this.

Below is a short clip to give you just a small idea of what is at stake.

#hb7042 #2a #ctpolitics #DefendFreedom #sampsonforct

*For the full debate where I dissect nearly every word of this terrible bill and set up the legal challenge to it, here is a YouTube link to the entire debate - youtu.be/AVKbBOI51sg ... See MoreSee Less

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