Sen. Sampson: CT Govt DEI Office is “Colossal Waste of Taxpayer Money”

CT Inside Investigator

Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order establishing an Office of Equity and Opportunity “that will be responsible for leading Connecticut’s efforts to ensure that state government is a leader in equity and inclusion with the goals of eliminating institutional and systemic barriers,” according to a press release.

Lamont’s office indicated the office will be led by a “chief equity and opportunity officer” appointed by the governor and will ensure “state government offices are representative of the people they serve and that people from different racial, ethnic, gender, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds have a voice in the decision-making processes concerning the policies and practices of state government.”

Republican leaders, however, voiced some criticisms with Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, saying it is a “colossal waste of taxpayer money,” and that the policy “failed to get across the finish line because it was a terrible idea.”

“The focus on ‘equity’ – not to be confused with ‘equality’ – is all about ignoring merit and hard work in favor of categorizing every individual citizen based on their race and gender for the purpose of supposedly redressing the wrongs of the past,” Sampson said. “Here we now see the governor going around the legislative process, creating bigger government, endorsing shortsighted policy and wasting precious taxpayer dollars.”

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the move will add a “mind-numbing layer of bureaucracy to manufacture illogical outcomes,” and that Lamont should focus on making state government more responsive and reducing telework for state employees.

“The primary worry for Connecticut residents isn’t about the inclusiveness of their state government, but its effectiveness in providing services. They need timely responses when they contact state agencies for information or assistance,” Candelora said in a statement. “Governor Lamont should prioritize a more basic yet crucial goal: bringing state employees back to the office.”

Gov. Lamont issues executive order establishing Equity and Opportunity Office