Sen. Fazio Urges Gov. Lamont to Veto Anti-Local Control H.B. 5002

HARTFORD, CT – State Senator Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) in response to H.B. 5002 passing the Senate, issued the following statement:

“I urgently call on Governor Lamont to reconsider his support for H.B. 5002 and veto this deeply flawed legislation. This bill represents one of the most aggressive attacks on local control our state has seen.

What began as a one-page bill on homelessness has transformed into a 160-page omnibus filled with top-down mandates that override the voices of our towns and cities. It was rushed through the legislature with major amendments added only days ago and narrowly passed in the dead of night after a 2 AM filibuster. This is not how legislators should be serving constituents.

H.B. 5002 strips power from our communities by forcing massive housing mandates through provisions like:

• “Fair Share,” which demands our district build thousands of residential units, regardless of local capacity or planning, or lose access to critical state funds for clean water and infrastructure.
• “Work Live Ride,” which imposes dense as-of-right development near transit—up to nine units per lot—again under threat of losing hundreds of millions in state funding.
• Elimination of local parking requirements for developments under 24 units, effectively tying the hands of local Planning & Zoning boards.
• Legal cost burdens on towns in 8-30g cases force taxpayers to pay developers’ legal fees in certain lawsuits.
• A ban on so-called “hostile architecture,” which would even prohibit simple design elements like armrests on park benches, undermining local decisions about public safety and space.

This bill is not about thoughtful reform. It is about stripping local leaders of the ability to guide growth responsibly in their communities. It’s about forcing density from the top down, with little concern for infrastructure, public input, or community character.

I urge the governor to veto H.B. 5002. Let’s go back to the drawing board, work together across the aisle, and find real solutions that address housing affordability—without gutting local control. Our towns and cities deserve a seat at the table—not a mandate from Hartford.”

Sen. Fazio joined his Republican colleagues in filibustering H.B. 5002 until 2 AM on Saturday. The bill passed the Senate 20-15, with the most Democrats voting NO of any bill to pass the Senate this year. It previously passed the House on a close vote and will now be sent to the governor’s desk to be signed or vetoed.