Senator Jeff Gordon Responds to Governor Lamont’s Decision to Veto H.B. 5002: A Victory for Local Voices and Common-Sense Policy

HARTFORD, CT – State Senator Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock) released the following statement in response to Governor Ned Lamont’s veto of H.B. 5002, a sweeping housing and zoning state mandate that would have imposed top-down control over local zoning decisions:

“Governor Lamont made the right call. I appreciate that he took the time to review this bill carefully and ultimately recognized what so many of us have been saying all along: H.B. 5002 ‘crossed the line’, as he said during his press conference today.

The Governor said he believed the bill would let towns take the lead, but after reviewing it, he found that it did not. He agrees with me, ‘I want the towns to take the lead.’ That’s exactly what I’ve been fighting for.

Connecticut needs more housing affordability opportunities, but it must be done in a way that respects the voices of local residents, local leaders, and the unique needs of each of our communities all across Connecticut. I continue to work toward realistic and responsible ways to do this. But, HB 5002 would have forced dense development, overridden local planning decisions, imposed housing quotas, weakened protections for public safety and public health, and punished towns that couldn’t comply. That’s not responsible policy, that’s coercion.

Governor Lamont said it best: ‘I want the mayors and first selectmen to take the lead as we come to the table and come up with solutions that help towns, and not put the state against towns.’ I am glad that the Governor agrees with me. The people of Connecticut know best what is best for the communities in which they live.

I spent 15 years as Chairman of my town’s Planning & Zoning Commission. I know firsthand how important local knowledge, public input, and careful planning are to making smart, sustainable, local growth happen.

With this veto, we now can go back to the drawing board and work together, Democrats and Republicans, state and local leaders, to build a better path forward.

I’m ready to keep working on common-sense, community-based housing solutions that actually help people, support infrastructure, and protect the character of our towns. At the same time, I continue to work toward making Connecticut more affordable for more people, letting hard-working people, their families, and job-creating small businesses keep upfront their money to use as they need.”

A Path Forward

Senator Gordon reiterated his commitment to crafting a new approach that includes:

• Truly including municipalities in decision-making.
• Incentivizing housing creation, not punishing towns
• Linking growth to infrastructure readiness
• Reforming 8-30g housing laws to promote real affordability
• Ensuring transparency and meaningful public input
• Engaging state government to better help towns with regional planning, public infrastructure, and public transit needs.