Sen. Sampson Statement on Farmland Assessment Reversal

HARTFORD — State Sen. Rob Sampson (R-16) issued the following statement in response to Governor Ned Lamont’s Jan. 19 reversal of recent changes to Public Act 490, following today’s public forum with Connecticut farmers:

“Connecticut farmers raised serious and legitimate concerns about a deeply flawed farmland assessment process that would have resulted in severe and unjustified tax increases. Those concerns were initially ignored. Governor Lamont’s Jan. 19 reversal confirms what Senate Republicans and farmers across the state have been saying all along: this policy was wrong and unsustainable.

This reversal did not happen by accident. It is the direct result of sustained pressure from Senate Republicans who stood with farmers, demanded accountability, and forced the administration to confront the real-world consequences of its actions.

Rolling back these increases is a necessary step to prevent immediate harm to family farms, local agriculture, and open-space preservation. But it is only a first step. Connecticut Democrats still have much more work to do to make farmers and all impacted property owners whole and to ensure this kind of reckless policy never advances without transparency, data, or common sense.

Going forward, the state must commit to a truly transparent, data-driven process that respects the people who steward our land instead of treating them as a revenue source. I will continue to highlight the administration’s misguided agenda and push for a new direction that makes Connecticut safer, more affordable, and more respectful of those who live, work, and invest here.”