By State Senator Ryan Fazio
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this year’s legislative session of the Connecticut General Assembly, which begins today, February 9th. Many expect it to be uneventful overall, partly because it is an election year. I believe that would be a missed opportunity because of the important issues facing our community and state.
Many of my colleagues and I are eager to work across the aisle to address these challenges. Here are some of the issues that I will work to ensure are prioritized by the General Assembly:
Local Control of Town Zoning
Local control of our towns is a great Connecticut tradition but it’s being undermined. The 8-30g state statute that frequently overrides local zoning rules has become infamous in our community. Our town government can effectively balance the need for affordable housing and the need to maintain the town’s character and quality of life. Yet, the state allows some developments to ignore zoning rules if the local housing stock is considered less than 10 percent “affordable” by an arbitrary definition.
I am submitting bills this year that will roll back and improve the statute by counting and crediting the town for the pre-existing, or “naturally occurring”, affordable housing stock. Why should a less expensive housing unit not count as “affordable” to the state, because it isn’t deed restricted or built in a certain year, while more expensive units count because it acquiesces to the state’s regulations? Moreover, affordability should count based on area median income—not the state’s—because of the regional differences in wages. Greenwich is a vibrant and diverse place because it is managed fairly and prudently on the local level. The state should not undermine local control.
Inflation and High Taxes
The cost of living and tax burden in Connecticut was among the highest in the nation before the pandemic began. But now, historic inflation is exacerbating the economic squeeze experienced by many families here. Change is needed.
I co-authored a plan with my Senate colleagues for a sales tax cut to alleviate the pain felt by inflation. This is immediate, fair, and broad relief. Over the next two years, the state coffers will see a windfall of revenue due to inflation and federal stimulus dollars. That money should not pad the state coffers for politicians to spend but be returned directly to the people.
In the long run, we need more comprehensive tax reform to simplify and broaden our state’s tax code, remove special tax benefits for special interests, and reduce personal income tax rates for all families. I will also submit a bill to start the process for that reform.
We also need to cut red tape and streamline key regulations. A Cato Institute study found that Connecticut is the worst state for small businesses thanks to costly regulations. In order to reduce cost of living and support small business, I’ll introduce 10 bills that reduce red tape and improve regulations. They will be especially focused on improving access to health care like birth control and hospital services, reducing electricity costs while protecting the environment, and reducing the costs of vital goods and services.
Executive Powers and State Mandates
Over the last 23 months, the state legislature has voted six times to give the governor emergency executive powers to unilaterally make policy in several areas. However, our state constitution is clear that the right to create legislation and policy begins with and belongs to the legislative branch. Checks and balances protect people’s rights and ensure collaboration in our government. Collaboration is how we work locally, and it serves us well!
That’s why I will vote against any further extension of emergency executive powers and in support of our democratic institutions. It is also time that we allow many of the underlying statewide mandates enacted by executive powers to expire, including the requirement for all students to wear masks in schools. Two years in, our local officials, or better yet families themselves, can responsibly decide how best to serve our children.
Public Health and Safety
To promote the public health, the state should focus on making vaccines and therapeutics easily available to all and empower individuals to protect themselves. It should also do a better job securing and distributing N95 masks and COVID tests to those who want and need them than it did last month. We have the tools necessary to protect against COVID without excessive mandates. The state should focus its efforts on making those tools available to all.
In response to rising crime, our state must also act. Homicides rose over 30% in 2020 and probably by a similar magnitude in 2021. Car thefts rose over 40% in 2020 and more than doubled in Greenwich! State policy bears some responsibility for this trend as the police bill passed in 2020 tied the hands of our great officers and criminal justice laws have allowed for older teenagers to commit dozens of felonies, like stealing cars, without recourse. The state must fix these laws carefully, support local police, and keep everybody safe.
Mental Health
The last two years has taken a major toll on the mental health of many people, especially young people. For instance, the rate of emergency department visits from self-harm among adolescent girls increased by more than 50 percent since 2019. While our civil society is the key to solving this crisis our public policy must also change. Some of my colleagues and I will introduce legislation to expand access to psychological care via telemedicine and streamline licensing laws for mental health professionals. We also believe that students should go back toward normal life, socialization, and programming in schools. Finally, I will be co-introducing legislation to study better policies relating to use of smart phones and social media in schools.
While there are immense challenges faced by our state, I am always hopeful that we can succeed with the right policies and leadership. That’s why our state legislature should advance positive change this session. If incumbents cannot change course, then voters might need to take matters into their own hands in November. But until then, I believe we can work together productively in the 2022 legislative session.
Ryan Fazio represents Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan in the State Senate.
